The Ultimate Guide to AI Chatbots for Customer Service

Introduction

Good customer service is key to customer retention and businesses these days are finding it hard to offer good customer service and that’s when AI chatbot for customer service comes in. A study by Uberall.com has shown that around 80% of people had a good experience with chatbots. Whereas Revechat.com found out that businesses can cut costs by up to 30% by using AI chatbots. Research shows that businesses are increasingly adopting AI chatbots for customer service due to their quick response times, cost-effectiveness, and positive user experience. In this comprehensive guide, we aim to offer you important insight and considerations about AI chatbot, how they are used in customer service, and selecting the best one for your business. So, sit back, relax, and keep reading to find out what’s in it for you!!

What is an AI chatbot for customer service?

An AI chatbot for customer service is a kind of program that instantly answers customer questions, facilitates customer self-service, and assists customer service agents. Businesses are increasingly using AI chatbots for customer service to make it more efficient, faster, and better. 

Benefits of Using AI Customer Service Chatbots

Delivering Convenient 1:1 Service, Round the Clock

Offering 24/7 robust support is critical for customer service, and that’s when AI chatbots for customer service step in. They ensure that businesses are able to cater to customers at any time and eliminate the limitation of human agents’ working hours. Businesses that offer round-the-clock support to their customers have advantages over their competitors along with offering seamless service to their customers. 

Reduces Costs and Scales Support

AI chatbot for customer service gives businesses the capability to save money and scale mainly in two ways: in size and across channels. Support agents can only engage with one customer at a time whereas an AI chatbot for customer service can handle a large number of customers simultaneously which reduces extra operational costs along with giving businesses the ability to scale support effortlessly as demand grows. . 

Increases Agent Efficiency

By taking care of routine and repetitive questions, AI chatbots leave human agents with more time to cater to more complex customer issues. This enhances overall efficiency and agents can allocate their time and resources to high-priority matters. This way businesses end up getting faster response times, which ultimately translates into enhanced service quality.

Enhances Personalization with Customer Context

AI chatbots examine customer information and interaction history to offer customized responses. By knowing customer tastes and previous interactions, they customize responses to build a more interesting and relevant experience. This degree of personalization enhances customer relationships and satisfaction.

Allows you to Offer Omnichannel Support

Customers these days expect businesses to be available across all the channels such as websites, social media, messaging apps, and emails. AI chatbot for customer service integrates over different platforms to offer a unified support experience. Regardless of where a customer reaches out, the chatbot ensures consistent and efficient communication.

Enhancing Customer Experience with Multilingual and AI-Powered Support

It is hard for customer service agents to speak all the languages and the cost of hiring agents who can speak multiple languages is overwhelming hence AI chatbot for customer service is an ideal choice in this case. As it offers multilingual support to customers in a way that is nearly impossible for support agents. Businesses that oper

Unleashing Conversion Opportunities

Not only do AI chatbots for customer service help customers, but they also guide them through the buying process. Through real-time engagement with visitors, answering questions, and making product recommendations, chatbots have the ability to influence purchasing decisions. This active assistance turns visitors into customers, maximizing sales opportunities and improving overall conversion rates.

Why do you need a customer service chatbot?

A growing international customer base

Businesses that are growing and expanding globally attract customers around the globe and managing such a diverse customer base becomes difficult for human support teams alone. A chatbot for customer service bridges the gap by offering consistent, multilingual support, ensuring all customers receive timely help no matter where they are located

24/7 customer support requirement

Customers these days expect a response from business whenever they have any concern or inquiry and for human support it is very difficult to cater to all the customers round the clock even during weekends and holidays. If you are a business owner then an AI chatbot for customer service is a must to ensure that customers’ concerns are not going unnoticed. 

Reducing customer support costs

If you are a small business or a business owner and do not want to spend large amounts of funds to establish robust customer service then an AI chatbot is your solution. It not only reduces the financial burden of hiring support agents but also offers far better efficiency than human support. 

Handling high chat volumes efficiently

During peak season or new product launches, support agents may not be able to manage a surge of customer queries. Chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously without any lag or waiting. This implies that all customers are being attended to in a timely fashion, improving their experience and reducing the burden on human agents.

Reducing human error in responses

Very often manual responses can also include errors and no matter how much you try it is very difficult to make the responses error-free.  Whether it’s incorrect information, typos, or inconsistency in answers. A chatbot adheres to pre-scripted scripts and draws from correct databases, providing customers with consistent and reliable responses every time, lowering the chances of errors.

