Chatbots for Manufacturing Industry | Benefits & Use Cases

Chatbots for Manufacturing Industry | Benefits & Use Cases

With the ability to automate and streamline interactions around sales, marketing and support, AI chatbots can be a game-changer in the manufacturing industry. In this article, we will talk about the benefits and the transformative use cases of chatbots for the manufacturing industry.

The AI chatbots automate knowledge sharing and improve interactions with customers, suppliers, employees and vendors. This eases work processes for better collaboration. 

If you are wondering “Why do you need chatbots for the manufacturing industry? Then read this article till the end.

What are AI Chatbots for the Manufacturing Industry and How do they Work?

AI chatbots for the manufacturing industry are specialised virtual assistants which are specially programmed to comprehend and respond to user queries and tasks within the manufacturing industry. 

This includes tasks like providing production updates, assisting with inventory management and bridging communication gaps between different systems, machines and human agents.

Furthermore, these chatbots leverage AI and natural language processing to interact and provide seamless communication between systems, machines and human agents in the manufacturing sector. 

What are the Pain Points of the Manufacturing Industry Which Conversational AI can Address?

We all know that there are numerous processes in the manufacturing sector which are not in our control. For example, we can’t make the manufacturing machines and equipment run faster. Similarly, we can not deal with supply chain issues and predict unavoidable circumstances such as factory shutdowns.

So, instead of focusing on things which are out of our control, why not focus on those aspects that we can control easily?

For instance, we can:

  • Offer prompt and interactive customer support 
  • Streamline repeated tasks such as data entry, order tracking and resource allocation.
  • Optimize and automate supply chain operations

But the problem is to ease manufacturing processes, we need AI-powered technologies to automate and streamline communication and manufacturing operations.

And that’s exactly where conversational AI comes into the picture.

In the manufacturing industry, we’ve seen a big rise in using conversational AI. Research shows that by 2028, the conversational AI market could be worth $29.8 billion. Even though chatbots were first considered as a tool for B2C marketing, they’re now used a lot in B2B too.

Now let’s see what are the pain points of the manufacturing industry that conversational AI can address.

Conversational AI can address several pain points in the manufacturing industry such as:

  • Improved Efficiency: Chatbots can streamline manufacturing processes such as order tracking, inventory management, production scheduling etc. This leads to enhanced operational efficiency.
  • Reduced Downtime: Conversational AI can offer real-time troubleshooting and maintenance support to help minimize downtime caused by any technical issues.
  • Enhanced Customer Support: Conversational AI can offer instant customer support such as resolving product inquiries and providing order status and technical support. 
  • Optimized Supply Chain: Conversational AI can facilitate better communication and coordination across the supply chain. This leads to smoother logistics and inventory management.
  • Data Analysis: Conversational AI can analyze large amounts of data to identify trends, predict maintenance needs and then provide actionable insights for decision-making.

Overall, Conversational AI has the potential to transform the manufacturing industry by addressing the aforementioned pain points.

Chatbots Use Cases in the Manufacturing Industry

Here are the top use cases for chatbots in the manufacturing industry:

  1. Inventory Management 

The manufacturing industry is all about supply and demand. Companies need to know what they have in stock to fulfill orders on time. Sometimes, businesses lose money because they stock up on supplies before they’re needed.

A chatbot can help businesses by giving them updates on their inventory through messaging apps like WhatsApp. These AI chatbots connect with the company’s existing systems to get the information they need quickly. This helps manufacturing businesses make better decisions about inventory and supplies.

  1. Offer Personalized Product Recommendations 

When you have many products to offer, your customers might get confused about which product to choose. Instead of sending your sales representatives to help each customer, you can use an AI chatbot like SmatBot for personalized recommendations.

These intelligent chatbots use predictive analytics and machine learning to understand each customer’s preferences by analysing their historical data. They can then suggest the best products, making it easier for customers to decide what to buy.

  1. Handling of Floor Queries

A manufacturing firm is a massive setup that covers many acres and floors. Employees spend a significant amount of time moving from one place to another within the factory to address minor inquiries and updates. This extended travel time leads to confusion and delays.

Here, a chatbot can play a crucial role and allow employees to task distribution and answer questions about important issues in a manufacturing plant such as:

  • Raising tickets
  • Answering FAQs
  • Notifying maintenance updates
  • Reporting technical issues

These queries and issues can take a lot of valuable time to get resolved if they are not automated. However a chatbot can save a significant amount of time as they are programmed to know which query needs human agent attention or which can be solved by themselves. 

Apart from this, these chatbots also show the main problems that ground-level employees face and suggest ways to give them access to information.

  1. Provides Updates and Notifications

Keeping track of numerous orders and deliveries across various stages can be a challenge for manufacturers. AI chatbots offer an efficient way to manage updates and notifications. 

These AI bots can provide real-time shipment tracking information, estimated delivery time and potential delays due to unforeseen circumstances. This eases the burden on customer support teams by reducing basic status inquiries and gives buyers instant updates on their orders. This ultimately improves overall satisfaction.

  1. Streamline Customer Support

In B2B, customer support is crucial and plays an important role in maintaining a good business reputation and improving client experience. Manufacturing industries often receive a huge volume of calls and inquiries about product usage, quality complaints, delivery delays and more.

AI chatbots can help manufacturing firms manage customer requests. This reduces the workload on the customer support team. Manufacturers can create a chatbot using a no-code builder such as SmatBot to handle common user queries and deploy it where customers can chat and raise tickets related to diverse issues. These chatbots bridge the communication gap between vendors and manufacturing companies. Overall these bots support the existing customer service team and improve productivity.

