It’s time to set the record straight. Chatbots are not taking over the world and are certainly not taking marketing jobs.
If anything, chat automation tools, especially ones using AI, can help you be a better marketer. And with such tight competition and an economy that’s constantly fluctuating, finding the right tools to make you a smarter, more efficient marketer—and driving ROI faster—is the name of the game.
So, to ease some fears around chat automation, let’s clear the air on those nagging doubts, debunk those common myths, and set the record straight about social chat commerce tools.
What is Chat Commerce and Chat Experience?
Before diving into the myths, let’s clarify what we mean by chat commerce and chat experience, and how they relate to chatbots.
Chat Commerce
Chat commerce (AKA social chat commerce) refers to the use of messaging platforms to facilitate online transactions and interactions between businesses and customers. This involves using chat-based technologies to sell products, answer customer inquiries, provide support, and enhance the overall shopping experience. Social chat commerce can happen on various platforms, such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, or directly on a website using a chat widget.
Chat Experience
Chat experience encompasses the entire interaction a customer has with a business via chat. This includes not only the functional aspects of answering questions and facilitating transactions but also ensuring that the conversation feels personalized, engaging, and reflective of the brand’s voice. A well-designed chat experience aims to replicate the warmth and responsiveness of a human interaction.
Similarities to Chatbots
While the terms “chat commerce” and “chat experience” often overlap with chatbots, they are not identical.
Chatbots are the technology that powers many chat experiences and chat commerce interactions. They are automated programs designed to simulate human conversation and can handle a range of tasks from answering FAQs to processing shopping orders.
However, the chat experience is broader and more focused on the overall quality and personalization of the customer interaction. It’s about creating a seamless and enjoyable engagement that aligns with the brand’s personality, often involving human oversight to fine-tune and enhance the conversation.
Now that the basics are covered, let’s debunk common myths.
Myth #1: Chatbots Will All Replace Jobs
Reality Check: Chat automations are here to enhance, not replace, human jobs.
One of the biggest fears around chatbots is they’ll take over and leave us all jobless. But guess what? That’s far from the truth. Chat experiences take over repetitive tasks and provide 24/7 support, allowing your team to focus on more complex, high-value tasks that require a human touch. Think of them as your digital sidekicks.
At ZEALS, for example, we use conversation designers who work tirelessly to ensure that every interaction feels natural and on-brand. These experts are essential in crafting personalized, human-like experiences that a bot alone couldn’t deliver. So, instead of stealing jobs, automated chat experiences are creating new opportunities in tech and customer experience.
Myth #2: Chat Automation Will Slow Down Sales
Reality Check: Chat experiences—like Social Chat Commerce—can actually speed up your sales process.
Another common misconception is that chatbots slow things down. The reality is quite the opposite. Chat automation can handle multiple inquiries simultaneously, something a human could only dream of. They can answer questions, guide customers through the purchase process, and even upsell products—all in real time (gasp). No more waiting on hold or for an email response. This instant assistance can significantly reduce cart abandonment and boost your conversion rates.
Plus, chat automation can gather valuable data about customer preferences and behaviors, helping you refine your sales strategies. In essence, they’re like having a super-efficient sales assistant working round the clock.
Myth #3: Chatbots Detract from Your Ad and Social Media Efforts
Reality Check: Social Chat commerce is supplemental to your ad and social media strategies.
Worried that chat automation might undermine your advertising or social media campaigns? Fear not. Chat experiences can seamlessly integrate with your marketing efforts to improve customer engagement. Imagine someone sees your ad on Instagram and is interested in what you offer. Instead of leaving them to search for answers, an automated conversation can start instantly, providing the information they need and even directing them to make a purchase.
Chat experiences also help keep the conversation going. They can follow up using push notifications with users who interacted with your ads or social posts, nurture leads, and drive conversions. It’s like having an army of marketers who never sleep!
Check out how JCPenney used Click-to-Experience (CTX) Ads to drive holiday sales.
Myth #4: Chatbots Are Too Robotic
Reality Check: Modern chat experiences offer personalized and human-like interactions.
Gone are the days of stiff, robotic chat interactions. Today’s chat commerce tools, like ZEALS, are designed to mimic natural human conversation. At ZEALS, we pride ourselves on creating interactions that are not only useful but also enjoyable. Our conversation designers tailor the chat experience’s language to match your brand’s voice and tone, ensuring every chat feels personal and engaging.
By leveraging AI and machine learning, these experiences learn from every interaction, continually improving their ability to understand and respond to customer queries. The result? A chat experience that feels more like talking to a friend than a machine.
Myth #5: Chat Automation Is Only for Big Businesses
Reality Check: Chat experiences are for businesses of all sizes.
Think chatbots are only for the Amazons and Walmarts of the world? Think again. Chat automation can be a game-changer for small and medium-sized businesses too. They offer a cost-effective way to provide excellent customer service, streamline operations, and scale your business without a massive investment.
Small businesses can use chat experiences to handle FAQs, schedule appointments, manage orders, and more. This not only improves efficiency but also frees up valuable time for you to focus on growing your business. Plus, with tools becoming more accessible and affordable, getting started with a chat commerce solution has never been easier.
Myth #6: Setting Up a Chat Experience Is Complicated
Reality Check: Setting up an automated chat can be straightforward and hassle-free.
Many people assume that implementing a chat experience is a technical nightmare. While it does require some setup, it’s far from an insurmountable task. With ZEALS, you have our experts set everything up so all you have to do is watch the ROI.
A little upfront work on your brand’s voice, which allows for the personalized and human-like conversation, and then the conversation designers deploy the chat experience. Think of it like setting up a new phone — a bit of initial configuration, and then you’re good to go.
Myth #7: Chat Automation Can’t Handle Complex Queries
Reality Check: Chatbots are capable of managing sophisticated interactions.
There’s a misconception that chat experiences are only good for basic, straightforward questions. While they excel at handling common queries, today’s automated conversations are also equipped to deal with more complex issues. Thanks to advancements in the Learned Language Model (LLM) and artificial intelligence (AI), they can understand context, interpret nuances, and provide relevant solutions.
For particularly intricate cases, chat experiences can seamlessly transition the conversation to a human agent, ensuring that your customers always get the support they need.
The Future of Automated Chat
Chat commerce is transforming the way businesses interact with customers. Chat automated conversations are not job stealers, sales slow-downers, or robotic annoyances. Instead, they’re powerful solutions that can strengthen customer service, grow sales, and integrate seamlessly with your marketing efforts.
At ZEALS, we’re dedicated to creating chat experiences that feel personal and aligned with your brand. So, wherever you are in your marketing efforts, it’s time to embrace the future of customer interaction.
Let’s talk about how social chat commerce can help you grow your business. Book a demo here.
