Chatbots and virtual assistants: the future of customer service – Deseret News

Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
For generations, customer service has been based on human-to-human interaction. Good customer service has been (and still is) considered a key differentiator between businesses, and it’s been the foundation of customer loyalty.
That’s why many businesses have been hesitant to adopt automation in customer service, fearing that it would lead to a decline in the quality of service. However, recent advancements in technology have made it possible for businesses to automate customer service without sacrificing quality.
One of the most promising customer service automation technologies is chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that can mimic human conversation. They’re often used to simulate a human customer service agent during online customer service interactions.
When customers chat with bots, it is obviously different than speaking to a representative of the company, yet these bots tend to have quick answers to questions and can respond to customer phone calls and messages immediately.
Another great customer service automation technology is virtual assistants. Virtual assistants are software programs that can perform tasks or services that typically require human intervention. The job of virtual assistants usually includes administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments or responding to customer service inquiries.
Chatbots and virtual assistants are powered by artificial intelligence, or AI. AI is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent machines that can think and work like humans.
There are two main types of AI: rule-based and learning-based. Rule-based AI is based on a set of pre-determined rules that are coded into the chatbot or virtual assistant. Learning-based AI, on the other hand, is based on data entry. The more data that’s fed into the system, the more it can learn and improve its performance.
Most chatbots and virtual assistants use a combination of both rule-based and learning-based AI.
For example, a chatbot might be programmed with a set of rules for customer service inquiries. But it can also learn from customer service data to improve its performance over time.
There can be many benefits to using chatbots and virtual assistants in customer service. Some of those benefits include:
Although human-to-human customer service interaction will always be important, the future of customer service will likely be dominated by chatbots and virtual assistants.
These technologies are great at providing service that is fast, effective and available around the clock. They can also help boost sales and conversions, improve customer satisfaction and improve employee productivity. As a result, business owners that want to provide world-class customer service should consider using chatbots and virtual assistants.