Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts

Monday, 23 September 2019

Deliver best customer service with Salesforce AI powered chatbot

“State of Service”, a Salesforce study states that 24% of service organizations currently use AI assistance that includes chatbots, text and voice analytics.

Girikon’s Salesforce Consulting Services team explains why and how to use Chatbot.

Salesforce releases usually come with new functions in line with business need and interest. Customer’s demand a smooth customer service. Service companies never find it easy despite their large pool of resources backing up customer support teams. AI powered Chatbots are one way to services the demand. 

Why AI powered Chatbot is used?

Easier and spontaneous conversation between customers and representatives
Deliver Personalized customer experience
Support Business across all digital channels such as Facebook, Twitter, SMS or even Phone.
Reduce the need for human intervention
Improves response time
Immediate response
Artificial Intelligence enabled chatbot is software that stimulates the chat with the user through messaging applications, websites, mobile applications and even through telephone in form of text, audio or both. Repetitive tasks can be automated for conversation between representatives and customers using chatbot. Artificial intelligence helps the chatbot to identify and analyze the data pattern and ultimately customer’s behavior. With the help of conversation logs with the customer AI and prediction analysis is executed in order to predict customer behavior.

Let’s have a look at how chat works?

When we think Chatbot two important actions are considered; customer request analysis and responding to the customer with accuracy.

Firstly, the chatbot software captures the request sent from the customer and starts identifying the customer intent by data extraction & matching rule implementation method. Defined by the business case a list of conditions is defined to fulfill customer request and Chatbot responds to customer with appropriate information.

How does Salesforce play a key role in chatbot?

Salesforce CRM holds extensive data about a customer i.e. communication and transaction history what can be considered the backbone of successful chatbot performance. To deliver better prediction and an effective response, Chatbot utilizes a machine learning algorithm when and where the data is needed.

Gartner reveals that 85 percent of all customer interactions will be automated by 2020 and believes that artificial intelligence will power 95 percent of all customer interactions by 2025.

How to increase business value using Chatbot?

Chatbot represents the business and the brand. For any business, customers are an important stakeholder and plan and execute the strategy to engage and retain their business value. To avoid delays in response to customers chatbot is key and connects directly with the customer to resolve issues the customer is facing. Chatbot does not only help customers, Chatbot also helps agents by automating repetitive tasks and maintaining the conversation hassle free.  Chatbot is a self-service support system and customers can access chatbot service anytime and from anywhere.

In parallel to supporting the customer service process, Chatbot also reduces resource costs to business and achieve less operational costs.

Customer relationships and communications are smoother, and AI powered chatbot is one of the reasons behind this. Salesforce allows business to reach their customer with a seamless and effective response system.

Article Source: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/technology/deliver-best-customer-service-with-salesforce-ai-powered-chatbot.html

Thursday, 19 September 2019

Tay A.I. The People's Chatbot

Tips To Make Live Chat Support Remunerative


A lot of multinational giants are calling Chatbot, the next big thing in the customer service domain. Though this technology has gained appreciation within a short span of time, many experts and entrepreneurs disapprove its competence.

Chatbots are basically deployed for providing consumers live chat support services that should necessarily have a human touch; without this element, the services will not be deemed as effective. Human touch is an intrinsic part of the customer support domain and without it, processes like live chat will not be productive for sure. To make sure that your customers and business get the most out of this process, it is best to not depend on automation immensely. The organizations that render call center services in India or any other part of the world for the chat support process should keep certain aspects in mind, a few of which are elaborated below:

Firstly, as discussed above there is a need to maintain the human touch in outsourced customer care service in India and various other countries. Automation works wonders but when we talk about live chat support, it is crucial to understand that the customers expect a human’s assistance. Chatbot, no matter how high-tech cannot match the service quality of a live agent.
While Chatbots might not be as lucrative as they are deemed to be, certain technologies associated with this process sure are. It is suggested to deploy new age software solutions to manage data and to personalize the service experience.

Customizing the chat software module will surely be quite advantageous. The company’s branding and various other aspects should be a part of this module. Features like calling via VOIP and conversation storage for future reference can make this process more remunerative than ever.
Lastly, it is advised to invest in the proactive chat feature that helps agent initiate the conversation. By initiating the conversation businesses can convert visitors into customers and can boost the revenue generation. This can be done with the help of an automatically generated chat pop-up.
There are many other ways to boost the performance of live chat support but by following afore mentioned, enterprises can surely reap a myriad of benefits. This is an element that can create potential leads, which sure are vital for generating the desired profits. The leads generated via live chat can be easily pushed into the sales pipeline. So, by concentrating on this process, any commercial organization can thrive in the ever so competitive business domain.

