Chatbots are a viable option for companies who want to be ever-accessible to their customers. Able to help with common problems such as late deliveries or changing profile information, chatbots can always elevate more complex tasks to a human representative if need be. One task that customers aren’t ready to trust chatbots with is making a purchase.
Research by SUMO Heavy has found that just 11% of people have tried making a purchase through a chatbot, with just 5% saying they would do so again. A quarter of people said they were not open to trying it and 43% said they were unfamiliar with the concept altogether.
When reading this data, it's important to distinguish the different platforms that chatbots can be provided through. Chat services available directly on a company’s website are likely going to be trusted more than those on company social media profiles, such as Facebook Messenger. The main concerns for customers using social media to make a purchase were security (71% stated it was a problem), privacy (67%), and concerns about legitimacy (64%).
Even with this apprehension towards conducting transactions through them, adults are acclimating to chatbots and 8 in 10 consumers think they will benefit from them, thanks to being able to access information faster.
Personally, I say it's only a matter of time before customers trust bots to process their shopping for them. Some companies have already crafted great chatbot experiences, chief among them being Domino’s Pizza. The company created Dom, their bot that allows customers to place a pre-saved ‘easy order’ through Facebook Messenger, Xbox One, Amazon Echo, and many more devices.
If they create a quality chatbot service that is recognizably branded, companies have the chance to replace customer concerns about platform security with the comfort of brand loyalty, thus creating another channel to generate sales through.
By James Story
James Story has worked in the world of digital marketing since 2014 as a content and online PR executive. Specialising in content creation, he has been part of award-nominated projects and instrumental in the creation of content hubs. With a passion for the written word and an eye for detail, he is currently the Senior Content Manager for Lead Tech, a financial lead generation company providing high-quality leads for financial advisers and financial advice firms. You can connect with James on LinkedIn
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