Benefits of Chatbots for Manufacturing Industry

In the manufacturing industry, the adoption of AI chatbots brings numerous benefits and reshapes operational dynamics.

  1. Real-Time Insights

Chatbots for the manufacturing industry serve as real-time data processors. It offers valuable insights into different metrics, workflow analytics and equipment status. 

These bots continuously monitor and analyze data, enabling proactive decision-making. Furthermore, they help manufacturers identify issues, optimize workflows with existing inventory and respond promptly to changing conditions in the production environment.

  1. Track Order Fulfilment and Delivery

Manufacturers need a hassle-free way to track order fulfilment and delivery. AI chatbots can handle tracking of order deliveries and inventory in real-time. This can save you from relying on manual updates from support teams or managers.

These digital assistants can seamlessly integrate with the order management system to give you quick updates on delivery times, dates and shipment status.  This eliminates the need for constant communication and provides personalized updates directly to your buyers.

  1. Saves Money

Chatbots in manufacturing play a big role in cutting costs. They automate repetitive tasks, handle common queries and offer instant support. This reduces the need for manual work, lowering labour expenses and making operations more cost-effective.

  1. Automate HR Operations

AI chatbots are not just for handling technical operations but they can also help with HR processes like candidate screening, recruitment, managing holidays and leaves, scheduling workloads and more. This frees up HR professionals to focus on more strategic tasks.  

With a factory chatbot, employees can easily interact with respective managers and departments. Additionally, the chatbot also lets them schedule leaves and appointments. 

This ability to automate HR tasks is very beneficial as manufacturing firms have a huge team of employees for different tasks. Moreover, chatbots can help employees get instant access to knowledge bases and databases without asking anyone for the same.

Real World Examples Of Chatbots in the Manufacturing Industry

  • Domino Printers: Domino Printers which is one of the top companies in the commercial printing industry deployed chatbots to digitize their support and generate leads during the pandemic. With the implementation of a chatbot, Domino Printers was able to resolve over 130 support tickets, generate a $1.25 million attributed pipeline and boost its engagement rate by 60%. 

Wrapping Up

Chatbots for the manufacturing industry are becoming increasingly essential for streamlining operations and boosting efficiency. Investing in such tools is crucial for manufacturers looking to stay competitive and adapt to the changing landscape.

AI chatbots like SmatBot are game changers that are already making a big difference in the manufacturing industry. SmatBot is a perfect platform for building no-code chatbots. It streamlines tasks, automates customer support service and boosts efficiency in the most user-friendly and cost-effective way.

Moreover, our chatbot solutions deliver personalised offers and suggestions that resonate to boost engagement and conversions for your company. With advanced features like customization options, integrations, multi-platform support, multilingual and 24/7 availability, it gives your manufacturing business a boost.

Chatbots in Aviation Industry

Chatbots in Aviation Industry

The aviation industry is rapidly evolving with technology and AI playing crucial roles in improving user experience and streamlining operations. One significant advancement is the use of AI chatbots. These chatbots have completely transformed how airports and airlines interact with their customers. They offer personalised and seamless experiences which makes it a must have tool in the airline sector.

If you are interested in learning about the benefits and use-cases of chatbots for airlines and customers, you have arrived at the right blog. In this blog, we will explore the advantages, use cases and some real-world examples of chatbots in the aviation industry.

So, without further delay, let’s get started.

Benefits of Airline Chatbots for Customers:

Chatbots in Aviation Industry offer a variety of benefits to customers, enhancing the overall travel experience in numerous ways:

Below I am sharing the top benefits of airline chatbots for customers:

  1. Quick and Effective Responses

Customers feel disappointed when they go through the lengthy process of back-and-forth email threads or the hours spent on the phone call. With the help of chatbots in the Aviation Industry, the need for these time-consuming processes has been removed. 

Airline chatbots allow customers to get the answers to their queries in a couple of seconds. Moreover, these chatbots come with a simple, clear and user-friendly interface. In fact, as per Salesforce, 69% of customers prefer to use these chatbots because they provide quick and effective responses.

  1. Effective Assistance and Real-Time Updates

In the fast-paced world of airlines, every second counts. That’s why chatbots are becoming essential tools. They can analyze data related to services, flights and other policies. This way they can provide real-time updates to keep every customer informed and ensure they don’t miss their flights.  

These chatbots can handle tasks like:

  • Delivering information about flight schedules.
  • Providing updates on gate changes (if any).

According to Salesforce, 58% of customers say that chatbots have revolutionized their expectations of companies. 

  1. Increased Customers Satisfaction

Travellers like to interact with airline chatbots because they are seamless and shorten the waiting time. A recent study showed 69% of users were satisfied with the last conversation with the chatbot. Additionally, chatbots help airline companies decrease inconvenience levels with enhanced customer service. The best thing about these chatbots is they can perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

While chatting with customers, these chatbots will store their relevant information. In the following step, they analyze this data and quickly register any complaints.

Benefits of Chatbots for Airlines:

Indeed, chatbots in the aviation industry are highly beneficial for customers and they also offer advantages for airline companies. Below is a list of the top benefits of chatbots for airlines:

  1. Save Cost

Chatbots are gaining popularity in the airline industry due to their ability to reduce operational costs. Resources are not wasted as these chatbots decrease resolution time from minutes to seconds. The cost reduction ensures a higher return on investment as the customers are pleased with the results. 

Moreover, the cost of the customer service department is reduced because the company does not need to hire more employees. Furthermore, airline companies can reserve the human capital for supervising and regulating AI use. Not only this, but these chatbots can also save a lot of money by automating repetitive tasks. According to the stats, chatbots could help decrease the $1.3 trillion spent annually by businesses to address customer requests by up to 30%.

