Feature
The Gist
- AI chatbots are growing in popularity and capabilities. What potential do they have to improve customer experience (CX) by answering questions and holding conversations?
- Whatcha got, ChatGPT? We conducted an experiment with both ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0, asking it four different CX-related questions. Both the text and a demo video are included.
AI chatbots have been a hot topic of conversation for months now and are only continuing to grow, both in popularity and capabilities. These bots have the ability to answer cut-and-dry questions as well as hold conversations.
But, how do they perform when asked for advice, especially in the customer experience realm? This is, of course, the main question here. Can these chatbots be used to improve CX? If yes, how are they most useful?
This article is part one in a four-part series on current chatbots, their capabilities, and how they respond to CX-related questions. This series includes articles on Bing AI, Bard, ChatGPT (3.5 & 4.0), and a final article comparing each. For each chatbot analysis, we put ourselves in the shoes of a customer experience leader, asking potential questions they'd ask. The same four questions were asked in each test.
- How should my contact center agents handle a conversation when the person's been on hold for more than 10 minutes?
- What should I do if they’re still angry? (follow-up)
- How can I improve customer loyalty to my company?
- How can I improve the marketing strategy at my company?
This time, we will jump into an analysis of ChatGPT (both versions 3.5 and 4.0). 4.0 is the paid version.
Below is the full text exchange for the four questions along with screenshots from the actual ChatGPT platforms.
ChatGPT — Version 3.5
Contact Center and Long Customer Hold Times
Prompt No. 1: How should my contact center agents handle a conversation when the person's been on hold for more than 10 minutes?
ChatGPT-3.5 Response: Provide Reassurance to Customer
When a person has been on hold for more than 10 minutes, it is essential to handle the conversation with care and empathy. Here are some steps your contact center agents can follow:
- Apologize for the wait time: Start the conversation by acknowledging the customer's wait time and apologize for any inconvenience caused.
- Reassure the customer: Let the customer know that you understand their time is valuable, and the team is doing everything possible to resolve their issue quickly.
- Identify the customer's issue: After acknowledging the wait time, ask the customer about their reason for calling to ensure that you understand the situation and can offer the right solution.
- Provide solutions: Once you have identified the customer's issue, offer solutions that address their concerns. If a resolution cannot be provided immediately, let the customer know the steps being taken and provide an estimated timeframe for resolution.
- Be empathetic and patient: Remember to be patient and empathetic throughout the conversation. Listen carefully to the customer and try to understand their point of view.
- Follow up: After resolving the issue, follow up with the customer to ensure that they are satisfied with the solution and that the issue has been resolved.
Remember, customers appreciate good service and care, especially when they have been on hold for an extended period. By following these steps, your contact center agents can provide excellent customer service and leave a positive impression.
Prompt No. 2: What should I do if they’re still angry?
ChatGPT-3.5 Response: Remain Professional, Follow Up With Customer
If the customer is still angry despite the agent's efforts to provide a solution, here are some additional steps that your contact center agents can follow:
- Stay calm and professional: The agent should remain calm and professional throughout the conversation, even if the customer is angry or upset.
- Validate the customer's feelings: Acknowledge the customer's feelings and frustrations and empathize with them. Let them know that their concerns are valid and that you understand their frustration.
- Offer a sincere apology: Offer a sincere apology for any inconvenience caused and assure the customer that you are doing everything possible to resolve the issue.
- Provide options: Offer the customer different options to help resolve their issue. For example, the customer could speak to a supervisor or escalate the issue to a higher level if necessary.
- Document the conversation: Ensure that the conversation is documented, including any steps taken and the customer's concerns. This information can be useful if the issue escalates further.
- Follow up: After resolving the issue, follow up with the customer to ensure that they are satisfied with the solution and that the issue has been resolved.
Remember, the key to dealing with an angry customer is to remain calm, empathetic, and professional. By following these steps, your contact center agents can provide excellent customer service and leave a positive impression, even in difficult situations.
