The robots are coming — actually, they’re already here. That’s right, we’re talking about artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.
Chatbots are becoming increasingly common across different industries, with this technology seeing a 45% year-on-year increase in usage back in 2021. And, as the AI hype continues, we likely won’t see chatbots disappear anytime soon.
Think that means frustrating interactions and clunky customer experiences? You’d be surprised. Chatbot technology has come a long way. Today, streamlining your support operations doesn’t mean sacrificing your customer satisfaction.
Let’s take a look at a few different types of chatbots — along with some real-world chatbot examples and use cases — that show how these tools are delivering smoother, faster, and more helpful experiences.
You’re far too familiar with the stiff, robotic, and rule-based chatbots of a few years ago. But today’s AI-powered chatbots combine machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and conversational AI.
That means they aren’t just participating in scripted back-and-forth exchanges. They can have dynamic interactions and even resolve complex issues that would’ve previously needed to be escalated to your human agents.
This means chatbots are a cost-effective way to support (rather than sabotage) your customer experience by:
And while customer-facing chatbots have made strides, AI technology can also be used directly by your customer support team in the form of an AI agent or agent copilot. These virtual assistants can pre-draft responses, make tailored suggestions, and surface relevant information in real-time to help your support agents deliver personalized experiences and top-notch service.
There’s no shortage of benefits. But customers? They’re admittedly still a little wary of customer service chatbots. According to a recent Gartner survey, 64% of customers would prefer that companies didn’t use AI for customer service.
The tide is turning, though. 80% of customers who have recently interacted with a chatbot say the experience was generally positive. And, an increasing number of customers (particularly in younger generations) are citing chatbots as their preferred communication method for customer service.
Now comes the big question: How can you use an AI-powered chatbot to streamline your support operations?
There’s nothing that’s more enlightening (or inspiring) than an example. So, let’s take a look at some common, real-world chatbot use cases and examples that clearly show how powerful and adaptable chatbot technology is.
Let’s start with the most obvious and general use case first. Chatbots are great at handling common customer queries and repetitive tasks. Think things like:
Modern solutions are not only great at handling these straightforward customer interactions, but also recognizing when escalation is required — meaning they handle a proactive push to a human agent, rather than giving a customer the runaround before they’re finally connected to a real person.
All of this frees your human agents up to focus on more complex, nuanced, and high-value customer interactions.
Home decor and furniture brand, Lulu and Georgia, uses Assembled Assist to automate routine customer interactions. Website visitors can click “Help” to open a chatbot directly on the website.
The bot can answer questions about a variety of topics. And, customers can press “get in touch” at any time to be connected to a human agent.
This chatbot has a dramatic impact on the support team’s productivity and the customer journey. After implementing Assembled Assist, Lulu and Georgia saw a 22% decrease in first response time (FRT), and first assignment to solution decreased by 18% over nine months.
While a chatbot that helps your existing customers is likely the first use case to spring to mind, this technology can be just as helpful for engaging potential customers.
In terms of lead generation, it’s helpful to place chatbots on high-traffic website pages to proactively engage visitors. There, they can:
And chatbots don’t just generate leads — they can qualify them too by:
The popular CRM platform, HubSpot, uses a chatbot directly on its website to offer proactive advice, training resources, and other opportunities to learn more about the platform. Any customer engagement with this chatbot gets routed directly to the sales team for follow-up.
An ecommerce chatbot can create personalized shopping experiences for people who are browsing and purchasing online — much like a friendly retail worker would do if you were shopping in-store. These chatbots can:
An ecommerce chatbot might not be knocking on the dressing room door and offering to get you something in a different size — but it’s an undeniably helpful self-service option that improves the user experience when shopping online.
IKEA launched an AI-powered assistant built using ChatGPT and available through the OpenAI GPT Store. Customers can ask for personalized decor and furniture recommendations or talk about their specific needs. Then, the assistant will provide inspiration photos and even curate specific products based on that inspiration.
From service-based businesses to healthcare, chatbots can also streamline scheduling appointments (along with canceling them, rescheduling them, or sending appointment reminders and nudges).
These chatbots use APIs to connect to popular calendar systems like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or industry-specific scheduling software.
The chatbot will offer available time slots based on real-time calendar availability, and then users can select their preferred date and time through the conversational interface. The system will confirm the appointment, block the time on the calendar, and send automatic reminders and notifications ahead of the appointment time.
Beyond scheduling appointments, the chatbot can also gather relevant information ahead of the appointment through basic questions or simple quizzes (like the reason for the visit and any specific needs). Those inputs help everybody show up prepared.
Lululemon’s virtual assistant makes it easy to schedule appointments with in-store stylists for personalized shopping experiences. While the appointment scheduling itself doesn’t happen directly in the chat interface, the chatbot recognizes when a visitor wants to schedule and immediately refers them to the online booking tool.
You know customer feedback is valuable, but collecting it can be a pain — for both your support agents and your customers.
Chatbots take the hassles out of the traditional feedback process by replacing rigid surveys with dynamic, conversational interactions. Rather than being bombarded with a wall of questions, users interact with a conversational agent that responds to their inputs in real-time.
These chatbots are capable of:
Domino's Pizza uses a chatbot named DOM that not only helps customers place orders but also collects feedback about their dining experience. After a delivery is completed, DOM sends a message asking how the experience was. Rather than directing customers to a traditional survey, the chatbot engages them in a conversational flow and asks about food quality, delivery time, and overall satisfaction.
