Customer Service Chatbots To Increase By 2020 PYMNTS.com

Chatbots, or virtual customer assistants (VCAs), will be used in 25 percent of customer service and support operations by 2020, up from just 2 percent in 2017. According to news from Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, more than half of organizations have already invested in VCAs for customer service so they can utilize all the advantages of automated self-service technology. "As more customers engage on digital channels, VCAs are being implemented for handling customer requests on websites, mobile apps, consumer messaging apps and social networks," said Gene Alvarez, managing vice president at Gartner, at the Gartner Customer Experience Summit in Tokyo. According to Gartner's research, companies reported a reduction of up to 70 percent in call, chat and/or email inquiries after implementing a VCA, as well as a boost in customer satisfaction and a 33 percent savings per voice engagement. "A great VCA offers more than just information," said Alvarez.