At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was chaos and uncertainty to a certain extent. However, various solutions to various problems quickly emerged, both in the medical, private and business sectors. This is exactly what we focus on in this article. Because the corona virus presented companies with many challenges. We put it this way back then:
In light of the current situation, we have put together 5 benefits of AI chatbots in emergencies such as the COVID-19 situation. Because: The whole of Germany, the whole of Europe, actually the entire world, is currently in a state of emergency. While the name of the threat was reminiscent of a well-known beer brand a few months ago, when the term “corona” is used, the public only thinks of the virus. Everyone is talking about COVID-19 and normal daily and especially work processes as we know them will no longer exist in the next few weeks. How good that there is a certain “employee” who can neither be infected with the corona virus nor does he have to go into quarantine. We're talking about an AI chatbot, of course.
March 17, 2020
Even though, as of now (6.2022), many corona measures have been reduced or completely suspended, the virus has changed the business world, meaning that the benefits of AI chatbots With regard to the corona crisis, the following still apply today:
1. Whether home office or office
An AI chatbot is present regardless of where employees are located. Accordingly, it doesn't matter whether the workforce is working from home or on site at the company. An AI chatbot can intercept customer inquiries in first-level support and intelligently pre-qualify them — at any time or from any location. This work could even replace resources temporarily, because due to the lack of equipment and limited infrastructure in some companies, it is not possible for some employees to work “remotely” at all. As a result, many workers are completely eliminated. As a result, it can already be observed that companies are asking via social media or on their website to refrain from calling or making contact, as they are heavily overloaded due to outages. However, asking (potential) customers to refrain from contacting them can and should never be the right way to go. An AI chatbot offers real solutions in times of crisis when you can rely on little. Because there is one thing you can always rely on with an AI chatbot and that is its flexible and permanent usability.
2. Consistent quality of answers
In an exceptional situation such as the one currently prevailing, many people sometimes don't know where their heads are. This is understandable, especially when you consider that all daycare centers and schools are closed, meaning that a significant portion of the working population now has to solve several problems at once. For this reason, it may happen that an employee who works in customer service, for example, is not fully available for customer inquiries and therefore the work results and speed suffer as a result. Of course, an AI chatbot cannot replace a person, but it can take work off and ensure efficient and satisfactory communication with consistent quality. The consistent quality of answers and also the response time, which is less than one second, are part of a high quality of service that should be maintained even in difficult times.
3. Support during peak phases
Problems are currently increasing in many industries and therefore also the workload and to-dos of employees. Employees who work in customer communication, among others, are particularly affected by this, because no matter which sector: If the problems of customers, suppliers, etc. accumulate; this is also when inquiries accumulate, i.e. a peak phase begins. Companies can prepare well for many peak phases (such as the Christmas season) and take appropriate measures in advance. With COVID-19, this is not the case for the majority of companies. There are a particularly large number of inquiries, recurring questions are asked and that in parallel. In these phases, an AI chatbot can relieve employees of a lot of work by answering recurring inquiries within seconds or sorting, pre-qualifying and forwarding them as needed. By the way, how this worked in a real scenario can be seen in the Use Case Study by AdmiralDirekt Read it up. The motor insurance company was no longer able to cope with the increasing volume of inquiries, especially during peak phases — this could be remedied by an AI chatbot, which not only reduced the volume of inquiries, but also answered 48 percent of inquiries automatically and in real time.
4. Special inquiries are also understood
Of course, an AI chatbot can answer recurring inquiries immediately. But what about complex requests and user intents that are more complicated than: “When does my package arrive? ”. In the case of corona, questions are asked that are not part of the classic use cases. Be it with event organizers, with the intent of whether a specific event is taking place, or e-commerce companies and retailers, where many customers and suppliers are waiting for information. Another example is soccer clubs, which currently have to answer many questions about the “ghost intent.” In other words: An increased number of fans are concerned with the topic of ghost games and of course have questions for the club about this. But an AI chatbot can also understand such more specific intents and answer them accordingly or forward them in a pre-qualified manner.
5. Fight the virus with a chatbot
The special thing about AI chatbots is, above all, their multiple usability. Regardless of which use case is desired, a chatbot can be specially trained and used for it. And it is precisely for this reason that a bot can directly support the fight against the corona virus, at least in part. The Health Innovation Hub (HIH) reports on its webpage about the corona bot. According to the HIH, the chatbot is updated daily based on the current state of research, sources for which are scientific publications and information from the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Government. The intention: “No unnecessary doctor visits, yet feel informed and get answers to individual concerns.” Users get answers by gradually clarifying in the app whether they have symptoms of the corona virus and finally receive a risk assessment on the basis of which further steps can be taken.
People & technology: overcoming the challenge together
The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that an AI chatbot offers many advantages in times of crisis. He supports employees as much as possible, “doesn't lose your head” despite stress, always works at a high level of quality and can answer an infinite number of inquiries in parallel — no matter where or at what time. In the given peak phase, this makes it possible for companies to respond faster and, above all, more efficiently to the growing number of inquiries.
Practical use case: TEAG
click here to see how the Thuringian energy supplier TEAG implemented an AI chatbot within just 14 days as an emergency COVID-19 aid to guarantee “round the clock” availability and relieve customer service.
