Nothing beats the excitement that comes with winning new customers. Finally, you get to see your sweat and tears pay off. However, in some ways that’s where the hardest work of all begins.
Customer support is absolutely vital for keeping customers happy and building a reputation. But when you’re juggling a million tasks as a small business owner, it’s easy for emails and chats to pile up faster than you can handle them.
It’s tempting to try and reduce all that stress with AI customer support software. These tools can handle certain customer questions quickly, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
If you’re curious about the world of AI tools, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about what they can (and can’t) do, explore some top options, and talk about the best ways to transform your customer support and keep buyers happy.
What To Expect From AI Customer Support Software
Many businesses use AI-powered tools to provide customer service (or at least some aspects of it). And they have been for a long time – well before the current surge in interest.
So, what exactly is AI customer support software?
In simple terms, these are applications that use AI-like technology to assist with customer service tasks. Because there are so many different types, they can handle a range of activities.
At their best, these tools are like your regular support team working 24/7. They can understand basic customer questions, provide quick solutions, and predict what customers might need help with next.
Some of the functions AI customer support software might come with include:
- Speedy replies. AI can answer customer questions in a flash, without needing your support team to step in.
- 24/7 availability. They are always on the clock, so your customers can get help whenever they need it.
- Personalized service. AI can tailor responses to each customer’s specific needs and history (to an extent).
- Smooth hand-off to live chat. Conversations the AI can’t handle can be transferred right over to your live chat team (or another channel).
As a result, it can help your customers, agents, and business by:
- Reducing response times. Instant replies to common questions reduce the time your customers spend waiting for support.
- Lowering operational costs. Automating routine tasks leaves your human support team to handle more demanding issues. This helps to optimize resource use.
- Improving customer satisfaction. Nothing sells your business more to your customers than faster, accurate, and personalized responses. In turn, this enhances their overall customer experience.
- Scaling support operations. AI enables small businesses to manage a growing volume of inquiries without proportional increases in support staff.
Key Factors To Consider When Choosing AI Customer Support Software
When picking the right AI customer support software for your small business, there are a few things to consider. Let’s take a quick look at the top four.
Budget Constraints and ROI
As a small business, you’re probably operating on a tight budget. So anything you invest in should offer a strong customer support ROI. When evaluating options, consider the initial cost along with subscription fees and price hikes.
However, you can also factor in the potential savings in labor. The right tool can essentially pay for itself by enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Team Size and Skill Level
If you have a small and busy team, you’ll want to opt for a solution that’s user-friendly and requires minimal training. Look for an intuitive interface and excellent customer support reviews.
Current and Future Customer Support Needs
It’s important to consider both your current support needs and how they might evolve as you scale. The software should be able to accommodate an increasing number of inquiries and more complex support tasks as you grow. This ensures that your investment remains valuable in the long run.
Integration with Existing Systems
The AI customer support software you choose should easily integrate with your current CRM and email platform, along with any other vital tools. Integrations streamline your operations and improve efficiency. Plus, you’re also able to provide a more cohesive support experience for your customers.
Top 5 AI Customer Support Software for Small Businesses
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to take a closer look at what AI customer support software has to offer. With that in mind, here are five of the most popular options (and one important alternative).
1. Chatfuel AI
First up, Chatfuel AI is a versatile platform for customer engagement. It juggles tasks like booking appointments and answering those pesky frequently asked questions.
Its AI-driven chatbots can also perform lead qualification and provide product recommendations. Chatfuel supports various messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, and it integrates with popular tools like Calendly, Shopify, and Zapier
This platform does have a few drawbacks, such as limited advanced features and somewhat underwhelming NLP (natural language processing) capabilities. Its documentation could also use some improvement.
Chatfuel is user-friendly, and pretty accessible for anyone with a moderate level of tech savvy. The platform is also scalable, so you can start small and expand as your needs and experience grow.
2. Fin AI
Fin AI is a highly configurable chatbot that provides instant answers from multiple sources, including Intercom articles and public URLs. This AI customer support tool supports multilingual interactions, and can seamlessly hand off complex issues to human agents.
Fin AI is designed for easy setup but high configurability. This makes it suitable for small businesses looking to scale their customer support operations efficiently. It also integrates with with popular apps, and offers multilingual support.
However, it’s worth noting that the usage-based pricing can become costly as your support team grows. Also, there are limits to the advanced customization options unless you have a surplus of time and technical skills.
