Chatbots for business: how automation is changing customer interactions

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Chatbots for business: how automation is changing customer interactions

According to Forbes, citing data from Servion Global Solutions, in 2025, 95% of all customer interactions will be carried out through channels supported by artificial intelligence (AI). This indicates the rapid development of AI technologies and their impact on business processes, especially in the field of customer service.

 

Successful implementation of AI requires a balanced approach, where technologies take over and complement human interaction, rather than completely replacing it. Therefore, AI-based chatbots are being improved, models that are capable of learning (Machine Learning) and processing natural language/text (Natural Language Processing) are emerging.

 

The development company Soul Soft offers solutions for automation based on AI, ML, NLP for the specific needs of the customer's business. Chatbots are able to provide unique answers using data specific to each situation.

 

Why is customer interaction automation crucial for small and medium-sized businesses?

Small and medium-sized businesses benefit significantly from using advanced chatbots, where a personalized and attentive approach to the customer is of great importance.

 

Small businesses compete with large companies by using bots to optimize processes and reduce costs, and most importantly, to continuously interact with customers. Bots help generate new leads, convert them into sales, and provide excellent service 24/7. And this, in turn, increases loyalty and turns customers into regular customers - customer retention as it is.

 

As a communication channel, you can use the company's official website, pages on social networks Instagram, Facebook, X, platforms like Shopify, WhatsApp, Telegram messengers, etc. There can be several of them at the same time.

Does your business need a chatbot and which one?

Some of the reasons why customers turn to SoulSoft to automate processes using a chatbot:

• The company wants to interact with customers in a more personalized and efficient way.
• The customer service team cannot handle all the requests.
• High levels of abandoned items in the cart or short dwell times on the site. This may mean that customers did not find the information they needed to make a purchase.
• A high level of product returns persists. This indicates that customers should provide more information before making a purchase.

Chatbots are now available not only to large companies with a significant number of customers. For small and medium-sized businesses, Soul Soft offers various automation solutions that can be customized to specific needs. The first thing the team does is make a list of the company's problems that a chatbot can solve. This helps developers understand which processes are worth automating and what functionality a virtual assistant should have.

 

For small businesses, the best solution may be an AI support bot (FAQs) that searches a database and provides answers to frequently asked questions. This is a cost-effective and simple way to automate. In addition to resolving requests on its own, the bot can collect key information and redirect it to the right support representative to complete the task. Therefore, it is necessary to train employees so that they know how to use the virtual assistant correctly.

 

The chatbot does not need to be trained further. After preliminary training on real data/cases and configuration, it is ready to handle complex requests and understand nuances from the first day of implementation. Thanks to Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing technologies, it continues to improve to conduct dynamic and context-relevant conversations. Soul Soft, for its part, provides technical support and maintenance.

 

For large companies with a significant volume of processes, a more complex solution may be required. Here are some factors to consider:

• Ease of integration
• Functionality
• Cost
• Flexibility
• Level of support
• Scalability

Analytics and reporting capabilities provide companies with insights into chatbot performance, customer satisfaction, and areas for customer experience improvement.

What Soul Soft chatbots can do

Features	Description of features
Instant answers to frequently asked questions	Provides immediate answers to questions that customers commonly ask. In the process, the chatbot continues to learn and improve its work.
24/7 Customer Support	Doesn't sleep or take a vacation. Available 24/7 to solve customer problems. Businesses don't miss opportunities due to limited working hours or different time zones.
Customer Intelligence	Collects data on customer interactions, conducts surveys, asks targeted questions, and records responses to analyze customer needs.
Customer Experience Personalization	Improves customer interactions based on information obtained about their previous choices and behavior.
Specific settings	Configurable to best meet your specific business operational needs.
Cost savings	Automates workflows and increases productivity, allowing you to optimize staffing and labor costs.
Payment optimization	Allows you to securely pay for goods and services directly in the dialog box using Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Multilingual support	Provides proper support in Ukrainian, English or another language.
Integration with other software	Integrates into CRM, productivity tools, messengers, marketing platforms, e-commerce platforms, support and booking services, etc.
Customer data protection	Security certificates ensure that the chatbot meets user data protection and cybersecurity standards and regulations.

Highlights of the implementation of virtual assistants by well-known brands

Starbucks — My Starbucks Barista chatbot allows customers to order drinks and food through a mobile app using text or voice commands. The bot remembers previous orders to personalize the customer experience. This service optimization has reduced the workload on staff.

 

Sephora — a cosmetics giant created a bot on Facebook Messenger that offers advice on skin care, makeup and selects products based on customer requests.

 

Aveda, a hair and skin care brand, significantly improved order and conversion rates thanks to a chatbot that uses an advanced natural language processing (NLP) engine. The company also managed to automate numerous processes, such as sending reminders and connecting customers to customer support.

 

H&M, a global clothing retailer, uses a chatbot to understand customer preferences. The digital assistant sends users images of clothes to help them answer style questions. It's like having your own digital stylist. Customers save time by not having to browse through hundreds of items, as they receive selections that match their style.

 

Domino’s Pizza — a virtual assistant allows customers to order pizza via Facebook Messenger, Twitter or Alexa voice commands, and also reports on the status of the order.

 

Uber, Coca-Cola, Nike are also not far behind. As for Ukrainian companies, you have probably communicated with Nova Poshta chatbots on Viber, Telegram or Facebook, virtual assistants of Ukrzaliznytsia, Silpo, Monobank, Rozetka or made an appointment with a doctor at Helsi.

 

As you can see, the use of chatbots with artificial intelligence is becoming ubiquitous. This is not only e-commerce, but also finance, logistics, SaaS, travel, telecommunications and many other industries. SoulSoft’s virtual assistant will help your business scale, ensure sustainable growth and competitive advantage.