Chatbots, WhatsApp and the Team Inbox
In this article, we will explore the world of communication: the key to success in any process. Nowadays, communication can happen in many different ways. When developing websites and web shops, a chatbot is often the first option. A chatbot is a trained communication model that gives automated answers. Another possibility is WhatsApp. For companies, WhatsApp Business is widely used. However, these options lack a personal approach from a team mindset. That's why we will also discuss the Ripplecom Team Inbox.
Automating Customer Service
In recent years, chatbots have become increasingly popular as a channel for customer service. These virtual assistants are programmed with artificial intelligence. Chatbots can answer customers' questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via a company's website or app. Chatbots offer companies scalable customer service at relatively low costs. Chatbots are widely used for organisations where frequently asked questions and comments can be handled automatically. However, chatbots also have disadvantages. Due to the lack of human warmth and the 'standard' responses, people often feel put off. How can a programmed application really know something? The implementation by companies using chatbots is also completely wrong. Letting people know that it is a chatbot might be even more negative than the quality of the chatbot itself. Furthermore, chatbots often have limited context and a slow, rigid conversation. Especially in the European market - and the Dutch market in particular - a chatbot is often an irritation for the customer rather than a professional extension.
Personal Remains the Best
Many customers prefer more personal channels like WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a well-known and user-friendly messaging platform for one-to-one conversations between customers and companies. The feeling of communicating with a human is better, even if the answers are not correct or as desired. WhatsApp has several advantages, certainly in terms of familiarity and ease of use. Moreover, WhatsApp gives a certain feeling of human intimacy, and the use is usually a natural conversation. Employees can communicate personally, empathetically and in context. This helps with the customer experience and engagement of customers with an organisation or a citizen with the government.
The downside of WhatsApp is that it remains limited for professional customer service. This has to do with the one-to-one nature of WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. With these - free - WhatsApp solutions, there is a lack of possibilities for task division, such as picking up and transferring a conversation, as can be done with telephony. It is not possible to easily collaborate on a conversation and only bring in colleagues when necessary. In the WhatsApp solutions, it is not possible to generate reports on conversations. And the easy handling and archiving of conversations is not user-friendly for business use.
Professionalising with Ripplecom
The Ripplecom WhatsApp Team Inbox combines the personal tone of WhatsApp with professional team functions. The low-threshold - inexpensive - entry and quickly set up channel offers opportunities to collaborate on conversations. Where customers communicate one-on-one with an organisation/company/government (department), with Ripplecom it is possible to have multiple employees (one-to-many) handle conversations. 'Transferring' conversations is called assigning them to an employee. Conversations can be followed to check for follow-up. Multiple employees together handle WhatsApp conversations from one shared inbox. Conversations are centrally stored. With smart notifications, conversations are followed up on and handled in a timely manner with the aim of ensuring customer satisfaction and engagement. In addition, extensive reporting is possible, and transcripts can be downloaded for quality and training purposes.
In further expansions, it is possible to add intelligent automation and efficiency. For example, an AI assistant that can handle all product data and information in the most efficient, customer-friendly, participation-frendly way and handle conversations. Questions can be automatically routed, standard answers made available and tasks assigned to employees if the automation cannot handle it. In this way, organisations benefit from the advantages of WhatsApp without the shortcomings of a single individual number. This is a possible expansion, which can be customised as desired. We advise starting 'small', with your team developing effective team inbox communication.
In comparison between chatbots and Ripplecom, the Ripplecom WhatsApp Team Inbox scores on the following points:
By using the Ripplecom WhatsApp Team Inbox, organisations offer personal, smart customer service on the channel that customers really want to use.
The service without the limitations of WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business alone, and without the rigidity and need to learn a chatbot. With Ripplecom, you choose the best of both worlds.