Customer Loyalty Strategies
Prompt No. 3: How can I improve customer loyalty to my company?
ChatGPT-3.5 Response: Build Communities, Measure Customer Feedback
Improving customer loyalty is essential for any business to grow and succeed. Here are some steps you can take to improve customer loyalty to your company:
- Provide excellent customer service: Ensure that your customers receive excellent customer service at every touchpoint, whether it's online or in-person. Make it easy for customers to reach out to you with any questions or concerns they may have.
- Offer a loyalty program: A loyalty program rewards customers for their repeat business and can be an effective way to keep them coming back. Consider offering discounts, freebies, or other rewards to your loyal customers.
- Listen to customer feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from your customers and take their comments into account. Use their feedback to improve your products and services.
- Personalize the customer experience: Tailor the customer experience to each individual customer's needs and preferences. Use data and insights to offer personalized recommendations, promotions, and content.
- Be transparent and honest: Be transparent and honest with your customers about your products, services, and pricing. Don't make false promises or mislead your customers.
- Build a community: Build a community around your brand by engaging with your customers on social media and through other channels. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brand and create user-generated content.
- Offer exceptional value: Ensure that your products and services provide exceptional value to your customers. Make sure they are priced competitively and offer features and benefits that meet their needs.
Remember, building customer loyalty takes time and effort. By following these steps, you can build a loyal customer base that will keep coming back and referring new customers to your business.
Improving Marketing Outcomes
Prompt No. 4: How can I improve the marketing strategy at my company?
ChatGPT-3.5 Response: Define Target Audience, Brand Identity
Improving your marketing strategy can be a great way to attract new customers and grow your business. Here are some steps you can take to improve your marketing strategy:
- Define your target audience: Identify your target audience and create buyer personas to understand their needs, pain points, and motivations. This will help you tailor your marketing messaging and tactics to reach them effectively.
- Set clear goals: Establish clear marketing goals that align with your business objectives, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or increasing sales. This will help you measure the success of your marketing campaigns.
- Develop a strong brand identity: Create a strong brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Ensure that your branding is consistent across all channels, including your website, social media profiles, and advertising.
- Create engaging content: Create content that is valuable and engaging to your target audience. This can include blog posts, videos, social media posts, and other types of content that address their needs and interests.
- Use multiple channels: Use a mix of channels, including email, social media, paid advertising, and content marketing, to reach your target audience effectively. Use data and analytics to determine which channels are most effective for your business.
- Measure and analyze results: Track your marketing efforts and analyze the results to determine what's working and what's not. Use this information to adjust your strategy and improve your marketing performance over time.
Remember, developing an effective marketing strategy takes time and effort. By following these steps, you can create a marketing strategy that reaches your target audience effectively and helps you achieve your business objectives.
ChatGPT — Version 4
Contact Center and Long Customer Hold Times
Prompt No. 1: How should my contact center agents handle a conversation when the person's been on hold for more than 10 minutes?
ChatGPT-4 Response: Empathize With Customers, Take Action
When a customer has been on hold for an extended period, it's important for contact center agents to handle the situation with empathy, professionalism, and efficiency. Here are some steps your agents can follow to effectively manage such a conversation:
- Acknowledge the wait time: Begin the conversation by recognizing and apologizing for the long wait time. This shows the customer that you understand their frustration and are genuinely sorry for any inconvenience caused.
- Empathize with the customer: Express empathy for the customer's experience and let them know that you understand how frustrating it can be to wait on hold for an extended period.
- Reassure the customer: Let the customer know that you are there to help and will do your best to resolve their issue as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Gather information: Ask the customer for any necessary information to help you better understand their issue. This may include account numbers, order details, or specific concerns they have.
- Take action: Actively work on resolving the customer's issue or concern. This may involve troubleshooting, researching account information, or consulting with colleagues or supervisors for guidance.
- Provide updates: Keep the customer informed about the progress you're making on their issue. If possible, give them an estimated time of resolution.
