How Chatbots Enable Brands to Deliver Omnichannel Customer Engagement

According to IBM’s US Retail Index, the coronavirus crisis accelerated the growth of digital shopping by about five years. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the end of brick-and-mortar shopping is nigh — on the contrary, it seems to be bouncing back from last year’s closures. But COVID has fast-tracked the evolution of retail and pulled the growth of online sales forward. For retail businesses, this means omnichannel customer engagement will be at the forefront of the retail experience for the foreseeable future.

What is omnichannel customer engagement?

Omnichannel customer engagement is the integration of multiple customer touchpoints to create a seamless and cohesive customer experience. It means targeting shoppers with relevant retail marketing messages on all the channels they use, whether it’s a social media platform like Facebook, a messaging app like WhatsApp, and even in-store signages and banners.

This strategy can have a direct impact on sales. A study published in the Harvard Business Review shows that omnichannel customers are more valuable, spending an average of 4% more in-store and 10% more than single-channel customers.

An omnichannel customer experience should also extend to customer service. The idea is not just to provide excellent customer service but also to make it accessible on all channels, on and offline.

This is precisely where chatbots can help.

How chatbots support an omnichannel customer experience

Omnichannel chatbots, as the name suggests, are conversational agents that can be deployed to your brand’s critical customer touchpoints. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, chatbots allow you to automate responses to common customer queries, whether it’s something to do with payments, tracking the status of an order, or shipping.

Your chatbots and the conversations they process can be managed from a single platform, allowing you to have an integrated view of their performance and the questions your customers are asking.

Here’s a closer look at how chatbots support an omnichannel retail strategy.

1. Customer service that’s tailored for everyone

When many people think of omnichannel, they think digital. But this isn’t the case.

Omni = all. That includes more traditional methods of communication like email and even SMS and voice calls. You can even attach QR codes to in-store product displays, allowing customers to scan the code and ask a chatbot if a product in a specific colour or size is in stock.

Chatbots (or voice bots, in the case of telephone systems) provide a way to integrate your customer service presence on all your channels, making your knowledge base and resources just a chat away.

2. Instant responses, 24/7

Speed and efficiency are critical components of an omnichannel customer experience. Today’s customers expect brands to be for them, fast. HubSpot Research shows that 90% of consumers consider an “immediate” response important or very important with customer service questions. When it comes to sales transactions, 62% of consumers define “immediate” as a response in 10 minutes or less.

Image source: HubSpot

Chatbots enable you to stay on top of your customers’ most frequently asked questions, providing instant support around the clock without requiring human intervention. This can streamline your lead generation activities and customer satisfaction efforts.

3. Customer sentiment analysis

Chatbot platforms typically come with a built-in analytics dashboard that allows you to discover insights about your customers in real-time. By analyzing your chatbot data and conversations with customers, you can:

• Learn more about your customers, including demographics, location and even languages used
• Learn what they want based on their frequently asked questions
• Learn what channels they use most
• Make data-driven decisions to address your customers’ needs

For instance, your chatbot platform can record a repetitive inquiry about a payment method you don’t currently offer. This helps you make data-driven decisions to improve your omnichannel customer experience.

It’s time to go omnichannel with chatbots

Chatbots offer a quick and convenient way to reach your customers anywhere. However, they are not a magic bullet and should not replace your customer service teams. In fact, according to a Forrester study, one of the criticisms of chatbots is that they don’t provide seamless paths to escalate conversations to live agents. To deliver excellent customer service on all your channels, your chatbots need to be supported by a contact centre team ready to handle conversations that need a human touch.