Consumer appetite for chatbot experiences on the rise

New survey reveals that 83 per cent of consumers would be more loyal to a brand offering a chatbot to check order status and product research

Artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots are a hot topic within customer experience, but how valuable do consumers really find interactions with these new technologies?

SEE ALSO: What role will AI play int he future of customer experience?

3Cinteractive conducted an online chatbot survey, polling around 500 US housesholds, in which they looked at how consumers interact with chatbots, and their preferences on using the technology when communicating with brands.

The results showed that currently about a quarter of consumers use chatbots on a daily basis. This figure rises significantly foe the digital-first millennial generation, as 40 per cent said they interact with chatbots each day.

These numbers are important for brands as they consider the development of a chatbot, particularly since Business Insider reported that 80 per cent of businesses plan to have chatbots by the year 2020.

However, despite the apparent consumer appetite for chatbots, there is still a long way to go for chatbots to truly make their mark on impacting businesses, the new survey has found.

When consumers were asked why they thought chatbots were not valuable, 71 per cent said the chatbot could not answer their question or help them. So as the technology advances, it is important for organisations to expand the capabilities of their chatbots to keep up with growing consumer expectations.

And deciding which tasks a chatbot handles for a brand could have a direct impact on the bottom line too. When asked which tasks they’d prefer a chatbot to handle for a brand versus a human, checking order status (46%) and product research (42%) rose to the top of list.

This data is critical for brands since 83 per cent of respondents highlighted that they would be more loyal to a brand for offering a chatbot that enables these tasks.

Though for other tasks, consumers polled still preferred humans over chatbots, such as customer service inquiries (50%) and for making an appointment or reservation (44%).

A chatbot strategy is not a one size fits all either, you need to understand your customer preferences and build your chatbot strategy around one, specific function that benefits the customer, according to Margie Kupfer, VP of Marketing at 3Cinteractive.

She explained: “Starting small and executing your chatbot strategy successfully ensures a positive brand experience and allows you to learn more about your customer in order to scale your chatbot into other business functions.”