  1. Offer Data Insight

Research suggests chatbots can achieve a remarkable 73% customer satisfaction through data insights. Airline chatbots collect valuable information on user’s behaviour, preferences and concerns while interacting with them. These insights empower companies to make data-driven decisions that improve overall service and develop targeted marketing strategies.  By identifying emerging trends and utilizing customer feedback, companies can adjust their offerings to better meet customer demands.

  1. Time-Saving 

According to the stat, 87% of users would interact with a travel chatbot if they could save their time and money. The airline chatbot is working hard to meet this demand of users who want to save time and money. It not only saves time for users but also for the airline company. These chatbots communicate with customers via an application, offering faster and more reliable service compared to human staff.  

Other than this, tasks that used to take hours of phone calls with human agents can now be automated instantly using an AI chatbot like SmatBot. This allows for managing more inquiries and broadening the customer service department’s reach. This efficiency also reduces the need for extensive employee training, further contributing to time savings.

Use Cases of Airline Chatbots

Chatbots in the aviation industry are well known for resolving passengers’ queries quickly. Apart from solving the queries, these chatbots have the ability to handle several other tasks which I am going to share in this section.

  1. Automate Flight Search And Booking 

Simplifying or speeding up the booking process and flight search is the most important use case of an airline chatbot. Instead of searching through uncountable flight options, a customer can simply begin a conversation with an airline chatbot to book their tickets and find the right flight that suits their needs.

Chatbots have the potential to automate the flight search and booking procedure. Furthermore, customers can ask chatbots to locate available flights, compare prices and complete the booking process.  They can then reserve and pay for their tickets directly within the chat. This makes the process quick and easy, taking just a few minutes to complete.

  1.  Flight Update Notification 

Chatbots can send automated reminders and update notifications to users about their flights or journeys. This feature of chatbots provides a more conversational and direct channel compared to traditional emails, which can easily get lost among other messages in the inbox.

  1. Remote Check-Ins

Research demonstrates that most passengers prefer remote check-ins over in-person check-ins. According to a Statista report, 27% of passengers stand in a queue at the airport’s dedicated desk, while 50% prefer checking in online from the comfort of their homes.

Checking in through virtual assistants takes less effort than other modes of check-ins. Once you start a conversation with airline chatbots, they will generate a boarding pass with a QR code. This reduces printing, labour costs and waiting times. Thus, these chatbots can be beneficial for both customers and airline companies. 

  1. Baggage Tracking And Claims

The baggage handling task is critical for airline companies. Passengers often face problems with lost baggage which is a common issue that requires urgent customer support. This is where an airline chatbot can help. They can improve baggage tracking systems, making it easier for passengers to track their luggage. 

Chatbots can give passengers access to real-time insight into baggage location and help them file a baggage claim without hopping on a call with airline agents. Additionally, these chatbots can collect customer feedback and complaints post-flight offboarding.

  1. Targeted Personalized Offers 

Chatbots can provide personalized offers to passengers based on their past travel history and preferences. These offers include discounted flights, affordable hotel rates and more. This personalized approach ensures that you get offers that resonate with your interests. 

  1. Handle Payment Process

When you have booked your flight and want to make payment for additional services such as excess baggage fees, you have to navigate through different web pages. But this is not the case with airline chatbots. You can simply interact with the chatbot to request additional services like excess baggage and they’ll guide you through the entire hassle-free payment process.

Chatbots in Aviation Industry Examples

  1. Air India: Air India is the first Indian airline company to employ an AI chatbot named Maharaja. Maharaja can handle queries in 4 different languages including Hindi. The AI chatbot is programmed to answer user queries across 1300 topics. Maharaja can even ask users direct questions to determine if they require further assistance.
  2. IndiGo: IndiGo recently launched a cutting-edge AI chatbot called 6Eskai which is powered by GPT-4 technology. They have developed this chatbot in-house in collaboration with Microsoft. 6Eskai  supports 10 different languages and offers a user-friendly platform for ticket booking. 

It has reduced the customer service agent workload by 75% and simplifies the booking process with its human-like conversations. With 1.7 trillion parameters, 6Eskai can handle various tasks like trip planning, ticket bookings, web check-ins, applying discounts, seat selection, FAQs and more. This is a big step forward in using AI bots to improve the customers’ experience in the aviation industry.

Final words on Aviation Chatbot

Chatbots in the aviation industry are full of advantages for both airlines and customers. After exploring use cases and examples of chatbots, it is clear that AI chatbots are a boon for airlines. They streamline operations, deliver tailored travel experiences and improve overall efficiency. As technology advances, AI-powered chatbots will play a bigger role in shaping aviation’s future.

Now, if you are ready to shape your aviation future and improve customer satisfaction through personalized travel experiences, SmatBot is worth checking out. SmatBot provides advanced chatbot solutions for the aviation industry, offering cutting-edge AI services with powerful integration, scalability, multilingual support, omnichannel capability, security and flexibility. 

So, what are you waiting for? Book your demo with us today.

Top Use Cases & Examples of Retail Chatbots 2024

Top Use Cases & Examples of Retail Chatbots 2024

The retail industry is undergoing a massive transformation. It is empowered by tools like chatbots that delve deep into business operations through AI. These tools help businesses better understand their operations and improve how customers feel about their shopping experience. They also help prevent problems like running out of stock, which is good for both customers and retailers.

