What are customer support chatbot platforms, and which are the best? We explain how to compare them, review the top 10 and show how to build your own AI support bot.
Key takeaways:
- Smarter than ever: Modern support bots use AI, NLP and machine learning to hold lifelike conversations.
- Compare on six criteria: User experience, robustness, integrations, pricing, no-code building and AI/ML technology.
- Top 10 platforms: ChatBot, BotSpice, ManyChat, Acquire, ProProfs, Amelia, BotMyWork, Chatfuel, Watson Assistant and SAP Conversational AI.
- Big benefits: 24/7 human-like service, shorter waits and more time for your team’s strategic work.
- Easy to build: Drag-and-drop platforms let anyone create a support bot without coding.
The world is benefiting from the fourth industrial revolution, driven by mobile supercomputing and artificial intelligence. AI’s impact is all around us, from virtual assistants like Microsoft’s Cortana to Apple’s Siri. Another part of this revolution is the ability to hold human-like conversations with chatbots.
What are customer support AI chatbots, and why are they so popular?
Chatbots are AI assistants that provide services such as customer support. They talk to customers by text or online instant messaging. You can embed them in apps or websites, and Facebook has even built them into Messenger.
Chatbots are not new, of course. But early bots were quite simple and could answer only from the information they had. Today’s smart bots, by contrast, rely on AI and natural language processing (NLP). As they talk to customers, they use machine learning to build a database of possible answers over time.
Businesses benefit greatly from these virtual agents, because they save a lot of money on human assistants. Instead, the virtual assistant quickly answers a wide range of questions.
Customers also prefer chatting with an intelligent chatbot to waiting endlessly for an IVR to route their call to a human. AI chatbot conversations can feel so lifelike that users may not realise they are chatting with a machine.
How to compare AI customer service chatbots
User experience
Customer support aims to give empathetic, clear answers to customer queries. Chatbots designed as conversational interfaces do this easily. They mimic a conversation with a real person, by text or voice.
The goal is to make users feel their query is understood and handled quickly. Voice bots are often used for actions like booking tickets, recommending products and ordering food. Instead of typing, customers simply ask the bot a question out loud and get a spoken reply.
This improves the user experience, and customers leave satisfied. So rather than phoning about every small query, customers prefer chatting live with a bot.
Robustness
A robust AI chatbot always gives sensible answers that never confuse or mislead. To improve robustness, designers also let the bot ask users to wait while the right human agent takes over.
In a chatbot, the input is the user’s message, in text or voice, and the output is the answer. For example, if the input is “Hi, how are you?”, the output should be “I’m fine, and you?” Likewise, the chatbot should never give vague or wrong answers.
Sometimes a semi-automatic approach works best, because AI chatbots’ deep learning systems can occasionally be wrong. A domain expert should approve the bot’s answers, so over time it learns to handle most scenarios.
Integrations
Modern NLP chatbots integrate easily with Google Sheets, email, CRM software, team chat, social media, video conferencing, phone and SMS, developer tools and more. These integrations give users better information and a better experience.
You can connect support chatbots to your favourite apps and tools. These integrations let the bot carry out many service tasks, such as adding new leads to your CRM or emailing customers after a sale. So you never miss an opportunity.
Pricing
Chatbot pricing varies widely, depending mainly on where you get your bot. Hiring a developer to build one costs a lot of money.
However, some platforms offer bots at lower prices. Broadly speaking, chatbots can cost anywhere from $0 to $300,000 per solution. The price depends on the plan you choose and whether it meets your needs.
No-code workflow builder
No-code workflow builders let even non-technical people build a chatbot, without writing a single line of code. These tools offer user-friendly interfaces with drag-and-drop features.
No-code builders have transformed the market, and for good reason. They are easy to use, self-guided and fully customisable. They let you build a conversational AI, NLP-enabled chatbot very quickly, with no code at all. To start even faster, explore these easy-to-use chatbot templates for websites.
Technology: AI and ML
AI and ML, artificial intelligence and machine learning, are transforming many industries through advances in computing and data processing. As businesses grow, they must handle huge amounts of data. That data is very valuable but tiring to collect, process and analyse.
This is where AI and machine learning come in. They help manage this vast data, mine it for insight and act on that insight.
Of the four types of AI, limited memory systems are the most advanced and are usually used to build chatbots. They store incoming data and data about the decisions they make. Then they analyse that data and use it to improve over time.
This is where machine learning really comes alive. Examples include virtual voice assistants, self-driving cars and chatbots. The live interaction some advanced chatbots offer goes a long way in developing a business’s customer support and other functions.
Top 10 customer support chatbot platforms
1. ChatBot
With such a simple name, you might doubt this platform’s power. Yet over time, ChatBot has become a great partner for organisations’ customer service.
It helps you give customers impeccable service, so you stand head and shoulders above competitors. An automated yet smart AI bot improves every customer’s experience with your organisation. The platform also lets you build support bots that offer personal recommendations tailored to each customer.
