Real Support vs Support Bots: Why Live Help Wins
Real Support vs Support Bots: Why Live Help Wins
We live in a technological world, filled with automation, smart devices, and easy access. One thing that technology has not yet fully grasped is the power of empathy and support. When questions arise or you are facing frustrating problems, typically your first thought is, “Who can I turn to for help?” Not “What canned answer can help me out today?”
This is the difference between working with a real, in-person support agent instead of a chatbot or live-chat agent.
There is a sense of comfort that comes from picking up the phone and asking for help. If it’s personal help, you call a close friend or family member. If you need professional advice, the best way to obtain it is by connecting with a colleague that you know and trust, and who knows your situation. If you need help with a specific product, you want to connect with an expert on that item.
When was the last time you Googled “____customer service” and were excited to see that the only option was to email or chat? There’s no emotional connection in explaining your issue five different ways and sorting through an electronic, automated “service” to only have the automation system not recognize your issue. You almost have to be an expert in order to talk to an automated “expert.” That’s not fair to you.
There is an emotional journey that you take when asking for help and it is supported when you are given the chance to explain your issue in detail over the phone, or even do a screen share with a live person. It is reassuring to have a voice on the other end of the line hear your stress or frustration and respond in a supportive way.
Picture sitting at a computer, and reading the words “I’m sorry about that, how can I help?”
What are you picturing? I picture a part-time employee with multiple screens half-paying attention as they copy and paste from a script. Support scripts and bots are emotionless, which adds gas to the fire. When I am working with a live person, and hear that same phrase, I’ll hear empathy and care, or the professionalism and expertise in their voice, knowing that I’m in good hands. I feel supported connecting with a human being that understands my situation, and it can be therapeutic to voice my question out loud.
When we look at the pros and cons of outsourcing customer support, it seems that the primary result is that the pros are for the company, and the cons are for the customer. Outsourcing can create an increase in company profits. However, it can leave the customer frustrated as there can be confusion if they are not properly versed in the product or service.
Live-chat can also be frustrating for customers. While it can offer a faster response time, the bot might not be able to provide the level of expertise needed to fully answer the customer’s question.
One of the reasons that RTA’s Customer Success team has held a 5-star customer rating over the past several years is the expertise that we put into each and every call. Throw in that we are the subject matter experts, and that our team knows the struggle of needing assistance and not getting it in a timely manner, you get one sweet recipe.
We are fast, we are efficient, and we help fleets succeed.