Most people assume that customers would always prefer human contact. The truth, however, is that it’s not always so clear cut. Let’s have a closer look at some statistics from different industries:
- According to Facebook, 53% of customers say that they are more likely to purchase something from a business if they can get in touch via a chat app. What’s more, a survey by Ubisend shows that almost 64% of consumers think businesses should be available through messaging apps.
- In terms of e-commerce websites, 34% of users would prefer to answer questions asked by a chatbot or a virtual assistant.
- On the other hand, it turns out that chatbots are the go-to solution for simple queries. The 2018 State of Chatbots Report suggests that 55% of users prefer to get instant responses from a chatbot.
- It might sound surprising, but according to Acquire, 40% of millennials claim that they use a chatbot on a daily basis.
- To top it all off, 35% of consumers (more than one in three) would like to see more companies using chatbots.
So, what are the most important takeaways from these numbers?
First of all, customers may want to prefer talking to a customer service agent when the enquiry is particularly complex. When it comes to common issues and frequently asked questions, chatbots are often even better than talking to a human. 75% of customers actually expect to receive a response instantly – and here’s where a chatbot is unbeatable. What’s more, it can be open 24/7 at no extra costs (which is what more than 50% of users prefer). To sum up, chatbots can be a much better choice for the most popular, uncomplicated queries.
The preferences change depending on the industry as well. E-commerce is one of the most prominent fields for chatbots, followed by healthcare, telecommunications, banking and finance.