Artificial intelligence has been the talk of the town in recent years and is sure to continue to do so. As technology evolves, we find ourselves with systems that are increasingly more human-like and capable of interacting with the consumer in a more realistic and human-like way.
We are just beginning to outline the possible uses of artificial intelligence in marketing, but it seems that one of the most promising is in customer service. Are consumers ready to solve their problems by talking to a machine? Let’s see what the numbers say and how we can incorporate this tool into our strategy.
What do consumers think about artificial intelligence?
According to a recent study on artificial intelligence conducted by Capgemini on 10,000 users in 10 different countries, 73% of them are aware of having interacted with this technology in customer service. The list of AI-based services includes the use of chatbots, facial recognition systems to identify the consumer or conversations with a Siri-like voice assistant.
According to this study, the majority of users (69%) are satisfied with the interactions they have with artificial intelligence. Despite this, 55% would prefer to have interacted with a mix of AI and human interlocutors.
Consumers who were satisfied with their use of AI noted several benefits of AI, including:
- 63%: greater control over interactions.
- 63%: full-time availability.
- 45%: faster resolution of customer service issues.
- 35%: less effort on the part of the consumer.
- 30%: better privacy and security of personal data.
- 30%: greater trust.
- 29%: greater personalization.
In terms of what users are looking for in their interactions with artificial intelligence, humanity stands out in particular. 64% say they want AI to be more human and 62% say they like systems with human voices. In addition, 57% like this technology to have the ability to understand human emotions and respond to them.
Chatbots in customer service
Chatbots are one of the most popular and accessible solutions for getting started in the world of customer service using artificial intelligence. These programs are able to hold a written conversation with a human being, answering questions and making relevant suggestions.
For a few years now, Facebook* has incorporated chatbots within the Messenger tool, so that companies can use them to interact with their customers. In addition to answering users’ queries, the chatbot can also be proactively programmed to perform different functions, for example, ordering a bouquet of flowers or receiving the latest brand news filtered by the user’s interests. In the event that the chatbot is unable to respond to a specific need, it will alert a human agent to resolve it.
For brands, the use of this type of programs with artificial intelligence brings multiple advantages:
- Much more efficient customer service. Thanks to chatbots, it is possible to serve thousands of consumers at the same time, without going through the bottleneck of human operators. In this way, we can free ourselves from the constraints of staff and serve users around the clock. In addition, many people are more comfortable with chat channels than with telephone support.
- Greater personalization. When programming chatbots, we can tailor the user experience based on their preferences or previous actions, giving rise to thousands of possible variants. In this way, we can offer a unique experience to consumers and increase their satisfaction with the brand.
- More interaction with the customer. Chatbots allow us to open new channels to interact with customers in an interactive way, going far beyond simple comments or “likes”. We can even use them to let customers play with the brand and create memorable experiences.
What can artificial intelligence bring to your marketing?
Right now, marketers are at a very exciting time, as we have just begun to investigate all that this technology can bring us. If you want to get inspired, here are some ideas on how to incorporate artificial intelligence into your marketing plans, beyond customer service:
- Reach a wider audience. AI systems are integrated into ultra-popular platforms and devices, such as instant messaging applications and cell phones. As a result, they make it possible to reach a larger number of consumers and always be available to them.
- Analyze your customers. Chatbots and other artificial intelligence systems are a real mine for ad hoc market research. Understanding customers is essential to offer them better products and services, but it is very difficult to get them to spend time and effort to answer a conventional survey. Chatbots, on the other hand, integrate questions into the conversation in a natural way and can analyze the answers automatically.
- Bring fun to your brand. AI systems can answer users’ queries and provide them with relevant information just when they need it. But they can also help them have fun while interacting with your brand. A good example is the case of the US supermarket Whole Foods, which allows users to search for recipes in its chatbot using emojis.
- Get new contacts for your inbound marketing strategy. Artificial intelligence allows us to interact with the user proactively and integrated into the overall experience, for example, while using a social network or browsing our website with your mobile. We can take advantage of this to ask for their data in a non-invasive way and thus increase the opportunities for generating new leads. You can then use the information you have about them to offer them increasingly personalized information that encourages them to convert.