{"id":173823,"date":"2019-04-23T10:03:58","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T14:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicalecommerce.com\/?p=173823"},"modified":"2024-10-19T06:32:22","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T10:32:22","slug":"using-facebook-messenger-chatbots-to-support-live-chat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicalecommerce.com\/using-facebook-messenger-chatbots-to-support-live-chat","title":{"rendered":"Using Facebook Messenger Chatbots to Support Live Chat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Shoppers

Shoppers increasingly prefer live chat for sales and support queries. But live chat requires staffing, which is often beyond the reach of small businesses. Automated chatbots can help.<\/p><\/div>\n

Live chat is a proven way to close online sales and provide post-order support. Shoppers are frustrated over telephone wait times, phone-tree menus, and outsourced support. Online chat can provide quick answers about products, shipping costs, order statuses, and general support queries.<\/p>\n

For smaller businesses, though, live chat has a few obstacles that can prevent its implementation. Live chat software, whether installed on the local server or accessed via a third-party plugin, isn\u2019t always affordable. Aside from monthly and per-session service costs, it often requires additional staffing. Providing support during prime time hours means at least one additional work shift for agents, who are paid whether or not they\u2019re answering requests.<\/p>\n

Live chat has other downsides. Response time is dependent on the total number of requests and available agents. Similar to website load times, a delay in response increases the risk of the visitor leaving.<\/p>\n

According to LiveChat, a provider, the smallest online retailers in the United States handle fewer chats per day, but initial response and resolution times are longer than the global average. LiveChat found that U.S.-based B2C retailers with fewer than 10 employees had a longer wait time than that global average \u2014 1 minute 21 seconds versus 49 seconds for the global average.<\/p>\n

Chatbots via Facebook Messenger<\/h3>\n

Chatbots can help bridge the gap between\u00a0live chat\u00a0and\u00a0self-help support pages. While highly customized automatic chatbots require a large financial investment, there are many affordable ways to integrate more personal conversations. Facebook Messenger<\/a> ranks near the top of the list for both small and large businesses.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

Nearly 70 percent of Americans use Facebook. With more than 1.3 billion users, Messenger is one of the most popular messaging apps that allow for open development. Big players such as Lego, Spotify, Fandango, and Sephora use Messenger chatbots to interact with visitors and guide them to purchase pages.<\/p>\n

Lego\u2019s gift bot, Ralph, is a good example of how using conditionals to guide shoppers to specific products can increase sales. Available via Messenger, Ralph asks multiple-choice questions to determine a child\u2019s age group and interests. In the end, users are presented with a group of products that fit their responses.<\/p>\n

Setting up automatic conversations via Messenger is fairly simple. Several services tie into the process. Many are freemium \u2014 allowing for elementary conversations for free, but requiring nominal fees for complicated setups.<\/p>\n

Messenger chatbots have plenty of advantages, including:<\/p>\n