The presence of chatbots on websites has become commonplace. But what about companies that don’t have one? What does this mean?

Over the past few years, chatbots have become the latest fad on the web market. Does the chatbot really work? Does it help companies grow? Or is it simply a fad?
Many companies were quick to jump on the chatbot bandwagon, while others remained skeptical, preferring to wait and see how others fared.

In the midst of fierce competition on the web, it’s easy to lose customers and reduce profits if you don’t adapt quickly.
The best way to understand the situation is to focus on how companies operate without chatbots. Can they prevail? How are they affected? Are their profits affected? How are their customers managed? Are they capable of managing new customers and retaining existing ones?

#1 Manque de considération des évolutions de comportement du consommateur

No customers = no sales!

Yesterday’s customer was patiently reading his newspaper / today’s customer is always connected to the web. Today’s generation is technophile, needing instant gratification and adapting to new technologies. The written message is one of consumers’ preferred means of interaction, rather than the call. Companies need to understand these young customers and adapt to digital trends.
Social networks play an important part in the daily lives of young consumers. Indeed, the latter prefer messaging applications like Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate with their circle of acquaintances.

It’s essential to take into account changes in customer behavior in order to evolve your offer and the way you communicate it.

#2 Indisponibilité du service client

Let’s take a concrete example:

• your customer service is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday

• several customers try to reach you outside these opening hours / days to ask a question, they must leave a message

• these same customers have to wait at least the next day for a reply. This delay is too long and leads to customer dissatisfaction.

> It’s a shame because most questions are simple and can be answered automatically –read our article on customer support words in ecommerce –.

💡 With a chatbot, it’s possible to respond to customer requests at any time. This means instant customer satisfaction. If the question is too complex, it is always possible to suggest that the customer be recontacted by an advisor.

#3 Impossibilité de s’occuper de plusieurs clients à la fois

We’re no longer in the era of the “one customer = one agent” model. With automation, it’s possible to have a conversation with several customers simultaneously. This model significantly reduces waiting times, and customers benefit from a positive overall experience.

With only human agents, there is of course a limit to the number of customers that can be handled at any one time.

#4 Perte de motivation des équipes du support client

Put yourself in the agents’ shoes: answering recurring questions all day long is tedious and not very rewarding. Agents must be pleasant to all customers, whatever the problem.

Redundant questions weigh heavily on the energy level of customer support teams, which can cause them to reduce the number of questions handled. As a result, customers can be impatient and unhappy.

💡 One of the chatbot’s advantages is the ability to respond relentlessly to recurring questions while maintaining the same level of energy and politeness. This leaves more time for human agents to answer specific questions and concentrate on higher value-added tasks.

#5 Perte de clients potentiels

Research has shown that consumers expect an answer to their question within 5 minutes of their request. Instant response has been proven to help convert prospects into customers. A late response negatively affects your ability to generate leads.

Sales are an essential part of any business. 💡 The chatbot makes it possible to answer most consumer questions 24/7.

#6 Insatisfaction des clients

Customer satisfaction is crucial, and the most important source of revenue for companies.

If your customer support is slow to respond to requests, or unfriendly to customers, then dissatisfaction will be more than felt, and reviews of your company will be impacted. Consumers will look elsewhere for their next purchases.

#7 Pas d’adaptation aux smartphones

Most consumers search the web via their cell phone. Using a chatbot on mobile apps can improve customer service and create a more personal, engaging experience.

Users can browse and buy directly from their smartphone or app via the bot. The latter can easily assist in all stages of a transaction such as the purchase of a product or service.

– Read our case study on Lydia’s chatbot –

#8 Difficulté de gérer la donnée

We all need data to analyze consumer behavior and anticipate their needs and expectations. It’s very difficult to capture data from voice recordings (customer support calls, for example).

💡 A chatbot makes it possible to record exchanges between users and the chatbot – in compliance with the GDPR – and to bring out daily analyses and reports on the most requested intentions, customer satisfaction…

#9 Coûts élevés d’acquisition de nouveaux clients

Acquiring new customers is a key area however it’s a challenge 💪 that comes at a high cost.

💡 A chatbot can serve to acquire leads. In fact, it enables more engagement with quick and easy answers.

We can clearly see the consequences a company faces when it doesn’t include a chatbot in its website strategy.
The losses generated when using “traditional” marketing are, for example :

• unavailability when customers need help

• miss out on an important, strategic customer base

• limited customer support

• low productivity of customer support teams

• lost sales, lost opportunities to convert good prospects

• greater expenditure on customer acquisition.

A chatbot is a real asset for businesses if used correctly to provide customer support and other functionality. Integrating an intelligent agent on your website is crucial to your appeal to customers in today’s digital age.