3. Botgate AI
Next on our list, Botgate AI is a conversational marketing platform that interacts with potential clients through AI-driven chatbots. It offers features such as lead scoring, conversational marketing, and multi-language support.
In other words, it’s designed more for encouraging conversions than for post-purchase support. However, great customer service begins before a sale is even made, and this particular tool helps you start new relationships off on the right foot.
Botgate AI also comes with a drag-and-drop chatbot builder for easy implementation. This makes it very accessible, especially if you’ve never used a chatbot tool before.
Just keep in mind that Botgate AI’s advanced features may require some additional setup. It also has limited customization options if you need more complex workflows.
4. Tidio AI
If you’re looking for more of an all-in-one option, Tidio AI is a comprehensive AI customer support tool. It combines live chat, chatbots, and email marketing.
You’ll get access to 30+ chatbot templates, as well as more advanced features like AI-driven visitor segmentation. Despite the complexity on offer, the dashboard is easy to learn and use. Tidio AI is also scalable, and integrates with a lot of popular platforms.
On the other hand, this particular option might be overkill if you’re a first-time AI user. Some of the advanced features require additional setup. Most importantly, you can’t get this tool on its own, but only as part of the larger Tidio platform.
5. LiveChatAI
LiveChatAI offers an AI-powered chatbot that you can train with your business’ existing content. Its goal is to help you provide personalized and efficient customer support.
This AI customer service software supports multiple languages, and offers a wide-ranging feature set. You’ll get live chat, FAQ automation, and customer intent recognition.
LiveChat is easy to implement, as it comes with simple options for embedding the chatbot on your website. Alternatively, you can use it as a floating chat widget. It’s also scalable and integrates with various messaging platforms.
It does require some work and customization to maximize its performance. So it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. LiveChat also relies on learning from your existing data and content, making it a less useful option for start-ups.
Best Alternative AI Customer Support Software: The Groove Helpdesk
Now, let’s be honest. AI is useful for certain tasks, but it’s very, very far from perfect. Hype aside, there’s a lot that AI can’t do, and providing top-quality customer service is one of those things.
AI can answer simple questions, and route customers to the right places. But it can’t address most complex issues effectively.
AI can’t adapt well to an unexpected situation, or use experience and judgement to decide how best to help a customer. Plus, while it can mimic emotions, it lacks the human emotional intelligence needed to handle frustrated buyers and make sure they feel heard.
So you can’t rely on AI for all of your support needs. You can use it to speed up and simplify repetitive tasks. But that means you’ll still need a solution for the human element of your customer service.
Alternatively, you can opt for a helpdesk solution like Groove:
With Groove, you get the best of both worlds. It combines the time-saving power of AI with a complete set of tools to help your human agents offer excellent customer service. And it’s only getting better as we add new capabilities!
Here are just a few of the features that make Groove a great alternative to AI customer support software:
- Saves you time. Groove automates repetitive tasks, and makes conversations and customer information simple to find.
- Human touch. Groove allows for personalized responses when they’re needed, unlike an AI-only solution.
- Easy to use. You don’t need to be tech savvy – if you’ve used Gmail or Outlook, you’ll be right at home.
- Customizable. You can tailor the organization and workflows to match your unique business needs.
- AI-powered suggestions. Help your support team craft personalized responses more quickly.
- All-in-one inbox. You don’t need to juggle multiple platforms. Groove manages all customer conversations in one place.
- Self-service knowledge base. You can offer self-service options for customers, so they can find answers on their own.
- Insightful reporting. You get the data you need to optimize your customer support game, provided in an approachable way.
- Integrates with other tools. Groove supports many other platforms your business might use now (or in the future).
- Grows with you. Groove scales to meet your needs as your company expands, so you don’t have to switch platforms down the line.
Groove is designed for small business support teams that want to provide excellent customer service quickly and easily. Check out our demo to see for yourself.
Beyond AI: Providing Quality Customer Service Without Sacrifices
AI customer support software can be a lifesaver for small businesses. Machine learning tools help you tackle everyday questions and rote tasks quickly, and free up your team to focus on the bigger issues.
At the same time, there’s a lot that AI can’t do. If you’re looking for a solution without those limitations, but that’s still affordable and easy to use, Groove has your back!
It’s not just another AI chatbot tool. Groove is a full customer support system that combines the power of AI with tools that help you provide the kind of service a machine can’t offer.
And the best part? Groove grows with your business, so you can always provide the support your customers deserve. Sign up for a free trial today!