By 2025, the use of AI and automation in retail is expected to skyrocket ninefold. A survey by the National Retail Federation reveals that 58% of shoppers prioritize quick product discovery, 44% top-notch customer service, and 42% speedy checkouts. Retail chatbots such as SmatBot effectively address these needs while offering additional advantages.

If you are curious to learn more about these chatbots’ use cases and benefits, this article is a must-read. In addition, we will also disclose some essential information that you need to know about retail chatbots in this article. 

So, without further delay, let’s get started.

What is a Retail Chatbot?

A retail chatbot is a software specially designed to simulate human conversation with customers. These AI-driven chatbots use machine learning and natural language processing. They provide a personalized environment and recreate a positive in-person shopping experience.

Retail chatbots may optimize and streamline the user experience and support the buying process. These chatbots make it easier to scale the retail business without compromising consistency and quality. Furthermore, this technology may improve customer satisfaction and brand loyalty by providing a positive experience throughout the purchasing process.

In addition, these chatbots are automated assistants that may answer customer’s common questions, offer promo codes and upsell products within the business. Nowadays, they are becoming an essential tool in the retail industry to provide customer experience, boost sales and streamline workflows.

How is Chatbot Transforming The Retail Industry?

Retail chatbots have the potential to transform the retail industry in several ways. Below, are some of the methods through which these chatbots can revolutionize the industry:

  1. Predict Customers Behavior

Retail chatbots possess the capability to predict customer behaviors. Through the utilization of Artificial Intelligence and predictive analytics, companies can analyze past purchasing habits and browsing patterns to anticipate customer needs. This capability enables businesses to craft personalized offers, optimize promotional strategies, and gain insights into the sections of the store where customers spend the majority of their time.

  1. Effective Cost 

Retail chatbots can effectively reduce costs for retail businesses. By managing numerous customer inquiries simultaneously, they diminish the necessity of recruiting additional customer service representatives to handle routine queries. This not only streamlines operations but also enables customer service representatives to concentrate on more intricate tasks, thereby enhancing the overall customer experience and bolstering the company’s revenue.

As per McKinsey & Company research, using AI bots for customer service can cut costs by 20 percent.

  1. Customer Assistance

73% of customers want websites to have chatbots for seamless interactions. Chatbots can assist customers in retail businesses with a wide range of tasks, such as providing personalized product suggestions and helping in-store navigation. These chatbots help customers find the ideal products without wasting valuable time searching on the website or in stores.

In sectors like food, fashion, or clothing, retail chatbots excel at helping clients find complementary products that suit their preferences. This not only boosts sales but also enhances the overall customer experience.

  1. Personalized Experience 

Customers no longer need to visit websites or apps for repeat purchases. They can simply message the chatbots on messaging apps like WhatsApp. Retail chatbots remember each customer and their past purchases. This allows them to instantly add customer’s requirements to their carts. 

These bots also suggest additional items based on the customer’s purchase history. 22% of customers expressed that they already trust the recommendations from the chatbot for product purchases. 

This personalised approach of the bot leads to customer satisfaction and prompts them to complete the purchase using their saved card information.

  1. Customer Satisfaction 

The key strength of the retail business lies in upholding brand value through consistent customer service. Chatbots play a crucial role in enhancing customer engagement. 

According to the Comm100 report, user interactions with AI chatbots have an approximately 87.58% satisfaction rate which is higher than live chats with human agents.

Chatbots constantly strive to keep customers satisfied and engaged by promptly meeting their needs and expectations. This makes them highly effective in customer service. They provide top-notch support, quick responses and 24/7 assistance, offering solutions tailored to customer requirements. In short, retail chatbots are extremely beneficial across all aspects of the retail industry.

Benefits Of Using A Retail Chatbot

There are numerous benefits you can enjoy by using a retail chatbot in your retail business. Retail chatbots can take your business to the next level. The following are the top benefits of using a retail chatbot in your retail company.

  1. Collect Customer Feedback

One of the most helpful benefits of integrating a chatbot is the ability to collect customer feedback at the end of the chat. This can be done by sending survey questions to learn about their chatbot experience. Additionally, you can program a chatbot to inquire about product additions or suggestions for improvements. 

Besides, to encourage customers for feedback, you can program chatbots to offer special offers or incentives.

  1. Boost Conversions

Customers are more likely to buy when they’re not confused by too much info. By guiding them well throughout their shopping journey, a retail chatbot can significantly boost conversions.

Retail chatbots play a crucial role in boosting your company’s conversion rate. For example, these chatbots can automatically display product recommendations (cross-selling) or show personalised content like blogs, FAQs and more.  

Let’s understand this with an example of a chatbot on WhatsApp where a chatbot can showcase a catalogue of recommended products based on a user’s preferences and past purchase history. This makes it easier for the customer to browse, select a desired product and make a buying decision.

Another excellent example is the Instagram shopping feature. With this feature, retail businesses can integrate and showcase their products to Instagram users. It enables users to effortlessly explore and make purchases directly with the Instagram app.

According to the Forbes report, these chatbots can boost sales by 67%. Hence, chatbots are not just for answering simple queries, but they can be considered an essential part of your marketing effort. In short, by simplifying the overall shopping experience and providing personalised product recommendations on their preferred platform, chatbots can directly influence customer’s decisions and increase the chances of conversions.

  1. Omnichannel Presence

Customers use a variety of channels such as phone, social media, email and messaging apps like Messenger and WhatsApp to communicate with brands. Customers expect conversations to flow smoothly across different platforms. They want to continue chatting seamlessly, regardless of the channel or device they’re using.

