Most businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve their customer service, and one of the most effective is real-time customer service methods like live chat. In fact, more customers prefer live chat over traditional methods like email or phone support. Although live chat and chatbots might look the same at first, they are designed for different purposes and provide different user experiences.
If you are a business owner in Arlington Heights and want to provide the most positive customer experiences, it’s important to know the differences between these two. That’s where we can help. Below, this live chat agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois is going to explain some of the key differences between live chat and chatbots.
Overview
Live chat is an online service that allows website visitors to talk to a real customer service representative in real time. After clicking a chat widget on your website, visitors can connect to an operator who can understand their questions, give them answers, and solve their problems.
On the other hand, a chatbot is an automated program designed to simulate an intelligent conversation without human intervention. Chatbots are built on AI technologies, like machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and natural language understanding (NLU). They analyze the words a visitor types and respond in ways that simulate human conversation. But chatbots are not humans. They are nothing more than software programs trying to guess what visitors mean and answer their questions.
How do live chat and chatbots differ?
One of the biggest differences between live chat and chatbots is when it comes to understanding context. A live chat operator that works for a professional live chat agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois can understand exactly what the visitor is trying to say or ask, even if the visitor doesn’t use the right technical terms. On the other hand, a chatbot relies on its codes. It answers questions by looking at the words the visitor types and matching them with programmed answers. This means that the chatbot might not give the correct answer (or any answer at all) if the question does not match its available responses.
Both live chat and chatbots can give quick answers, but the type of answer can be very different. Chatbots can provide immediate answers by looking at the words and finding a programmed answer. Live chat responses can take longer because a live chat operator is a real person typing the response. But this wait is usually worth it because the answer is usually more personalized.
Speaking of personalization, live chat is also better at making each visitor’s conversation feel more personalized. The operator can adjust their responses depending on what the visitor says, making the visitor feel like the operator is genuinely listening and wants to help. Chatbots cannot do this as well. Their responses can seem more generic because they pick responses from a predefined list.
Why choose a live chat agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois?
Local businesses can benefit from partnering with a live chat agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois in several ways. For one, a local agency knows what local companies need, so they can provide relevant support.
Trained live chat operators also offer personalized assistance that makes visitors feel valued and listened to. Also, if a visitor has a difficult question or a unique problem, human operators can adapt to it. Chatbots can’t always do this well.
A live chat agency can also help improve your customer satisfaction by providing immediate and personalized support, which is especially valuable today, where everyone expects fast responses.
Looking for a Live Chat Agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois?
Are you ready to partner with a live chat agency in Arlington Heights, Illinois that can implement a live chat functionality on your website to assist your visitors 24/7? If so, Digital Destination LLC is here to help. We can add live chat to your marketing strategies and ensure that all your hard work to attract website traffic pays off. Contact us today at (312) 933-6806 to discuss your options.