Words Abdul Rahman

Over the last two decades, the world has witnessed the rise of artificial intelligence. Regardless of the vertical, AI has risen to the zenith & etched itself as an integral part of life. Considering the contact center industry, AI technology has transformed it from a transactional to a conversational relationship between brands & consumers.

As per early 2024 reports filed by Zendesk, 56% of businesses across the globe have integrated AI technology to automate workflows and boost productivity levels. Additionally, with the emergence of AI chatbots and Live Chat Solutions, around 85% of businesses worldwide will curb the requirement of human agents for customer interaction in forthcoming years according to Zendesk.

Delivering a flawless customer experience is the goal of every contact center, and with that being said, conversational chatbots and live web chat solutions are two communication channels that provide prompt answers to readdress customer queries.

If given a choice, what would you pick to intensify customer experience? Wade through the blog to find out what suits the business best – live chat solutions, conversational AI, or both.

Chatbot Vs Live Chat – The Battle of The Best

Live chat software and Conversational AI Chatbots have played a significant role in upscaling the customer service department. The ultimate goal of both technologies is to exemplify customer experience and journey.

Hence, it becomes vital to take a closer look at both of these technologies.

Conversational AI Chatbots: The Rising Prominence

Ever since the conversational chatbots entered the market, there was no looking back. Though it started at a snail’s pace initially, a breakthrough emerged after the 2020 pandemic. The world saw a wide scale deployment of conversational chatbots across industries.

The biggest reason behind adopting conversational AI chatbots is to offer non-stop customer service. Since chatbots are available 24/7/365, customer engagement becomes simplified and many tedious queries can be resolved without human agent interference.

Besides, conversational chatbots play a vital role in enhancing customer experience. Here’s how:

• Active 24/7 – Chatbots are always active. Customers can be engaged at any time to readdress their queries promptly.

• Easy Scalability – Conversational AI chatbots are easy to scale with no upper limit., especially when there’s a sudden hike in call volumes.

• Eliminate Errors – AI chatbots are designed specifically to reduce errors and improve accuracy.

Live Chat: Maintaining Consistency Throughout The Journey

Some queries require a prompt resolution and agent interaction. Hence, live chat solutions come into the frame. Customers can easily connect with support representatives for a resolution.

As per a Zendesk survey report, 67% of consumers prefer live chat support to get their queries sorted. This increases their chances of returning to the brand for acquisition of the product/service.

The following reasons back the increasing demand for implementing live chatsolutions.

• Easy To Handle Perplex Conversations – Certain queries require elaborate discussions which is possible to conclude through live chat.

• Promotes Multitasking – The productivity level of agents increases because they can handle multiple chats simultaneously. It helps in routing the chat to the concerned department as per requirement.

Ending The Dilemma: Live Chat Solutions Vs Conversational Chatbots

Conversational chatbots and live chat solutions have their specific advantages and benefits that drive the profit for businesses.

Customer Satisfaction

Conversational AI chatbots and live chat solutions aim to offer enhanced customer experience through modern communication. The credibility of live chat support agents is higher as compared to chatbots when it comes to resolving complex queries. However, chatbots are credited with higher accuracy and offering 24/7 customer engagement.

Human Touch

A high level of customer engagement can help businesses to expand their customer base by 40%. Hence, enterprises engage customers in real-time to deliver a matchless CX. Live chat solutions strike a perfect balance between real-time assistance & human touch.

Live web chat solutions make the conversation interactive. Capabilities like co-browsing and video chat help in redressing queries faster. This results in an increased FCR. Besides, it helps in personalizing conversations that foster business-customer relationships for higher brand loyalty.

Accuracy

Accurate figures and numbers are vital in the contact center industry. To keep it intact, integrating conversational AI chatbots is the perfect solution. They are programmed to offer solutions to common troubleshooting on predictive patterns. However, chatbots cannot empathize.

Human agents using live chat software can establish an emotional connection, with customers, to resolve the conversation. Considering customer psychology, expecting empathy during complex situations is a human tendency. If there’s no live chat support, the brand would be regarded as cold toward customers.

Scalability

The number of queries increases when a business expands its clientele. Relying solely on live chat could be a mistake because it requires additional resources, training sessions, and investments.

This is where conversational chatbots save the day. Integrating chatbots not only increases scalability but boosts productivity levels too without additional charges. Human agents wouldn’t be able to manage large query volumes as compared to chatbots.

Availability

Automation has taken the world by storm and the contact center industry is not untouched. Since agent burnout is real and handling multiple tickets is not easy, delivering an enhanced CX in real time becomes a challenge.

But with the help of conversational AI chatbots, a business can easily tackle such an obstacle to offer a high-level customer experience. Chatbots help in engaging customers when the support staff is not available.

Live Chat Vs. Chatbot – The Right Decision

Well, deciding on what technology to choose is not a tough nut to break. Ideally, live chat solutions and conversational AI chatbots must be used together to deliver a flawless customer experience.

By observing closely the pros and cons of a chatbot and live chat software, it will become easier to divide tickets to be handled using chatbots and live chat support agents. The redundant queries should be handled by chatbots, whereas the complex ones should be redirected to live chat support agents.

NovelVox is a credible contact center solution provider in the market. This CX player has been deploying a variety of solutions for contact centers worldwide. Its product line includes the agent desktop, case management system, chatbots, smart CTI connectors, visual IVR, wallboards, and omnichannel engagement software. 

About the Author

Abdul Rahman is a prolific author, renowned for his expertise in creating captivating content for a diverse range of websites. With a keen eye for detail and a flair for storytelling, Abdul crafts engaging articles, blog posts, and product descriptions that resonate with readers across 400 different sites. His versatile writing style and commitment to delivering high-quality content have earned him a reputation as a trusted authority in the digital realm. Whether he’s delving into complex topics or simplifying technical concepts, Abdul’s writing captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression.