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AI chatbots for business are helping customer service teams out big time, making it easier to work smarter and faster. They're tools that can answer FAQs, manage bookings, and offer personalised recommendations—all automatically. No wonder 40% of businesses want to invest in chatbots.
Whether you run a small business or a large enterprise, a business chatbot can use chatbots to ensure your customers are happy by reviewing fat answers and making your overall customer service more efficient.
If you want to implement a chatbot in your business but don't know where to start, this blog is for you. We will discuss some of the top AI chatbots available today, their benefits and top use cases.
What is an AI chatbot and how does it work?
Simply put, AI chatbots can chat with your customers just like a human would, but without actually having a human on the other end.
It is essentially software designed to simulate human responses in an online conversation. Think of it as a virtual assistant who is always ready to help your website visitors.
Chatbots use advanced technology called large language models (LLMs) to understand and respond to queries. These are essentially huge text data inventories used to train the chatbot. From them, it learns patterns, how to identify the context of a conversation, and meanings of words in specific contexts, helping it to generate human-like responses.
When a website visitor asks a question, a chatbot will try to generate the best possible answers, based on its vast information databases.
Features to consider when picking an AI chatbot
Here are the key features to look for in a chatbot for business:
- Compatibility with your systems: your chatbot should fit into your current tech stack. Whether it’s your CRM, website, or messaging apps, you want to be able to integrate your chatbot with ease. If your chatbot can instantly sync with your existing customer database, you can then program it to start personalising responses.
- Customisation: you need a chatbot that speaks in your brand’s voice and adapts to your customers’ needs. Imagine a restaurant’s chatbot that answers menu questions and remembers a customer’s favourite dish on their next visit. Customisation is one of the major benefits of chatbots for business because this level of service is what improves customer experiences and ensures that they keep coming back for more.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): this is the tech that helps your chatbot understand and respond accurately. A strong NLP engine means your chatbot can handle everything from simple greetings to more complex customer inquiries. This will be the difference between a chatbot that leaves your customers frustrated, versus one that delivers a solution to their problems.
- Cost: look beyond the initial price tag. Consider the total cost of ownership, which includes integration, maintenance, and future upgrades. You will want to examine all costs involved, including training, to plan your budget. This will help you avoid unexpected costs from a chatbot that starts cheap but requires expensive add-ons later.
7 Best AI Chatbots for businesses
AI chatbots are changing customer service and lead generation for businesses of all sizes and industries. Here are some of the best options on the market right now.
1. Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is a versatile AI chatbot for business that offers both free and paid options, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes and stages of growth.
Copilot and Copilot Pro integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Office, and come with user-friendly AI support making them simple and fast to set up within many currently used systems.
Copilot Studio is the option you need for anyone looking to build custom chatbots. It comes with some powerful integrations, including one with SharePoint and a wide range of other internal tools.
However, the advanced features come at a premium, with prices starting at $200 per month.
💡Copilot is the ideal for businesses that already work within the Microsoft ecosystem and need a customizable AI solution.
2. Trengo
Trengo is an all-in-one customer communication platform that offers an intuitive AI HelpMate as part of its complete set of tools.
Trengo’s bot is designed to centralise customer interactions across various channels, from WhatsApp to email, making it easier for your business to manage customer conversations in one place.
With Trengo, you can automate responses, route inquiries to the right team members, and create workflows that save time and free up your customer service team.
💡Trengo is ideal for businesses that want to centralise all their customer communications in one place, streamline responses, and ensure consistent, high-quality customer service across multiple channels.
3. ChatGPT 4
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last year, you should know about ChatGPT. While its most commonly discussed use is content creation, it is a powerhouse that excels in many formats.
Your business can set up a chatbot with ChatGPT 4 by accessing the ChatGPT API, integrating it into your website (or app), and customising the responses to fit your needs.
It’s perfect for businesses that need a chatbot capable of handling everything from customer service to creative tasks. The free version offers a lot of functionality, but upgrading to the paid version gives you access to more advanced features and the latest model, ChatGPT 4.
💡ChatGPT 4 is ideal for businesses that require an AI chatbot capable of handling a wide range of tasks, from customer service to content creation and are looking for advanced features with the flexibility of custom API integrations.