However, many businesses fail to provide this integrated experience. To stand out from competitors, you can deploy omnichannel chatbots equipped with social media automation capabilities such as SmatBot and handle common inquiries received through email, websites, messaging apps and other channels. By integrating your AI chatbots with your tech stack, you can connect conversations and deliver a seamless, consistent experience. This approach ensures that customers receive prompt responses on their preferred channel.

  1. Free Up Agents

We all know that hiring a team of customer service agents can be very expensive and requires a lot of effort, but this is not the case with retail chatbots. These bots offer a more cost-effective solution and operate 24/7 without any hassle.

Chatbot technology allows retail businesses to easily scale their customer support by automating routine inquiries and freeing human agents for complex issues.

Top Use Cases of Retail Chatbots 

Chatbots are commonly used to address common queries of customers. However, retail chatbots can also handle various other tasks.

 Below are the top use cases of retail chatbots in the retail industry:

  1. General Brand Awareness

Retail chatbots boost brand awareness by engaging visitors in conversation beyond simple Q & A. By engaging visitors in natural conversation, they can introduce your company’s values and products in a way that feels genuine and informative.  

Discussing sustainable practices or ethical sourcing demonstrates transparency and builds trust with potential customers. This reassures serious customers and gets more people to order from you for the first time.

  1. Loyalty Program

You can integrate chatbots with the loyalty program to provide personalized rewards and offers to customers. These chatbots can track customer engagement and manage loyalty programs by prompting shoppers to sign up after they take a particular action on your website. This ability of retail chatbots boosts customer loyalty and grows your membership program. 

  1. Locate Offline Stores

Retail chatbots also assist customers in finding nearby physical stores. If a customer enjoys browsing products online but prefers making purchases in person at offline stores, they can easily do so with the help of retail chatbots.

Potential and existing customers can use retail chatbots to locate your physical stores, inquire about product availability and check the opening hours of your retail store. The best part? They can do all of this without needing to engage with human agents.

  1. Send Invoice Directly to WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a widely used messaging platform which is a favourite among internet users for various tasks including receiving invoices for their purchases. With retail chatbots you can seamlessly send invoices to your customers via WhatsApp after they make a purchase. Sending invoices directly over WhatsApp eliminates the use of paper, contributing towards Go Green Initiatives.

This approach can offer convenience and efficiency for both businesses and customers. Retail chatbots automate invoice delivery, ensuring accuracy and security. 

  1. Stock Wise Management

Retailers can improve their inventory management using retail chatbots. These AI-powered bots can analyze large volumes of data, make precise predictions and identify trends and patterns efficiently. This sets them apart from traditional inventory management methods that rely heavily on manual analysis and input.

Chatbots assist retailers in managing their stock by monitoring sales and predicting popular items. This helps prevent stock shortages or excess inventory, leading to cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.

  1. Product Availability

Retail chatbots are also experts in providing details about product availability. They can give real-time information about product availability, upcoming releases, and stock levels. The information can help customers make informed decisions and decrease the chance of disappointment because of sold-out products. 

  1. Receiving Payment 

Chatbots can also receive payment from your customers. They can directly accept payment through numerous payment gateways. In short, these bots streamline the purchasing process and contribute to a seamless customer journey. 

  1. Order Tracking

Retail chatbot assists customers in tracking their orders and provides updates on their order status after purchase. For example, if a customer wants to know their order status, they can ask the retail chatbot. The chatbot will then ask for the order number, check its shipping system and then reply with the shipping status and tracking number.

Retail Chatbots Examples

There are countless retail chatbot examples available in the industry for retailers around the world. Below, I am sharing the top four examples of retail chatbots:

  • H&M’s Digital Stylist: H&M’s chatbot asks a series of questions to its users to know their preferences and styles. Once the user answers all these questions, it develops a style persona for the individual. Then, it suggests personalized outfits with the total price of all items included with that outfit. This ability creates a personalized shopping experience for every single user.
  • Sephora’s Virtual Artist: Sephora, a global beauty retailer, introduced chatbots on Facebook Messenger and Kik. These bots ask a few questions to understand customer needs and recommend products, saving time. They also offer makeup tips and tutorials. Other than this, users can upload an Instagram image of the desired look and the retail chatbot will assist in recreating it using Sephora products.
  • Aveda: Aveda is a botanical hair and skin care company. The company collaborates with Master of Code to develop the Aveda Booking Chatbot to lend a helping hand in appointment booking.  
  • Walmart: Walmart’s chatbot focuses on customer service, helping customers with order tracking, product searches and FAQs.

Conclusion

Chatbots can be tailored for the retail industry, capable of performing various tasks like managing loyalty programs, locating stores, checking product availability and more. We hope our article has helped you understand everything about retail chatbots.

If you want to set up your retail chatbot, then look no further than SmatBot. SmatBot stands out as a top chatbot-building platform, offering a user-friendly solution for creating conversational bots without coding. With our drag-and-drop builder and templates, you can build your retail chatbot instantly. Our chatbot excels in answering customer queries, managing orders, providing personalized product recommendations, and more, making it an ideal choice for your retail business.

Case Study: How Oakridge School Skyrocketed Enquiries by 119% Using Smatbot’s Edtech Chatbot.

Case Study: How Oakridge School Skyrocketed Enquiries by 119% Using Smatbot’s Edtech Chatbot.

About the Client:

Oakridge International Schools are part of Nord Anglia Education which is the leading premium school organization in the world. With a team of 1000 to 2000 employees, Oakridge Schools focuses on providing high-quality education and enhancing the overall learning experience for students.

They are committed to helping students become responsive and motivated through their engaging education program. This program encourages critical thinking and fosters both local and global perspectives on various topics. 