Article Source: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/business/tips-to-make-live-chat-support-remunerative.html

Thursday, 12 September 2019

3 Huge Brands That Use Chatbots for Better Business

Chatbots have revolutionized the relationship between consumer and company. Today, startups, scaleups, and multinational corporations are using this technology to resolve customer service problems, facilitate communication and provide 24-hour service. Moreover, 34 percent of consumers say they would prefer to communicate with a chatbot or virtual assistant when dealing with an e-commerce business. But which companies are using chatbots effectively? Here are three brands that use bots for better business.

1. Sephora
Beauty retailer Sephora uses a messenger platform to interact with its millions of customers around the world. Sephora Reservation Assistant allows online users to make an appointment with one of the company’s beauty experts from the comfort of their own home. Using natural language processing and the latest in UX design, the platform’s bot understands complex requests and makes bookings without any human intervention.

“This allows us to provide richer, more varied conversations that ensure clients get exactly what they want out of the experience,” says Mary Beth Laughton, digital senior vice president at Sephora.

2. Spotify
Music streaming platform Spotify has millions of users worldwide, so using chatbots to interact with consumers makes sense. Bots allow the company to expedite customer service issues and provide a better service.

Chatbots also enables Spotify users to discover the latest music artists, tracks and genres through Facebook Messenger. Consumers can even interact with the company on the platform and receive playlist recommendations based on their current mood.

3. 1-800-Flowers
Founded in 1982, 1-800-Flowers is one of the largest floral gift retailers in the United States. The company now uses a virtual assistant to speed up the purchasing process and provide customers with useful information.

This bot allows users to view floral arrangements, send gifts in the mail, and make payment. No humans facilitate this process — chatbots use natural language processing to automate tasks and complete the transaction.

The three brands on this list have utilized chatbots to improve customer engagement, streamline workflows and provide excellent service. It’s no wonder, then, that so many other companies are incorporating bots into their customer service and sales models.

Article Source: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/3-huge-brands-that-use-chatbots-for-better-business

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

Blake Morgan: What Is Customer Experience Technology?

Emerging Corporate and Business Communication Trends in 2018-2019

Communication is the base of business. One of the most fundamental elements encompassing customers, partners, employees - both on site and remote, and any number of others that a business muct stay stay in touch with - 24/7. add to that the way the modern world works. Not just communicating with their clients or customers base, being able to support efficient remote team collaboration will enable businesses to increase scale of operations, open up functional new branches, tap into new client demographics, and expand their sphere of activity globally.

A few years ago, the introduction of IP telephony was seen as a huge leap in the field of business communications. Today, technologies have moved so far ahead that people located hundreds of thousands of kilometers from each other can feel like they are sitting in the same room. There has been a massive growth in software as a service (SaaS) including SD-WAN, Unified Communications, etc, and it seems like a growing tide. While the past was about picking up a phone to make and receive calls, the current technology even behind that has changed enormously. In the case of business communications, as in any other field, there has been enormous transformation as more and more organizations have become heavily reliant on their internet connections to talk to customers, suppliers, partners, and employees.

Keeping up with current industry trends has always been important in order to stay relevant. As technology evolves at an exponential rate, businesses and professionals need to prepare in order to maintain their competitive edge. It appears, year after year, as if newer and better technologies are being introduced continuously. Each new technology promises more efficient communication than ever before.

So, what corporate and business communication trends are likely to be useful for brands and employees who wish to remain relevant in an evolving global market and workspace? What are the technologies and trends that will ensure that communicators are able to reach new audiences, can improve their customer service levels and efficiently engage with the next generation of employees and colleagues?

Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR): Companies may use AR experiences to give higher caliber candidates a real taste of what it's like to work in the organisation. Or they can use VR to transport customers to new destinations to discover new facets of a company's product or operations. Now, and in the future, these two technologies are sure to grow in significance. They are not merely limited to creating games or novelty experiences. AR and VR can be used as invaluable tools in many business applications. For example, one could organize a virtual 3D tour for potential customers of an under construction or to-be-constructed facility, or a facility located far away. One could walk them through every step of a manufacturing and quality assurance process. And these are far from the only possible options for AR and VR, the imagination is the king, the sky is the limit.

Live Video Streaming: Consumers crave connection and brand authenticity. They need to see, feel, believe, in order to be brand loyal these days. The rise of live video streaming technology already allows companies to give people a taste of what they want. Studies show that Facebook Live videos are viewed more often, and for much longer than other content. Moving on to and enhancing live streaming and 360° videos will only cause a growth in this customer connectivity.

