What to Know to Confidently Pick the Best AI Chatbot for Customer Service

Not on the AI chatbot train just yet?

Now is the time to join before it leaves the station. Today, companies are already leveraging generative AI to boost productivity by up to 400%. In other words, those effectively using this technology are on pace to save almost 2.5 billion work hours for customer service representatives a year.

And the best AI chatbot brings a blend of personalized interactions, rapid issue resolution, and the potential for increased revenue generation.

Wondering which chatbot is your ticket to unmatched benefits? Let's help you discover the best AI chatbot to transform your customer service.

What makes a good chatbot for customer service?

Built for your industry

A successful chatbot is tailored to your business needs. It’s trained on real industry conversations to ensure unmatched intent recognition and accuracy. Doing so allows you to not settle for a generic solution but rather employ one customized to suit your customers' unique needs.

Talks like a real person

Nobody wants to chat with a robot — including your customers. To keep the conversations flowing seamlessly, your shoppers should feel they're speaking to a human agent. Go for a chatbot that runs on an advanced LLM and supports generative AI capabilities. These features allow for authentic and personalized convos, recreating the high-value experience with a real agent that customers deserve.

Embodies your brand 

Your business has a unique style and tone; your chatbot should amplify that. Remember, this might be the user's only interaction with your brand. So, imagine having a chatbot that perfectly reflects your brand's unique presence. It's like having your best agent chat directly with your customers. In return, you stand out, creating a connection with shoppers that reinforces your personality. When customers know they can count on your customer service, you leave a lasting impression and, over time, build customer loyalty. 

Is multilingual

Your chatbot should be an indispensable tool when entering a new market. Imagine delivering 24/7 support in each customer base's preferred language. Whether your customers speak English, French, Mandarin, or Hindi, your chatbot can provide an accurate, personalized answer. Now, rather than adding a local support team for each market, you can scale confidently, knowing that your chatbot can handle all queries and deliver answers in the language your customers are most comfortable with.

Works across all channels

A great test of a superior AI chatbot is its ability to switch channels mid-chat. Think about it: nobody wants to repeat themselves. So, whether they start the conversation on social media and then move to your website chatbot or switch once again, finishing the conversation via email — users should never feel they've hit the restart button. 

Instead, their conversation, info, and agent response should follow them. This seamless transition ensures your customers maintain a consistent interaction as they move across different communication platforms (and agents).  

Offers immediate results 

Creating and maintaining your personalized chatbot should be a breeze. You must be able to transform your FAQs, macros, and past conversations into a customized chatbot that offers instant results in just a few hours. Doing so improves the customer experience, while this streamlined approach allows for improved efficiency and a faster ROI (return on investment). 

Can automate nearly any request (not just the easy ones) 

Using a chatbot to offer shipping info or adding an item to a cart is one thing, but can your solution help with more complex requests?  Chatbots that seamlessly integrate and pull from your existing tech stack allow you to address and resolve complex requests and solutions. 

Now, your chatbot can offer precise info on when a customer's package arrives, compare and recommend different products based on the user's preferences, and even step in to save would-be canceled orders with a promo code.

Regardless of the situation, the best AI chatbots should act as another member of your customer support team — one that never tires or gets overwhelmed with incoming requests.

Allows you to offer personalized responses

Top AI chatbots offer personalized interactions at scale. Every conversation is different, and so is every customer's request. A great chatbot can tailor each exchange, ensuring shoppers feel heard and valued. 

Instead of offering a generic reply about shipping taking 3-4 days, you can instead send an automatic response letting them know their package will arrive later that day. 

3 customer service chatbot examples (from companies changing the game)

1. True Classic

True Classic switched to a powerful AI chatbot after they learned an older, rule-based chatbot couldn't understand customer requests.

Thanks to advanced features such as buyer intent recognition and personalized chats, True Classic improved agent efficiency — cutting support costs by 38% — and generated $3 million in support-driven revenue. Furthermore, with the AI chatbot's capability to instantly and accurately help customers, True Classic achieved these results while improving its customer satisfaction score (CSAT) by 16%.

2. Wuffes 

Before adding an AI chatbot, Wuffes relied on email as their primary support channel. Unfortunately, this translated to slow resolution times, with customers often waiting five days for an initial response. 

So Wuffes turned to an AI chatbot to help deliver swift and optimal customer experiences. Today, the chatbot allows them to answer 92% of tickets in just 30 minutes! Combined with a 79% resolution rate and the ability to cut canceled subscriptions by 10% — Wuffes found an AI chatbot companion they trust.

 3. AirHelp 

AirHelp offers support in 18 languages — catering to markets around the globe. Prior to introducing an AI chatbot, they relied on a complex patchwork of various systems. 

However, once they leaned into their new solution, they discovered an advanced AI chatbot could do the work of 3 different tools. Now, they’ve improved agent efficiency and cut response times in half.

Navigating generative AI in customer service

One final component to consider when selecting the best AI chatbot for customer service is whether it has generative AI capabilities. 

Generative AI technology is used in chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard - allowing them to offer genuine, human-like conversations. While this added layer of personalization can be beneficial, it can also open up businesses to providing false or even offensive information. 

That’s why it’s important to understand which questions will use generative AI and if you can add any guardrails to protect your business. 

Download our free generative AI checklist for a comprehensive guide to optimizing generative AI in customer service.