4. Botsonic
Botsonic is a business chatbot that blends customer service and sales capabilities in one. It’s designed to be trained with your own data, making it highly adaptable to your specific customer base and business goals.
Whether it’s handling customer inquiries or guiding users through a sales funnel, Botsonic can be trained to do the task. However, it’s important to note that the free version is quite limited, and the paid plans can become costly if your business handles a high volume of messages.
💡Botsonic is ideal for medium to large-sized businesses that need an AI chatbot that can be trained with specific company data to provide personalised customer service and support, especially if you have multilingual needs.
5. Intercom
Intercom is a customer communication platform that includes an AI chatbot that integrates with your product, app, or website.
Its standout feature is Messenger, a custom bot that can collect customer information, prioritise certain inquiries, and even engage leads. Intercom is handy if your business wants to create personalised experiences while keeping a human touch when needed.
💡Intercom is ideal for businesses that want to design custom chatbots for their apps or websites, focusing on personalised customer interactions, lead engagement, and prioritising inquiries.
6. Dialogflow
Dialogflow by Google Cloud is a natural language platform that allows your business to create conversational flows across various platforms.
Whether you’re building a chatbot for a website, app, or voice response system, Dialogflow’s ability to handle text and audio inputs makes it a standout chatbot.
It’s especially powerful for businesses looking to create highly sophisticated, multi-channel conversational experiences.
Dialogflow is ideal for businesses that need a scalable, multi-channel conversational AI platform that can handle both text and audio inputs.
7. IBM Watson Assistant
IBM Watson Assistant is designed for businesses that require a high level of customization and accuracy in their AI chatbots.
Watson uses advanced NLP and machine learning to understand customer queries and provide relevant answers. It can also escalate issues to human agents when necessary, ensuring that your customer service never loses the human touch.
Watson’s deep learning models continuously adapt to the business’s needs, ensuring that the chatbot improves over time. The free lite plan is a great starting point, with premium plans available for businesses needing more advanced features.
💡Watson is ideal for businesses that require a highly accurate and adaptable AI chatbot for customer service. It can escalate complex issues to human agents and continuously improve through machine learning.
How to choose the best AI Chatbot for your business
With 80% of service leaders prioritising AI adoption, selecting the right AI chatbot will make or break how well that adoption goes. Here are some key things to think about when choosing an AI chatbot for your business.
What do you need?
Think about what you want your chatbot to do. For example, if your goal is to improve customer service response times, you might need a chatbot that can handle FAQs, manage appointments, and route complex queries to human agents.
In a B2B setting, a b2b chatbot could help with lead qualification by automatically gathering information from potential clients and passing on the warm leads to your sales team.
Clearly defining your needs will help you choose a chatbot that directly supports your business goals.
Is it compatible?
You need a chatbot that will integrate with your current systems. For instance, if you already use a CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot, ensure the chatbot can connect with these platforms.
This way, you can sync customer data in real time, helping your team deliver more personalised service without overhauling your existing infrastructure.
Is it customisable?
Every business has its way of doing things, so your chatbot needs to be customisable. For example, if you run a restaurant, you might want a chatbot that can take orders, send reservation reminders, and even upsell specials based on past customer orders.
Look for a chatbot that allows for this level of customisation and can integrate with your point-of-sale system and email marketing tools, ensuring all parts of your operation can work in harmony. This level of customisation and integration can ensure you get to reap the reward of all the benefits of chatbots for businesses.
What AI and NLP does it use?
A chatbot’s ability to understand and respond to customer queries is essential for its success. If you’re in the automotive industry, you’ll want a chatbot that can accurately interpret complex inquiries about vehicle maintenance or financing options.
Advanced NLP will ensure that your chatbot can understand context and provide relevant and accurate answers. This will improve customer satisfaction and reduce your team's workload.
Is it secure?
Security should be a key consideration for any business, especially where your chatbot will handle sensitive customer information like payment details or personal data.
Ensure the chatbot complies with regulations like GDPR and uses encryption to protect data.
The best AI bot for your business
Whether you’re a growing startup or an established enterprise, the right chatbot will help you streamline your customer communications and improve customer satisfaction. Think of it as a smart investment that boosts your team's productivity and your customers' happiness.
If you want happier employees and happier customers, consider Trengo. With its AI-powered chatbot, Trengo can help you unlock the full potential of your customer support team.