WebRTC: Web-based communication in real time (WebRTC) is a breakthrough concept allowing one to run a two way conversation or a video conference and collaborate from within the internet browser without having to install any other program, special plugins, modules or accompanying programs. This gives users an incredibly simple and non fuss tool to support all the needed types of remote communication: chat, screen sharing, content sharing, audio and video communication.

Social Intranets: while these are not a total novelty, innovation and advanced functionality are making them the trends of the moment. For example, intranets are increasingly providing support for video communication, allowing the merging of several chat rooms, and providing advanced opportunities for content exchange - all without compromising the basic quality of communication.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI based assistants, like Siri, function based on the voice requests of the users. They operate on the chatbot principle, and searche through browsers and implement various kinds of processes within the functionality of a mobile device. Increasingly, software solutions based on AI are achieving qualitatively new levels and becoming capable of performing quite complex tasks. In 2017 the number of successful mobile applications which are based on machine learning and virtual neural networks have gone up significantly. In the future, apps such as these will increasingly be used for business purposes including remote communication. It is likely that users will be able to acquire full-fledged virtual assistants, who will take over some part of the duties of the real employees of today.

Increased Adoption of Hosted VoIP: There are currently almost one billion VoIP users around the world. The landline connections of the past are disappearing rapidly. VoIP in today's business world introduces many advantages including greater flexibility, enhanced control, and higher scalability. Digitizing telecommunications enables companies to host and maintain infrastructure in the cloud. The number of VoIP users is poised to increase exponentially. This is especially true of businesses leveraging Hosted VoIP which becomes an effective way to manage cost, improve flexibility, and gain far better control of communication systems. Offering cost savings and reduced maintenance needs hosted VoIP is set to become a popular trend of the future.

Increasing Shift Towards Mobility: Today's workforce is more mobile than ever. More and more employees are demanding flexible working conditions. From a business's perspective, workforce mobility is a major enabler of productivity. It allows companies to seek out talent without geographical limitations. Some studies seem to suggest that mobile or remote employees will make up as much as 75% of the US workforce by 2020. it is no surprise, then, that mobile VoIP is becoming entrenched in the modern digital culture. Smartphones and mobile and personal computing devices are set to play a very important role in the transition from an "office based" to a "web based" model of business. The need for tools that ensure productivity - no matter the location - demands that businesses make sure their employees are able to work using any personal device from any location.

Need for Seamless Communication and Collaboration Tools: The rise of cloud computing has become one of the key trends and drivers in modern communication. With web-based applications being the new norm in enterprise computing, employees are better able to collaborate -- working well together on the same projects, no matter where they may be located. Apart from platforms streamlining communication in the workplace, there is a need to support better collaboration within the office as well as remotely. To ensure this, more and more businesses are turning to newer web-based applications offering seamless communication. This is the reason why VoIP and related tools are increasingly coming to be integrated with key business processes. Office 365 for Business, for example, now provides complete integration with Skype.

Promotion of BYOD Strategy: The implementation of the IP telephony process had one significant drawbackit did not allow employees or other people receiving communication to take the communication devices with them. To fix this in an increasinly mobile world, leading vendors of network equipment offer the integration of IP phones with the already owned mobile devices of users. It allows the phonebook to be transferred, automatically, to the user's smartphone, and to redirect calls and corporate email as well. This kind of integration is convenient and necessary for business organizations who have branches that operate in different time zones, for example. Networks based on this Bring Your Own Device technology allow companies to rent fewer offices and support personal user devices, instead, enabling employees to work remotely.

Integrating and Simplifying Cmmunication Tools: Seamless integration between business applications streamline the business's coordination and collaborative needs. This can irange from merging cloud-based functionality into computers, to installing apps that enable talk, chat, text, conferencing on mobile devices. Advancements in technology allow users to simplify mobile tools and streamline multiple communication platforms. In future, digital workspaces are only going to become more sophisticated, with greater focus on workplace flexibility as well as remote work options. Acombination of cloud-based tools, along with unified communications, combined with web-based collaboration apps to integrate data and facilitate communication are all coming together. This will ensure productivity in the future, and encourage better teamwork.

Greater Adoption of Visual Communication: People learn and retain better when they can "see" the facts. Business leaders are realizing that visual communication must become one of the tools for business success in the future. Whether it is closing a deal, negating geographic boundaries and cultural differences, or holding conferences with far flung team members, businesses need to shift to a more visual mode. This can enable conferences to occur without the need for extended travel times and eliminate high travel and lodging expenses. This also allows for a faster and more retainable intake of impressions and facts - whether it is a client, a customer, or an employee.