This chatbot also adapts based on customer responses. For example, if a customer mentions that their pizza was cold, the chatbot will dig deeper with specific questions about that issue.
While most people immediately think of chatbots for customer-facing use cases in a contact center, they can be just as helpful for your internal team — particularly when it comes to employee onboarding or answering common questions. Chatbots can help with:
Unilever created an employee-facing chatbot named Una that acted as a personal assistant for employees — whether they were brand new to the company or had been on staff for a while. The chatbot handled a variety of tasks, such as answering questions about benefits or even providing reminders to managers when new employees were starting or arriving. An impressive 85% of employees said they were satisfied with the help the chatbot provided.
Gone are the days when you’d have to wonder when a package would show up on your doorstep. Today, companies offer detailed tracking along with chatbots that can provide delivery updates and real-time support.
With these chatbots, customers can send a message and get instant updates on their orders — from confirmation to shipping to delivery. Some chatbots can even provide proactive notifications about tracking numbers, estimated delivery times, or unexpected delays.
Businesses are using these chatbots in a variety of different ways, including:
Put simply, chatbots streamline communication related to orders and deliveries. This improves the customer experience while also freeing up human agents to focus on more complex customer needs.
It’s hard to talk about effective order and delivery management without mentioning Amazon. Through its mobile app and website chatbot, Amazon allows customers to track packages, get updates on delivery time, and quickly handle issues like missing or delayed shipments. The chatbot can also help reschedule deliveries or initiate returns without involving a human agent.
While conversion rates are important, you also pay close attention to your customer retention. And, customers are more likely to stick around when you effectively get them up to speed on your products and services.
That doesn’t need to hinge on long manuals and overwhelming FAQ pages. Instead, chatbots can deliver interactive, bite-sized guidance right when your customer needs it. Whether it’s walking a new user through setup steps, explaining key features, or answering common technical questions, chatbots make customer onboarding faster, easier, and more engaging. Chatbots can:
You don’t want to throw your new customers to the wolves. A chatbot can optimize your onboarding and education to help your customers feel more confident (and, as a result, more enthusiastic and loyal).
Project management tool, Asana, offers Smart Chat — a chatbot-style assistant directly inside the platform. When someone first signs up, they can ask the chatbot all of their questions about Asana — like how to use key features or set up their first project. As they get up and running, the chatbot can also answer questions about specific tasks or projects, or even take immediate action like creating new tasks or adding comments.
Chatbots are also securing a spot in streamlining event management — from when someone signs up and all the way up to the event itself. These chatbots can handle registrations, send confirmations and reminders, and provide real-time updates during the event. Common use cases include:
Event attendees get quick, self-service support through an easy chat interface, creating a more engaging experience while also reducing manual work for event organizers.
Technology festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), launched a chatbot named Abby that could be accessed via Facebook Messenger or the SXSW mobile app. Event attendees could ask Abby questions about anything at SXSW — like where to pick up their badges or the event schedule — and get instant answers.
Timely communication always matters — but especially during unexpected events, crises, and emergencies. Chatbots can deliver real-time automated notifications to customers during outages or other disruptions so they can get the information they need right away.
Whether they share status updates, estimated resolution times, or safety procedures, chatbots prevent confusion while also managing the volume of support tickets or phone calls that would otherwise inundate your human support agents. These chatbots can:
Customers don’t want to be left in the dark. A chatbot provides the clear communication they need and deserve, without spreading your support team thin during an already stressful situation.
The American Red Cross offers a chatbot named Clara that helps disaster survivors access the resources and essential information they need. Whether they’re looking for shelter locations or need financial help after an emergency, Clara is there to help in both English and Spanish.
Chatbots have gained more prevalence in certain industries over others — with real estate and retail often leading the pack. However, healthcare is another area where chatbot use is on the rise.
Healthcare chatbots improve accessibility and efficiency for both patients and providers by handling any or all of the following:
When a customer has a question about their health, they don’t want to wait. Chatbots in healthcare streamline your processes while also providing quick, accessible support around the clock.
Ada Health offers a chatbot that providers can use for personalized health assessment. Users answer a series of questions about their symptoms. The chatbot will analyze their answers and then give an overview of potential causes and recommendations for next steps — such as seeing a doctor or visiting an emergency room.
There’s nothing better than smooth travel, and chatbots are helping to make that happen by offering support for things like:
Travel can be stressful. So, offering customers immediate, always-on answers improves their experience — and keeps them coming back.
Expedia integrates a chatbot directly into its app that helps customers book flights, hotels, and car rentals. The chatbot can also provide personalized recommendations based on user preferences and past travel history. Plus, it can send real-time notifications about booking confirmations, cancellations, or changes to itineraries.
The robots aren’t coming — they’re already here. But that can mean good news for your support team and your customers, provided you’re ready to use the power of chatbots to your advantage.
Whether you're a fast-scaling startup or an established enterprise, Assembled’s AI tools are built to flex with your needs across channels, teams, and customer touchpoints.
With Assembled Assist Omnichannel AI Agent, you can offer automated support across chat, email, and voice. And, with Agent Copilot, your human agents get drafted replies, tailored suggestions, and the resources they need to do their best work.
Put simply, robots don’t need to be a risk to your customers or your support team. With the right platform, the robots are a resource.
Ready for enterprise-grade AI support without all of the complexity? Assembled can help you scale smarter. View a demo to see how it works.