2. BotSpice
BotSpice has carved out a strong niche in a very short time. Its AI and NLP-powered chatbot transforms customer experience by handling queries and complaints intelligently.
You need no coding knowledge to build a custom customer service bot on this platform. It is a great choice for a contactless customer experience with minimal human involvement.
3. ManyChat
ManyChat lets you automate and combine Facebook Messenger and SMS to grow your business. It syncs data and conversations across these high-traffic channels. As a result, customers who chat with your service bot get a fast, smooth, consistent experience.
With ManyChat, you can reach around 1.3 billion Messenger users and give them an easy, personal experience with custom, interactive content. Its templates let you start building a bot in minutes, tailored to your business needs.
4. Acquire
Acquire’s conversational chatbot software is built to give users a more lifelike experience. For both lead generation and customer support, its bots are designed to deliver a better digital experience.
These bots also answer mundane, repetitive questions and send automated emails, so your team can focus on strategic work. If the chatbot cannot answer a query, it routes it to a human agent.
5. ProProfs
ProProfs chatbots let you hold customisable conversations with customers. They handle repetitive tasks such as answering FAQs. They also capture leads, with detailed information, in real time.
You can set up open questions and multiple-choice questions to learn more about each user. The platform also lets you delegate repetitive tasks and route complex queries to a human agent.
6. Amelia
Amelia is a cognitive, conversational AI chatbot from IPsoft, designed especially for complex cases. It answers simple FAQs and also handles customer service through live conversational automation for deeper processes and complex situations.
Amelia is known for giving users one of the most human-like experiences. That is why it is popular with businesses that need efficient customer support.
7. BotMyWork
BotMyWork is a finely tuned Facebook Messenger platform for marketing and customer support. Because it covers marketing too, it saves resources by automating tasks in both customer care and marketing.
It takes only minutes to add a chatbot linked to your Facebook page to your website. Best of all, it offers a pay-as-you-grow model. This saves money you can invest once your profits grow.
8. Chatfuel
Chatfuel lets you easily set up and automate Messenger and connect it to your customer support system. This improves the user experience, lifts sales and delivers expert service. It uses AI and NLP and needs no coding knowledge.
Chatfuel is known to cut customer wait time by 76%, a boon for customers and your organisation alike. It engages customers 24/7 and sometimes does a better job than a human agent.
9. Watson Assistant
IBM built Watson Assistant as an AI bot that gives customers fast, accurate, helpful answers. It eases the load on your support team by automating common FAQs.
The bot understands customers’ questions and classifies them to decide when to search the knowledge base. It also knows when to ask for clarification and when to pass the query to a human agent.
10. SAP Conversational AI
This is one of the best platforms for building customer service bots that streamline the whole system with smart, innovative features. It also uses NLP, which lets you create a lifelike chatbot in any language.
That matters especially if you sell globally, because you can serve customers worldwide without language barriers. For head-to-head comparisons, see Yellow.ai vs Haptik vs BotSpice and Verloop.io vs Yellow.ai vs BotSpice.
The key benefits of an AI customer support chatbot
We have touched on the benefits of AI and NLP chatbots already, but let’s take a fresh look:
- Better experience: Customer experience and satisfaction set you apart in a competitive market. Service bots give customers an excellent, human-like experience 24/7.
- More time for your team: Bots handle FAQs and simple tasks like after-sales emails, so your team can focus on strategic, complex work.
- Shorter waits: Chatbots give instant answers. They handle conversations around the clock, so you never miss a customer, day or night.
How to create an AI and NLP-powered customer support chatbot
Building a chatbot is easy with any of the platforms above, or others. Their drag-and-drop features let you build a bot for a specific area, such as customer service.
Contrary to the myth, you do not need to be tech-savvy to build a bot today. The process is self-explanatory, and you simply follow each platform’s guidance. Here are the steps:
- Define your bot’s purpose, such as customer support.
- Decide where the bot will appear, such as your website or app.
- Choose a chatbot platform that offers what you need at a reasonable price.
- Use the chatbot editor to design conversations that feel human.
- Test your chatbot.
- Train your bot.
- Collect feedback from customers.
- Monitor the bot and keep adding improvements.
For a deeper walkthrough, read how to build a great chatbot in a few simple steps.
Verdict
AI and NLP chatbots are here to stay in customer service. They will spread to other areas of business too, and keep improving as AI and NLP advance.
Customer service chatbots are becoming more and more human-like. Soon, they will be able to run almost an entire customer service department.
Best of all, platforms like those above make it easy to build custom chatbots without a developer. That is a great boon for small businesses and start-ups.
These bots save a lot on expensive staff, and sometimes they even give customers a better experience than a human agent. So if you want to boost your support team’s performance, use a good chatbot platform and improve your customers’ experience. For the wider strategy, see our complete guide to customer service automation.