Enhanced VoIP Security and Cyber-Security Spending: 2017 saw a lot of headline-grabbing news of cyber-attacks. Companies and individuals had their private information stolen, and destroyed, or held for ransom. Business owners must realise that it isn't just enterprise companies being targeted. More than 20% of cyber attack victims spent at least $50,000, and took longer than six months to recover from the attack, according to Nationwide's third annual survey of business owners. Gartner (NYSE: IT) projects that Cyber-Security spending is likely to increase to $93 Billion dollars in 2018 and increase steadily for the next 5 years. Security will continue to be a major issue, in the age of digital data where data is the most sought-after commodity globally. The increasing shift toward VoIP also presents unique security challenges. After all, internet-based communications are easier to breach than traditional landline conversations. Organizations will need to ensure additional security measures, including data encryption and 24/7 monitoring, by hosted VoIP vendors.

However, what do these Business Communication Trends mean for You as an employee, a future employee, a job seeker or a decision maker? It means you need to be aware and competent with the technologies behind these trends. Explore how a cloud-based tool can simplify communications for your prospective organization, if one is not already in use. Make sure you are abe to work efficiently from any device. Consider how available tools can be used optimally for more than one job - bring that to the interview table. Make sure - as a decision maker - that your office is equipped with dedicated spaces for in-person and virtual meetings, and brush up on the technology and the etiquette of being in one - as an employee. Learn how to use WebRTC and bring it to your organization - if not already present - so that employees can communicate more easily in real time. Make sure you learn how to find interoperable communications technologies and learn to connect endpoints to other devices and services. Consider how these business communication trends will affect your employability, retainability, and productivity, and plan how you will adjust and adapt.





Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10119252

Sunday, 8 September 2019

Your Customer Engagement Strategies Are About to Become Obsolete

A customer needs help with one of your products for that big important meeting first thing in the morning. What does he do?

No, he doesn't call, or waste time trawling through your website for an elusive bit of information. He clicks on the "Live Chat" icon, types in his question, and waits. What happens next decides whether he continues to be your customer the next morning.

In a 24/7 world, customer engagement strategies can't afford to nap. Customers already prefer live chat over any other communication channel, and why not? It's quick, it's unobtrusive, and it makes a lot more sense than hanging on to a call while an automated voice tells you how important you are to them. Problem is, 24/7 customer support is expensive to maintain; too expensive for most small and mid-level companies.

The solution is, of course, chatbots. Chatbots, or interactive software robots are already sophisticated enough to handle basic conversations and questions. Some of the more advanced ones can even hold rudimentary conversations, adding elements of whimsy and delight to even the most rote responses. Also, since every good chatbot platform has at its core a powerful machine learning algorithm, it is only going to become smarter and better with time.

But what about the human element? Is it really advisable to completely remove it from your customer engagement strategies? The obvious answer is no, which is why chatbots are not meant to replace your customer service personnel.

A chatbot platform is there to provide support. It can make conversations quicker and responses more accurate. In fact, only for the most generic conversations and queries is a chatbot supposed to handle the entire conversation itself. Anything more challenging can be transferred to a human customer service executive. In fact, most leading chatbot platforms already provide this "live agent" feature, making it easy for companies to have a hybrid system in place.

As we can see, chatbots are extremely powerful and flexible tools that have considerable impact on customer satisfaction and thus, business growth. For example:


  1. Chan Brothers, one of Singapore's leading travel agents, claims chat conversations have contributed to between 10 and 15 percent of company growth in a few months. Their chatbot helps users with travel package suggestions, currency conversion and real-time weather updates.
  2. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation or AMTRAK has saved over one million dollars in customer service expenses
  3. Rapidminer, a data science company, has replaced all lead capture forms with chatbots, and claims that over a quarter of the sales pipeline is influenced by chatbots
  4. Online recruitment firm Firstjob employs an AI recruiting chatbot assistant that has automated 75% of the entire qualifying process.

Chatbots are taking over almost every aspect of customer engagement strategies, and why not? They combine the advantages of traditional customer service, powered by human agents, with the benefits of scale and accuracy provided by technology. It doesn't matter whether a chatbot is talking to one person or one thousand; every conversation is customized and specific to its audience. As a company grows and there is more inflow of data, chatbots will only get better, smarter, and more helpful. And make all other strategies pretty much obsolete.

Chatbots can empower your customer engagement strategies, and it's time to buy in or get left behind. Visit us at https://www.webspiders.com for a free and quick demo.





Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Murphy/1489150