Calls from consumers in various time zones are not accepted. Response times to emails are too long. Self-service alternatives are not personalised and are unable to assist you in addressing every case. If you want to know in layman’s language what live chat is then let’s begin by saying that it contributes to meeting client needs for ease, real-time online communication, and individualised problem solving.
A WhatsApp chatbot is an automated piece of software that interacts with your consumers on WhatsApp using artificial intelligence or pre-programmed algorithms. Artificial intelligence (AI) and some specialised NLP (Natural Language Processing) engines are used by WhatsApp chatbots to engage intelligently with your consumers.
Table of Contents
WhatsApp chatbots
Explanation of what a WhatsApp chatbot is
As we have seen that WhatsApp chatbots can be really helpful for your business, especially when you use them in the departments of sales and customer service. The good companies that create chatbots and offer them to different businesses, make sure that the chatbots use artificial intelligence and Natural Language Processing. With the help of these chatbots provide answers to customer’s queries and also share content, drive sales and send notifications regarding orders, shipments, payments and more.
Advantages of using WhatsApp chatbot for your business
If your business is very small then you may be able to conduct communication with your customers by responding to each message manually although this method is very slow. The customers have to keep waiting for the answer to even basic FAQ type queries. This is where WhatsApp chatbots come into the picture as they provide immediate assistance to customers who are looking for a particular product or have a question about it
24×7 availability
Gone are the days of overnight call centers where customers used to call up and get answers from tired human agents, who were fed up of answering repetitive questions. Try as they might the business owners could not train these agents to be jovial on the calls with customers. With WhatsApp chatbots customers get immediate answers to simple queries and a proper method of escalating calls to human agents who would help the customers with their issues before they became irate.
Automated responses
The best thing about WhatsApp chatbots is that no matter the hour of the day or night in any geographical location, the customer chatting with a bot on WhatsApp will definitely get an answer to their queries. What’s more it is also ensures that the customers’ get a satisfactory response regarding their more complicated issues which require the help of a human agent. The WhatsApp chatbot will automatically escalate the chat to the human agent who will be able to resolve the query.
Faster response time
If a customer is looking for a specific product or service then it is a pleasant thing to find that their queries are answered almost immediately. The customers feel satisfied to get immediate responses from WhatsApp chatbots which will help the customer to find what they want or provide them with alternatives if the product or service they desire is not available.
Ability to handle multiple conversations at once
In case you want that your customer support or sales department should be able to cater to a large number of target and existing customers trying to connect with you even then WhatsApp chatbots are the right choice, because the bots can be programmed to engage multiple customers in conversation at the same time.
Potential drawbacks of using WhatsApp chatbot
The main drawback of using WhatsApp chatbots is that they cannot project emotions or show empathy properly towards an irate customer. They at times appear distant or aloof to a customer who expects some understanding of their problems. WhatsApp chatbots are also complicated to create to some extent, but the company providing chatbots to your business will be able to give you solutions for that. However, the benefits of WhatsApp chatbots are much more compared to disadvantages and this is the reason why they are becoming popular.
Live Chat
Explanation of what live chat is
You can communicate with website visitors in real time with this online chat tool. Compared to conventional phone conversations or emails, it is a far more practical solution. The users only need to open the chat window, type their message, and press send. They can also communicate with the support representative and receive a prompt response. Live chat is more rapid than email or a contact form, which can take up to 48 hours to respond.
Advantages of using live chat for your business
If you want to know your consumers’ opinions, you may send them survey forms, but nothing beats hearing it straight from the source. Live chat allows you to do just that, for instance, there can be a problem with your checkout procedure that is causing customers to remove items from their shopping carts. However, live chat allows them to speak with you directly and express their problems. You will receive helpful feedback and speedy problem-solving with such ease.
Real time communication with customers
Your customer service personnel can speak with customers directly through live chat. A human agent conducts the conversation in a live chat. Customers can initiate a conversation by requesting to be paired with a customer support person. And you can add this software to your website or even use it on WhatsApp or other smart apps. The best part is that with live chat you can conduct one-on-one communication with customers in real time which usually automated responses from chatbots cannot.
Ability to personalise responses
Many companies are so preoccupied with “convenience” when it comes to customer care that they neglect to actually engage with their clients. The top 5 advantages of personalisation include improved customer experience (55%), higher conversion rates (51%), more lead generation and customer acquisition (46%), and higher visitor engagement (55%). The one drawback of automated bots is that they are not able to completely personalise their communication with the customers which is completely possible with live chat.
Improved customer satisfaction
We have already discussed the advantages of using live chat and when you are able to personalize communication, provide immediate solutions to customer problems and other tasks that are not possible with bots then it simply proves that live chat improves the customers experience and hence satisfaction.
Drawbacks of live chat
The one major drawback of live chat is that the human resources to keep it running are very expensive and customers most of the time are faced with long wait time. This is where automation is a better option.
WhatsApp chatbot vs live chat
Comparison of the two chat systems
Most businesses know that their customers are rather active on WhatsApp and they are easy to connect with using this app. This is the reason that WhatsApp chatbots are becoming popular. On the other hand live chat requires human resources and these cost a lot. Live chat also provides slow response as compared to WhatsApp chatbot
Cost effectiveness
The cost effectiveness of both these methods mainly depends on the size of your customer base. If you have a large customer base then it does not make financial sense to opt for live chat. On the other hand smaller businesses may not have to spend too much with this method compared to purchasing WhatsApp chatbots.
Response time
Response time of WhatsApp chatbots is much less compared to live chat especially during rush hours.
Ability to handle multiple conversations.
We have already discussed this aspect of both the methods of live chat and WhatsApp chatbots. It is agreed that WhatsApp chatbots are better at handling large number of consumers connecting with them at the same time, whereas with live chat this is not really possible, because it is being handled by human agents.
Personalization
This is the biggest drawback of automated communication systems like WhatsApp chatbots. This is because machines do not have emotions or empathy and they cannot gauge the customers’ requirement to be addressed in the right manner and cannot provide completely personalized responses to the customer like a human can do in live chat.
Which one is better for your business?
Features of live chat
- Human agents who comprehend client emotions handle support calls.
- All live chat conversations are handled entirely by humans, regardless of the size of the question or problem.
- A human agent can manage between three and four discussions at once.
- In order to provide round-the-clock support, human agents must labour nonstop.
Features of WhatsApp chatbots
- Support discussions are handled by software, and chatbots may occasionally use AI/ML to support human interactions.
- Chatbots are more effective at handling repetitive or routine questions, freeing up agents to handle difficult problems.
- The number of chats a chatbot can manage at once is unrestricted.
- Chatbots provide nonstop assistance at no extra charge or effort.
Conclusion and which one is better for your business
Hence in a nutshell the choice between live chat and WhatsApp chatbot depends on the requirements of your business. The different aspects like size of business and consumer base matter a lot when it comes to choosing between the two. However, more and more businesses are opting for automated WhatsApp chatbots not just because they are less expensive compared to human agents in live chat but also because they don’t have the shortcomings that live chat has because of being handled by human agents. Usually companies that provide WhatsApp chatbots also provide the software for live chat and you can consult their experts on which one is best for you.