They have campuses in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Mohali, where they emphasize high-quality teaching, technology integration and global cultural exchange.

To optimize and automate the lead and enquiry management, Oakridge International Schools leveraged an EdTech chatbot solution. In this case study, we’ll explore their key use cases, challenges encountered, solutions implemented, and the outcomes achieved after integrating the SmatBot.

Key Use Cases within the Organization:

The key use cases for implementing the chatbot at Oakridge School were aimed at optimizing the enquiry flow. With a high volume of daily enquiries, it was difficult for a dedicated campus representative to handle each one manually. 

They needed a chatbot solution that could automate this tedious task and remove the burden from their representatives.

Evaluation of Chatbot Implementation:

When evaluating the implementation of an EdTech chatbot, Oakridge primarily considered the need to effectively manage the lead flow and enquiries, considering its significant brand presence in the education market. 

In addition, during the evaluation process, they assessed the chatbot’s ability to seamlessly integrate with their existing CRM system, handle enquiry fill-ins efficiently and ensure a streamlined and responsive interaction for users.

Solution Implemented:

To optimize and automate their enquiry management, Oakridge International School implemented our comprehensive chatbot solution. The chatbot was designed to automate responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs), guide users through relevant sections and streamline enquiries. This resulted in an enhanced user experience and optimized resource allocation within the organization. 

Challenges Faced During Implementation:

During implementation, Oakridge found that the chatbot’s auto-trigger feature was burning the chat usage limit too quickly. This happened because each auto-trigger started a new chat conversation.

Resolution:

To address this issue, we integrated an OTP system. This system filters high-quality enquiries and eliminates unwanted or bot-generated autofill queries, ensuring high-quality interactions while preserving the chat usage limit.

Outcomes of the Solution:

  • Improved Enquiry Management: The chatbot significantly improved the efficiency of enquiry management processes, reducing the workload on dedicated campus representatives.
  • OTP Integration: By integrating the OTP system, we’ve improved the quality of enquiries. This helps in the elimination of bot-generated autofill enquiries.
  • Auto Trigger: The auto-trigger feature proactively engages users, leading to a significant increase in inquiries.

Overall, when analyzing the growth percentage for this year, Oakridge School discovered an impressive increase of approximately 119% in enquiries compared to last year.

client testimonial

Closing Thoughts

EdTech chatbots can greatly benefit education organizations by assisting with enquiries management, answering common course-related queries, providing personalized teaching assistance and offering instant access to information. If you are looking to boost your student engagement and automate your workflows, consider integrating a chatbot solution.

International Schools like Oakridge are already leveraging SmatBot’s EdTech chatbot services to automate their work and offer an engaging learning environment to students around the world.

We hope that this case study has helped you understand how our chatbot solution can attract and automate a higher number of enquiries, thereby boosting its overall quality.

If this interests you, feel free to book a free demo with us today.

What is Instagram Shopping? Discover its business benefits and follow our guide for a seamless setup with Smatbot!

What is Instagram Shopping? Discover its business benefits and follow our guide for a seamless setup with Smatbot!

Selling on social media platforms is a revolutionary way for online businesses to boost their sales and Instagram Shopping makes it easy for small and mid-sized businesses to connect with more customers.

If you’re already advertising on Instagram, setting up a shopping page streamlines the process for your customers. It provides an easy-to-access storefront where Instagram users can purchase your products without leaving the platform. This seamless shopping experience combined with increased visibility can greatly boost your sales.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to set up an Instagram shopping page using SmatBot. This will allow you to tap into Instagram’s ecosystem and grow your business revenue.

But before we dive in, let’s cover some basics.

What Is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram shopping is our new end-to-end e-commerce bot designed especially for Instagram. With this remarkable feature, businesses can effortlessly integrate and showcase their products, allowing users to seamlessly browse, analyse and make purchases—all directly on Instagram. 

Isn’t that fantastic?

Moreover, we offer payment collection and immediate post-payment responses right within the Instagram platform. But hold on, there’s even more! 

Our e-commerce bot also features a robust product categorisation system, ensuring a smooth and organized shopping experience for your users.

Top Use Cases of Instagram Shopping:

  • Businesses can effortlessly showcase and sell their products and services directly on Instagram.
  • Small and mid-sized businesses that don’t have their own e-commerce websites can leverage this feature to sell directly to active users.
  • Online sellers seeking additional channels or platforms to boost sales can use Instagram Shopping.
  • Businesses can launch new product collections to reach a wider audience and generate immediate sales.
  • Businesses can expand their reach to an international audience without physical stores.
  • Influencers and affiliate marketers can use this feature to resell third-party products.
  • Influencers and affiliate marketers can take advantage of Instagram shopping to promote third-party products and services in an organized manner.

Benefits of Instagram Shopping:

  • Instagram’s shopping feature provides a seamless in-app experience. This will boost conversions and sales.
  • Marketers can create shoppable content based on their audience’s interests.
  • Marketers and businesses can build authority by partnering with each other.
  • Customers can easily discover and purchase their preferred products directly on Instagram, covering the gap between product browsing and shopping.
  • Instagram Shopping enables businesses to reach global customers, access new markets and promote growth.
  • Businesses can showcase their products to a wide audience of active users. This will increase their brand visibility and awareness.

How To Set Up Instagram Shopping For Your D2C E-Commerce Business?

Here, I am going to share a step-by-step guide on how to set up your Instagram shopping page with SmatBot:

Let’s begin.

Step 1: Create an account on SmatBot.

First, you have to create your account on Smatbot. For this, you can follow the steps shown in the video:  Create an Account.

Step 2: Connect your Instagram business account to the SmatBot dashboard.

