Does your dealership use Live Chat with a human operator? Are you hearing the AI buzzword and considering to switch to an AI-powered chatbot? After all, by 2020, 85% of consumer interactions will be handled without a human agent (Gartner reports). Now, before you do employ a chatbot, there are many things to consider. The following 5 are the top ones that come to mind:
1) Be aware of how the chatbot learns
AI-Powered chatbots utilize Natural Language Processing (NLP), which enables them to mimic human conversations. Based on previous interactions, they adapt the ability to learn and improve. Over time, their responses become more human-like, and they start offering solutions to your customers. That is typically how a chatbot is marketed but is it the case? Without studying the technical details of how AI should work, it will be wise for you to ask the company to explain the inner workings in layman terms.
2) Know what data is collected and shared
While using chatbots, the information it collects and shares is critical. Some companies will collect aggregated data. Some might even market and sell them. Those are common. However, you must ensure your customers’ data are not shared or sold to one of your competitors. It is beneficial if you find out where the data is and who has ultimate ownership. Also, when the bot is gathering information from your customers, what level of privacy control does it offer? Can your customers say no to various data collection questions?
3) Figure out how to incorporate it into your operation
We are not sure that a chatbot will answer 100% correctly to someone’s query. Even a human customer support agent can’t. As the front liner of your customer service, that doesn’t signify a failure. What you need to figure out is how an issue, when identified, be passed on to the appropriate personnel in your dealership for triage. I would recommend that you demand the vendor company work with you to refine such processes in your dealership, which might require specific configuration or training to the chatbot.
4) Ensure that the AI chatbot is scalable
Your dealership might belong to a dealer group. Or it’s a single shop. Either case, make sure that the technology you bring on is scalable. You do not want the chatbot to have bottleneck issues as it converses with more and more people. One of the principal advantages of an AI chatbot over live chat agents is the removal of human resource constraints. Don’t introduce another one. It would be wise to ask the vendor to explain to you their application architecture and infrastructure.
5) Determine if it’s specifically for car dealerships
Last but not least, you want an AI chatbot solution built specifically for car dealerships. You need one which is seamlessly coded and optimized to use your lingo. It is tricky to develop an AI solution that works across multiple sectors. The data fed to the AI models are different for different industries. The parameters of the AI model also need to be calibrated differently. As a Russian proverb says, “if you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither one.”
I hope you find the above useful. We at DealerAI have developed a comprehensive AI solution specifically at car dealerships. A chatbot is the main interface. If you wish to learn more, feel free to reach out.