Balancing Human and Bot Interactions for Better Customer Service

Can we just admit for a moment that chatbots, in their current form, are a little bit trash?

Having interacted with dozens of chatbots, I can say that aside from the most basic of customer service queries – account balance, next payment date, etc. – chatbots are often incapable of even recognizing which category a question falls into with any reasonable degree of accuracy. In fact, I’ve never had an interaction that didn’t end with me needing to speak to a human operator to resolve the query.

The Case for Chatbots

Even so, there clearly is a case to be made for the deployment of chatbots as a first point of contact.

As already discussed, they are capable of relaying basic account information and directing customers to places where they can access more detailed information which covers the issue they are trying to address.

The advantage of using chatbots to address simple FAQ type queries is clear. Customers who are having their questions answered in this manner are not clogging up the phone lines of your human staffed contact center and therefore leave the lines free so that customers with more complex issues can get through without suffering unnecessarily long wait queue times.

People with complex problems are more likely to become frustrated – especially if they’ve had to call multiple times to address it – so anything which can be done to alleviate frustration for this cohort of customers is to be encouraged.

The problem then becomes a case of where we draw the line between a contact which can be adequately handled by a chatbot and those which require an actual human to resolve. And, when we get a query which blurs this line, how do we make sure the customer can easily change lane and get through to the person they really need to speak to?

With only 22% of customers having a pleasant experience with chatbots and research by Gartner placing them firmly in what it calls the trough of disillusionment in its Hype Cycle for Natural Language Technologies 2021 report, it’s clear we need better ways to balance chatbot and human customer service interactions.

The Hand Off

The point at which your chatbot "realizes" it is unable to handle the queries and provide the information or solution the customer needs is the most critical part of this equation. Customers need a simple and frictionless method to tell your chatbot they’d rather speak to a human operator.

When faced with this situation all too many chatbots simply fling up the customer service phone number and tell the customer to make a call. After experiencing the frustration of the chatbot failing to address their query, asking them to then wait in a call queue and no doubt deal with a cumbersome menu system before having to start from scratch again, is only going to worsen their mood.

The best answer to this is for customer service brands to invest in instant messaging technology which allows customers to switch seamlessly from a chatbot interaction to a human operator without even leaving the screen they’re on. Instant messaging not only makes the chatbot to human handoff seamless, but also represents a preferred method of communication for many customers.

With messaging, a customer can get on with other tasks while resolving their issue instead of having to divert most of their attention to engaging with a customer service representative on the phone.

Amazon handles this handoff incredibly well. All messaging starts off with a chatbot, but the customer can, at any time during the interaction, type that they want to speak to a human and be connected more or less instantly.

Final Thoughts

Few insurance brands have the resources of Amazon, it’s true but this is the direction customer service needs to head in if it wants to properly balance human and chatbot interactions and improve satisfaction and first time fixes for their customers.

"Contact centers must reply to customer inquiries using familiar channels with technology options, while leveraging representative’s expertise during an interaction," writes Majorel. "When brands rely on technology as a tool for well-trained representatives, they can handle the number of inbound, holiday inquiries, and claims because at the end of the day what truly creates stand-out customer service is the human factor."

Balancing human and chatbot interactions in customer service is sure to be a hot topic at Digital Insurance Connect 2022, taking place in October at the Hyatt Regency Austin, TX.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.