5 examples of chatbots for customers operating in different business areas

Online stores use chatbots for two main scenarios:

Operators can join the chat if it is necessary to deal with a unique situation like loss of a package, breakage, wrong address, and other similar problems. However, chatbots can be useful in this context too: for example, if a customer tries to contact the company after business hours, the bot can request all necessary information via feedback form and then pass it on to an operator.

Bots help customers find the nearest pickup point, track the location of their order, and calculate the cost of delivery. For their convenience, bots can be connected to messengers and voice assistants.

For CDEK, we automated the work first with outgoing notifications to customers (package status messages), and then with incoming requests. CDEK uses an ordinary button bot and a bot with artificial intelligence. Together they process up to 86% of all text requests.

Connecting bots with artificial intelligence, as in the case of CDEK, gives the customer an option not to choose from the answers offered, but simply write their question in any form: the bot can recognize the wording and offer the right answer.

Operators or couriers only have to call customers in uncommon situations like when they need to enter a restricted area or provide data to the reception desk if some important information has not been mentioned when ordering a delivery. This information can also be requested from the chatbot, but it is faster to do it by phone.

Most global and Russian banks use smart voice and text bots. They advise customers on the most frequently asked questions in online chats and apps. The customer can use the bot to send a loan application to the bank through a convenient messenger — and then be informed of the decision on their application in the same messenger.

Bots are used by the entire financial sector, including microfinance institutions.

Our customer Cashwagon launched chatbots to automatically process about 80% of customer requests from four countries — the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The company acted as an intermediary between borrowers and banks. Potential borrowers would apply for a loan in the company's mobile app and communicate through chatbots with no need to attend the bank.

Bots can make appointments, help customers make changes to the time and date of appointments, and notify them when tests are ready. Our customer, Moy Doktor medical network, uses chatbots to send reminders to customers about their appointments and to reschedule or cancel doctor's appointments at the customer's request. The workload of the helpdesk staff decreased: with fewer employees, they are still able to provide high quality customer service.

Chatbots make it easier to interact with the clinic. One clinic told us that many patients are embarrassed to talk about their problem over the phone because of its sensitive nature or because there are people around. To make it more convenient for patients, the clinic used a chatbot. It tells the clients about the range of services and helps them make an appointment with the right specialist through a text message.

Bots can help:

For example, at the used-car service Carprice, a bot reminds customers of necessary actions they need to take before and after the car is put up for online auction: collect documents, clean the interior, etc. Using a messenger app, the chatbot supports the customer from registration to sale.

In repair centers, bots allow automating the requests for home service, and help customers learn about the status of the repairs so that they don't have to call the service center.

There is no need to try making chatbots do all the work when it comes to customer service. They are very good at solving standard and most frequent issues like finding an order, changing pickup or delivery details, etc. Uncommon issues, however, should be dealt with by human operators. Still, these questions are relatively few in number, and it doesn't take a lot of manpower to process them, so after the chatbot is introduced, the company will save money on contact center maintenance.

The automation level may vary by industry. Sometimes, bots can do 50% of all tasks, and sometimes the number can be 80%–90%.

In automation, the key point is to identify request topics that can be automated, including the most frequent ones and those which a bot would process error-free. It's great to have someone to help the company at this stage. When you order the implementation, we are ready to provide advice on your selected area of work, take over all technical issues, and do the introduction on a turnkey basis.