- Offer alternatives: If the resolution process will take a significant amount of time, provide alternative options to the customer, such as scheduling a callback, connecting them to another department, or providing resources for self-help.
- Express gratitude: Thank the customer for their patience and understanding throughout the process.
- Follow up: If necessary, schedule a follow-up call or email to ensure the customer's issue has been resolved to their satisfaction.
By following these steps, your contact center agents can effectively manage conversations with customers who have been on hold for an extended period, improving customer satisfaction and reducing the likelihood of future complaints.
Prompt No. 2: What should I do if they’re still angry?
ChatGPT-4 Response: Keep Calm, and Offer Some Goodwill
If a customer is still angry after your initial efforts to address their concerns, here are some additional steps you can take to help de-escalate the situation:
- Stay calm: Keep your composure and remain professional. Maintaining a calm tone of voice can help prevent the situation from escalating further.
- Listen actively: Let the customer fully express their feelings and concerns without interrupting. Show that you're genuinely listening by providing verbal and non-verbal cues, such as nodding or saying "I understand."
- Validate their feelings: Acknowledge the customer's emotions and validate their feelings by saying something like, "I can understand why you're upset" or "It's completely understandable that you're frustrated."
- Apologize again: Reiterate your apology for the inconvenience they have experienced, even if it's not directly your fault. This can help demonstrate your commitment to helping them.
- Offer a solution: If you haven't already, present a clear solution or plan of action to address the customer's concerns. If you need more time to find a solution, communicate that to the customer and provide a specific timeframe for getting back to them.
- Go the extra mile: If possible, offer additional compensation or a gesture of goodwill, such as a discount or free service. This can help demonstrate that you value their business and are committed to making things right.
- Remain patient: Sometimes, a customer may need time to vent their frustration. Give them space to do so, and continue to express empathy and understanding.
- Escalate if necessary: If the customer's anger persists and you're unable to resolve their issue, consider escalating the call to a supervisor or manager who may have more authority or expertise to address their concerns.
- End the conversation professionally: If the situation has been resolved or escalated, thank the customer for their time, and wish them a pleasant day. If the customer continues to be hostile and uncooperative, politely inform them that you have done your best to assist them and end the conversation.
By following these steps, you can work to de-escalate the situation and help the customer feel heard and valued, even when they are still angry. Remember that maintaining a professional and empathetic demeanor is crucial for managing difficult conversations.
Customer Loyalty Strategies
Prompt No. 3: How can I improve customer loyalty to my company?
ChatGPT-4 Response: Offer Exceptional CX, Communicate Openly
Improving customer loyalty involves delivering a consistently positive experience, building trust, and fostering strong relationships with your customers. Here are some strategies to help you increase customer loyalty for your company:
- Offer exceptional customer service: Prioritize customer satisfaction by providing timely, friendly, and efficient service. Train your team to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and responsive to customer needs.
- Personalize the customer experience: Tailor your interactions and communications with customers based on their preferences, needs, and purchase history. This can make them feel valued and understood.
- Create a loyalty program: Develop a rewards program that incentivizes repeat business, such as offering points, discounts, or exclusive benefits to loyal customers.
- Communicate regularly: Keep customers informed about company updates, promotions, and news through various channels like email, social media, and your website. This can help maintain your company's presence in their minds.
- Solicit feedback: Actively seek feedback from customers through surveys, social media, or one-on-one interactions. Show that you value their opinions and are committed to making improvements based on their input.
- Act on feedback: Implement changes and improvements based on customer feedback to demonstrate that you genuinely listen to and value their opinions.
- Provide high-quality products or services: Ensure that your offerings meet or exceed customer expectations in terms of quality, reliability, and value.
- Be transparent: Be honest and open about your company's policies, pricing, and practices. This can help build trust and credibility with your customers.
- Offer a seamless experience: Optimize your website, mobile app, and other customer touchpoints for ease of use, responsiveness, and accessibility.
- Resolve issues promptly: Address customer complaints and issues swiftly and effectively. Demonstrate that you're committed to finding a satisfactory resolution for the customer.
