5 Chatbot Best Practices

According to Outgrow, a data analytics and digital marketing company, 56 percent of users would rather use chatbots than call customer support. As chatbots continue to grow in popularity, consider using these best practices on your own chatbot to save your employees time and improve your customer service.

Generate a mindful greeting. Make sure your initial greeting is grammatically correct, customers won’t trust a program riddled with writing errors. Furthermore, don’t bombard customers with suggestions or questions. They can be overwhelming and create a negative impression.

Create a unique chatbot name. Devising a name humanizes your bot and can add to its identity. Choose a name that fits your business, is easy to remember and is not too long. Witty, punny or alliterative names often increase customer recollection.

Be upfront about bot functionality. Listing your bot’s functions right off the bat will ensure that customers know how to engage with your bot. It also sets users’ expectations and keeps them from being disappointed by any lack of ability the bot may have, promoting a more satisfying experience.

Make your messages sound as human as possible. Emulate a realistic human customer service conversation to put your customers at ease. Keep messages short, break up information and maintain the personality you are trying to project through your businesses’ chatbot. Reflecting your businesses’ tone through your chatbot engages users and makes your business memorable, especially if you find the right balance between professional and entertaining.

Make it easy for your customers to leave. Forcing customers to stay or use a chatbot will create a negative experience. Allow customers to leave easily, and provide contact information to a human representative.

Learn more ways to improve your customer service here.