As more and more retail transactions move online, chatbots are becoming the sales associates of choice. When built effectively, these human stand-ins, made of software configured, programmed and embedded in apps, websites and SMS, can closely replicate and simulate human conversation, driving engagement and improving overall customer satisfaction.
On-call 24/7, 365 days a year with never a lateness or absence, chatbots are a reliable tool that can anticipate and respond to frequently asked questions (FAQs), routine products, SKUs, price or service inquiries, common complaints, and basic transactions like sales or returns. They can manage multiple, simultaneous transactions, maintain an even and pleasant tone, and adhere to the mantra, “the customer is always right” with ease.
Building an effective retail bot strategy requires a series of decisions that directly impact engagement and customer satisfaction. Aligning a chatbot with the brand personality is important for continuity, to influence the customer journey, and to ultimately accelerate sales. While anticipating FAQs is easy, predicting the many ways the questions are asked and crafting answers that address multiple audiences with various interests, language skills and intentions is far more of a colossal task.