- Exceed expectations: Go above and beyond in your interactions with customers to create memorable experiences that will encourage them to share their positive experiences with others.
- Foster a sense of community: Engage with customers on social media, create online forums, or host events to help customers feel more connected to your brand and other customers.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a strong foundation for building customer loyalty and nurturing long-term relationships with your customers, leading to increased repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Improving Marketing Outcomes
Prompt No. 4: How can I improve the marketing strategy at my company?
ChatGPT-4 Response: Define Target Audience, Analyze Competitors
Improving your company's marketing strategy involves understanding your target audience, setting clear goals, and continually refining your approach based on data and feedback. Here are some steps to help you enhance our marketing strategy:
- Define your target audience: Identify and segment your target customers based on factors such as demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. This will help you tailor your marketing messages and channels to better resonate with your audience.
- Set clear objectives: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your marketing efforts. This can help you focus your resources on the activities that have the most significant impact.
- Analyze your competitors: Study your competition to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). Use this information to differentiate your brand and capitalize on gaps in the market.
- Develop a unique selling proposition (USP): Define what sets your product or service apart from the competition and emphasize that in your marketing messages.
- Optimize your marketing mix: Adjust the four P's of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) to create a cohesive and effective marketing plan.
- Leverage multiple channels: Use a mix of marketing channels, such as social media, email, content marketing, search engine optimization (SE), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and traditional media, to reach your target audience effectively.
- Create high-quality, engaging content: Produce informative, relevant, and engaging content that appeals to your target audience and demonstrates your expertise in your industry.
- Test and optimize: Regularly analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns using key performance indicators (KPIs). Use this data to refine your approach, test new ideas, and optimize your campaigns for better results.
- Embrace new technologies: Stay informed about emerging marketing technologies, tools, and trends, and consider incorporating them into your strategy if they're relevant to your audience and goals.
- Foster relationships with influencers: Partner with influencers in your industry to extend your reach and credibility. This could involve collaborating on content, hosting events, or engaging in co-marketing efforts.
- Measure and analyze results: Track the success of your marketing efforts using analytics tools and metrics that align with your objectives. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.
- Encourage customer advocacy: Encourage satisfied customers to share their positive experiences with your brand through referrals, testimonials, and reviews, which can help you build trust and credibility in the market.
By implementing these steps and continuously evaluating your marketing strategy, you can ensure that your efforts are effective, relevant, and driving your company's growth.
Conclusion: Practical for CX, Marketing Leaders?
Both ChatGPT versions (GPT 3.5 and 4) were quick to respond with lists of reasonable advice. The lists of suggestions were quite long and also in line with most CX thinking. It seemed most effective at answering the more general questions. For instance, the prompt, "How can I improve the marketing strategy at my company?" was answered by GPT-4 with 12 pieces of advice.
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More specific questions, such as the first prompt's, "How should my contact center agents handle a conversation when the person's been on hold for more than 10 minutes?" proved a bit more difficult. The chatbot provided mostly basic options; it seemed unable to take a single idea and run with it. When prodded with, "What should I do if they’re still angry?" the chatbot got a bit repetitive, suggesting "apologize again."
At this point in using a chatbot, struggling to get useful output, the user generally comes to a crossroads. It's possible that the user knows the answer they've been looking for all along and realizes this — they just want ChatGPT to say those specific words. Or the advice proves un-enlightening and the user ends the chat. The ChatGPT models — at least the current versions — are quite incredible at producing a variety of ideas and showing different perspectives.
One aspect that I (personally) deem worth further research is the lack of automatic links to sources that it references. ChatGPT's Plus version does have a Web browser plug-in that cites Bing search-generated sources. I would certainly be interested in comparing various plugins after some time has passed in this rapidly changing industry.
Editor's note: Stay tuned for the next article in the series featuring customer experience and marketing questions and demonstrations with Google Bard. Also stay tuned for the concluding article in the series where we will ask human customer experience leaders about our AI friends' input.