Next, you will need to connect your Instagram business account associated with a Facebook page to the SmatBot dashboard. For this follow the below-mentioned steps:

  • Step 2a: Select the option “Instagram Installation” under the “Install” tab. (as shown in the image below).

step_2a

  • Step 2b: Click on the “Connect with Instagram” button

step_2b

  • Step 2c: If you are already logged in and your Instagram account is connected to the same user ID, click on “Continue as [your user ID]”.
Step_2c

Otherwise, log in to the “Meta account” associated with your “Instagram Business account”.

step_2c

  • Step 2d: Now, simply click on the “Edit settings” button. (as shown in the image below).
step_2d

  • Step 2e: Next, you can preview the “Instagram Account” which is connected to the ID and click on the “Next” button.
step_2e

  • Step 2f: If a business has multiple brand pages on Facebook, it can choose to select one specific account or multiple accounts.
step_2f

  • Step 2g: In the next step, you will need to grant permission to “Manage” and “Access” all options by toggling the button to “YES”. Then, simply click on the “Done” button.
step_2g

  • Step 2h: The Smatbot dashboard is now linked to Facebook.
step_2h

Step 3: Select Instagram Business Accounts

If there are multiple “Instagram Business Accounts”, select any one of them and click on the “Save” button.

step_3

Congratulations, your “Instagram Business Account” is successfully connected to Smatbot.

step_3b

Step 4: Go to the ‘Flow Setup’ tab

Now, navigate to the ‘Flow Setup’ tab. Here, you will find various options, but you need to select the ‘Carousel with Buttons’ option (located at the bottom left). 

Once the option is added, click ‘Edit Question’ (pencil icon).

step_4

Step 5: Select your Product Categories

To organise and showcase your product offerings effectively, you will need to choose your product categories and list individual items within them. You can include accessories, clothing, and more. Each category can have its own dedicated product cart and jump flow for easier navigation.

step_5

Step 6: Choose Order Items

 Next, select the option “Order Items” (located at the bottom left). Once the option is added, click on the “Pencil icon”  to add products to the cart.

step_6

Step 7: Name your Product Flow

Now, name your product flow. For example, instead of saying “Add Products to Cart”. You can also mention “20% off on Men’s Shoes”.

After that, you will need to provide a few additional details as mentioned below:

  • Choose the “Currency” specific to your country such as AED, INR, USD etc.
  • Add the available sizes for your product. For example, shoes have numerical sizes (UK 7, UK 8, UK 8.5, UK 9, etc.).
  • To save the changes, click on the “Save” button.
step_7

Step 8: Click Cart Option

Click on the “cart” icon to “add item” for display.

step_8

Step 9: Add Products

Add the products that are relevant to the category. For example, for footwear, you can add shoes and slippers.

Then, provide product details such as product name and price.

Note: The currency will be pre-set and cannot be changed from the cart. Add the “Unique Item ID”, this will be passed to the vendor to recognize which product has been purchased. Now click on the “Save” button.

step_9

Step 10: Add a Confirmation Message

Next, add a confirmation message to notify the user about the payment link generation.

step_10

Step 11: Payment Settings

Now, add a dynamic question to call the “payment API”. The payment page will open in a third-party app (e.g., Razorpay) and the payment will be collected there.

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Voila! You have successfully set up your Instagram Shop using SmatBot. Now, enjoy your seamless shopping experience and start reaching more customers effortlessly.

Wrapping Up

With Instagram Shopping, you can connect with potential customers on the platform where they’re most active. This leads to improved visibility, conversions and profits.

So don’t waste any more time! Engage your potential customers on Instagram and turn them into sales with SmatBot. Our end-to-end e-commerce bot will work wonders for your sales.

Benefits and Use-cases of HR Automation

Benefits and Use-cases of HR Automation

HR departments play a crucial role in every company, but they often face challenges with routine tasks such as managing employee relations, recruitment, onboarding, payroll and benefits enrollment. To boost efficiency, HR teams require automation tools to handle these tasks effectively.

HR automation frees up valuable time for HR teams, allowing them to focus on more strategic issues. However, when digitally transforming your organization, it’s crucial to strike a balance between automation and providing human support for employees.  Be mindful of the HR workload to ensure a smooth transition. Companies are increasingly using automation for tasks like payroll, job interviews, resume screening and onboarding new employees.

In a recent survey conducted by Gartner, approx 50% of HR leaders identified HR automation technology as their top investment priority.

If you are curious to learn and implement HR automation technology to make your HR processes easier, this guide is for you.

What is HR Process Automation?

HR automation simplifies and speeds up essential tasks that are usually done manually. This includes repetitive work like managing vacations, tracking employee performance and handling talent recruitment which are prone to errors.

By automating these tasks, HR minimizes errors and frees up valuable time for strategic projects and employee concerns. In addition, HR automation tools ensure all documents and tasks are completed on time, eliminating the risk of loss. Moreover, it enhances the employee experience, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.

Why Is HR Automation Important?

HR automation is crucial for saving time, money and human capital by automating manual tasks and improving efficiency. As per one report by G&A Partners, 73% of HR’s time is spent on administrative work. Here’s where automation can greatly improve HR professionals’ productivity, freeing them to focus on more strategic tasks like talent management and employee engagement.

Furthermore, HR automation helps bridge the gap between HR leadership goals and improved recruitment, onboarding and training programs. Many businesses that are not currently using this advanced technology in their HR operations are planning to do so for higher efficiency and productivity.

You don’t have to take our word for it, I have mind-blowing numbers to support our statements.

