Can Chatbots Sell?

 Better?   Better targeting?   Bettter than traditional chatbots?

Do Conversational AI Chatbots Make Better Sales Non-Associates?    in Retailwire.

Apr 11, 2023, by George Anderson  Plus expert comments .....

Americans think that artificial intelligence-powered conversational chatbots really get them.

New research of 1,000 U.S. consumers by Capterra finds that 67 percent of ChatGPT users feel understood often or always by the AI bot compared to 25 percent of traditional support chatbot users.

Fifty-six percent of the survey’s respondents who have used ChatGPT say they would be likely to shop from a site that offers similar tech. Only 11 percent, however, have used ChatGPT for shopping purposes at this point. 

Participants in the study found traditional chatbots wanting.

Fifty-three percent rate their experiences using chatbots as “fair” or “poor.” It’s likely because of these unsatisfying experiences that only 17 percent have used a chatbot to search for products. Just seven percent have used traditional chatbots for product recommendations.

“Most retail chatbots are rule-based bots and are best used for basic functions, like order shipping status or inventory checks,” Molly Burke, senior retail analyst at Capterra, said in a press release. “With natural language processing, better handling of nuance, and a greater ability to personalize responses, conversational AI has the potential to improve chatbot experiences by simulating the personalization and creativity provided by human agents.”

The ability to communicate with the technology makes the prospects of conversational chatbots  exciting to many. Online shoppers are accustomed to AI tracking their browsing and shopping behavior in the background to make product recommendations intended to improve the customer experience.

Retailers, brands and shopping platforms are pursuing the opportunities that ChatGPT and similar apps represent.

Instacart is among those working with OpenAI’s API service to develop use cases for ChatGPT on itsplatform.

The retail delivery service plans to roll out a new search engine using ChatGPT to answer user questions about food ingredients, healthy meal options and recipe ideas. Responses to queries will come in a dialogue rather than a list of results used in traditional searches. The new “Ask Instacart” service is slated to roll out later this year.  ....'