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Since the introduction of ChatGPT, the impressive capabilities of this new tool have been widely discussed. The chatbot can conduct conversations in a human way and answer questions quickly and efficiently. Companies are now exploring how to use these developments in their customer service. But to what extent will it work for answering customer queries? And is it intelligent enough to put telephone contact completely aside?
The way customer contact is handled leaves a mark on how a customer feels about a company and thus determines its reputation. A good customer experience is therefore essential. To what extent can a chatbot create this experience? And is ChatGPT intelligent enough to completely replace human contact?
Chatbots in customer service
Many companies use different channels through which customers can approach them for a question, complaint or problem. Think of email, social media and telephone contact, but chatbots are also often used. However, research by the Consumers' Association shows that 66% of over 10,000 consumers surveyed are not satisfied with chatbots. Of those who have used chatbots, as many as 78% said they simply did not get an answer to the question asked. In addition, 71% said they found chatbots too impersonal preferring to contact an employee by phone.
Is ChatGPT the solution?
ChatGPT's artificial intelligence is highly advanced compared to other existing chatbots. To be used for customer contact, a company can "train" the chatbot by having it process large amounts of information, such as customer conversations and specific company information, to teach it how to communicate with customers. Then, when a customer sends a message to the chatbot, the information is used to provide a response that looks like it was typed by a human customer employee.
What are the risks?
Despite ChatGPT having great potential for enriching the customer experience and making current chatbots smarter, there are still some risks associated with it at the moment:
- Erroneous answers due to too little information. Artificial intelligence needs huge amounts of data to learn. Most companies do not have the required billions of variables of customer data available to fully 'train' the ChatGPT. This leads to incorrect answers and loss of quality customer contact.
- Lack of sourcing and checking answersSince ChatGPT answers are generated based on probability and numerous sources, it is not possible to verify exactly which sources the output is based on. This makes ChatGPT's answers non-transparent and difficult to verify.
- Security risks. When companies integrate ChatGPT into critical systems such as customer service chatbots, there are security risks. If these systems are not properly secured, there is a risk that they could be misused with, for example, phishing attacks or the dissemination of false information.
- Lack of human interaction. ChatGPT also comes back to the lack of human interaction. Although it has the ability to simulate human conversations, it remains a robot incapable of understanding feelings and emotions. For example, it may miss nuances of human language and the context of specific situations. In customer contact, personal connection, empathy and a problem-solving ability are essential to make a difference.
Customers want real personal contact
People want to feel heard, understood and helped. In other words, they seek personal contact. No matter how sophisticated a chatbot can become, it will never be able to replace the human connection. Personal (telephone) customer contact is an integral part of the ideal customer experience. What distinguishes this human way of communicating from all other forms of digital customer contact?
- More customer loyalty. Research by Verint Systems in cooperation with research agency shows that companies score high on customer loyalty when they have telephone contact with their customers. For example, customers are less likely to switch service providers.
- More accessible to a larger target group. Almost every generation is capable of picking up a phone. In contrast, finding and using a chatbot is still not accessible to everyone and can pose difficulties for older generations.
- Answer complex questions within a single contact moment. Because during a phone call, employees have the opportunity to ask further questions, it is easier to get to the heart of the problem. Providing a solution to complex questions is also easier. A customer does not have to be put through to a customer by a chatbot.
- Better experience for emotional or frustrated customers. Nothing is more frustrating when you have a burning question but it is not answered. A telephone operator, if properly trained, has the skills to use empathy and problem-solving to give the customer a positive experience, even if the question or problem cannot be solved immediately.
ChatGPT and other digital communication channels have great potential to support customer service and make it more efficient, but it cannot completely replace human customer service agents. Customers still prefer personal, telephone contact. Here, of course, the quality and skills of the telephone attendant are very important for conversations to lead to a positive result. Which skills are important in telephone customer contact can be read in the following blog post.