Below, I am sharing some of the impressive stats about HR automation:

  • Nearly 57% of businesses plan to expedite their recruitment process. (IQ PARTNERS)
  • A healthcare company saved almost $4000 per month by implementing HR automation. (Gravity Flow).
  • 54% of HR leaders find automation technology as an efficient way to focus and invest their valuable time on important tasks. (Northeastern University)

Types of HR Automation

With the right HR automation system like SmatBot, your HR operations from onboarding to offboarding can easily go digital. This saves a lot of time and makes things better for employees and companies. 

Here, I am highlighting some crucial HR processes that you should be automating to ease your workload:

  1. Recruitment Automation – With recruiting automation, you can find better and well-deserving candidates, conduct more efficient interviews and onboard them quickly. Here’s how recruitment automation helps: automating job postings, matching candidate’s profiles with job requirements, screening candidates, scheduling interviews and handling candidate communications.
  1. Onboarding Automation – Bringing in new employees often involves repetitive tasks like training sessions, induction programs, access to business applications etc. With HR automation, you can streamline this process from start to finish. This ensures new hires are productive from day one and enhances their perception of the organization. 

Here’s how your onboarding automation helps: Automating handling paperwork, generating offer letters, sending welcome emails, scheduling training and induction programs, providing access to apps, setting up payroll and benefits and more. Platforms like SmatBot can also automate workflows like background checks, health insurance management and more.

  1. Offboarding Automation – When an employee leaves, it’s important to secure the company’s confidential data and gather feedback for improving the employee experience. Here’s how offboarding automation helps: Instantly revoke employee access to business applications, schedule exit interviews, send surveys and task updates and automatically update the company directory promptly.
  1. Day-to-day Automation – Don’t put a stop to your HR workflow automation once employees are settled in their new positions. Instead, leverage HR process automation to continually enhance their experience and keep them engaged. 

Here’s how your day-to-day automation helps: automating workflows like sending recurring surveys, managing attendance and leave, notifying employees of HR process updates and providing health tips and reminders.

Benefits of HR Automation

You might be wondering why you should automate your HR operations. So, to remove the clouds of doubt, I am gonna highlight the top benefits of HR automation below.

Automating your HR processes brings many benefits, including:

  1. All Data in One Place – One major benefit of HR automation is having all your data stored in one place. This includes employee information like their profile, salary, leave history, tasks, documents and contact details. Moreover, you can easily control access rights and permissions to view information about other employees.
  2. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration – HR automation provides a clear picture of all the processes and stages, making it easier for everyone to understand their responsibilities. This enhances communication and teamwork.
  3. Streamline the Recruitment Process – By implementing HR automation, you can quickly post job openings, search for qualified applicants in a single database and collaborate with HR recruiters to select candidates.
  4. Create an Efficient and Highly Productive Team – Creating an efficient and productive team is much easier with HR automation. It allows HR leaders to save time, which can then be used for important tasks like training employees, conducting surveys etc. This leads to a stronger and more productive workforce.
  5. Increase Security and Reduce Human Errors – When dealing with HR data, security is a major concern. HR automation solutions minimize the risk of human errors and security breaches. They verify users before sharing confidential documents, reducing the likelihood of losing important company files or data.
  6. Better Resource Allocation – Automated processes make it easier to assign tasks correctly and ensure they’re completed on time. Additionally, HR automation ensures that the right people are doing the right tasks at the right time.
  7. Save Money on Printing and Storage – Sifting from paper to digital processes not only helps the environment but also saves money on storage and printing. Digital documents are easier to store, access and manage, which can reduce physical storage space and printing expenses.
  8. Improve Employee Satisfaction – An efficient HR automation system can help improve employee satisfaction by offering a streamlined experience. HR automation makes it easier for employees to access relevant information and quickly get the answers to their queries. Moreover, the improved experience enhances the bond between employers and employees.

Use-cases of HR Automation

Here, I am going to share some of the top use cases of HR automation:

  • Recruitment and Applicant Tracking
  • Onboarding and Offboarding
  • Performance Management
  • Payroll and Benefits Administration 
  • Leave & Attendance Management 
  • Training & Development Sessions
  • Workforce Analytics and Reporting
  • Employee Self-Service
  • Time Management & Tracking
  • Seamless HR Interaction

HR Automation Examples

Let’s take a look at some of the real-world HR automation examples:

  • Storyblok, which is an Austrian tech company, increased its team size by 270% in just a year by helping new hires feel prepared from day one. They created a checklist that included meeting team members, setting up logins, getting equipment, learning about the workspace, and introducing themselves on Slack early. HR automation saved €2,500 each month and reduced pre-boarding time by 2 hours.
  • Holland LP, which is a railway engineering company, automated 800 monthly field expense reports. They needed an automated system that could handle their unique expenses, so they used HR automation. This saved them 6 hours of work each month, reduced errors, and sped up reimbursement time from 5 days to 3 days.
  • Alasco, a Munich-based startup, used automation solutions to speed up the speed at which new employees become productive. By automating their HR workflows, they made onboarding more organized and tailored to each team’s and department’s needs. This helped them grow their team by 67% in just one year.
  • AstraZeneca uses HR automation to streamline talent acquisition and identify skill gaps internally, allowing them to fill specific roles faster.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we’ve explored how HR automation streamlines operations, boosts efficiency, and frees up valuable HR time. Imagine an HR department that’s not bogged down by repetitive tasks. 

By implementing SmatBot’s HR automation services, you can automate workflows such as recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, and training. This allows your HR team to focus on important matters and build a better team. Embrace HR automation to help your HR team become strategic partners, bringing positive change to your company.

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