Features of AI Chatbot Software

Omnichannel Deployment

AI chatbot for customer service excels in offering support on different channels such as such as websites, mobile apps, social media, and messaging services. This feature of an AI chatbot ensures that customers receive consistent support no matter how they reach out.

Integration with Third-Party Systems

Deploying an AI chatbot for customer service means efficiency hence it offers seamless integration with third-party platforms that eliminates the need for switching to different platforms and offers you the entire solution in one centralized place. 

Intelligent Routing

There are chances where the chatbot can not handle customer issues and in such cases having the feature of intelligent routing is a must. Intelligent routing automatically directs the customer to the most suitable agent or department. 

Advanced Analytics & Reporting

One of the vital features of AI chatbot for customer service is the feature of analytics and reporting which offers insights into various aspects of the business such as customer interactions, response times, resolution rates, and engagement trends. 

Customization Features

Businesses can tailor chatbot responses, conversation flows, branding, and behavior to suit their unique needs, ensuring the chatbot aligns with their tone, goals, and customer expectations.

Security and Data Protection

Strong security features, including data encryption, access controls, and compliance with privacy regulations (like GDPR or HIPAA), ensure customer data is handled safely and responsibly.

Multi-Language Support

AI chatbot for customer service offers multi-language support that enables businesses to support a diverse customer base and provide localized assistance to users across different regions.

Omnichannel Support

Aside from deployment, the chatbot has consistent interactions through every channel. If a customer initiates a chat on a website and follows up on it through SMS or social media, the conversation is seamless and continues as if in progres

Top 10 AI Chatbots For Customer Service

1. Emitrr
2. Dialpad
3. Podium
4. Intercom Fin
5. Zendesk
6. Ada
7. Zoho SalesIQ
8. Netomi
9. Birdeye
10. Tidio

1. Emitrr

Emitrr is an AI-based customer engagement platform suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. It facilitates easy two-way text and voice communication, through which businesses can automate appointment reminders, review requests, and customer support questions. Emitrr’s AI chatbot reduces the manual workload while ensuring on-time responses and increased customer satisfaction.

Emitrr Features

• Set up call trees: Create structured call flows to direct callers to the right department or individual.
• Set up call groups with multiple extensions/team members: Route incoming calls to specific groups of team members with shared extensions.
• Define call routing rules for each call queue group: Customize how calls are handled based on group priorities and availability.
• Set up multiple extensions: Assign unique extensions for different employees or teams to streamline communication.
• Define how your VoIP functions during and after hours: Configure distinct call handling settings for business hours and off-hours.
• Call recording settings – Enable or disable automatic recording of calls as per your requirements.
• Set up call forwarding rules for each user/extension: Designate where calls should forward when users are unavailable.
• Add new numbers, teams, or locations easily: Expand your VoIP setup by quickly adding additional numbers, teams, or office locations.
• Access Emitrr’s cloud phone on any desktop or app: Enjoy seamless communication without being tied to a physical phone system.
• Sync with internal team members using extensions with direct dial: Simplify internal communication with direct dialing through extensions.
• Leverage advanced analytics: Analyze metrics like average handling time, missed calls, and response times to enhance performance.
• Engage in one-on-one conversations with users: Communicate individually with customers for personalized interactions.
• Send group texts and mass texts to customers: Reach multiple customers at once with group or bulk text messaging.
• Allow customers to book their own appointments: Enable clients to schedule appointments online at their convenience.
• Set up SMS marketing campaigns: Launch targeted text message campaigns to promote your business.
• Engage in secure text messaging with recipients: Ensure safe and private communication with encrypted messaging.
• Schedule text messages for later: Plan and send messages at the most effective times for your audience.
• Assign conversations to team members and add notes for context: Delegate customer inquiries with added notes to provide full context.
• Send an automated text message whenever you miss a call: Notify customers instantly with a text when their call isn’t answered.
• Send review requests via text message: Request customer feedback with convenient SMS-based review prompts.

Emitrr Pros

• Excellent call quality: Ensure crystal-clear audio for seamless communication.
• Intuitive platform: Enjoy an easy-to-navigate interface designed for user convenience.
• Advanced texting capabilities: Utilize powerful text messaging features for personalized and efficient communication.
• Excellent support staff: Rely on responsive and knowledgeable customer service for timely assistance.

Emitrr Cons

• More advanced VoIP features are yet to be launched. 

Emitrr Pricing

• For SMS, Emitrr offers a text-based pricing model that starts at $149 a month. 

Emitrr Integrations

Emitrr offers 500+ integrations across different industries such as dental, recruiting, real estate, etc. with tools like:

• MailChimp
• Denticon
• AthenaHealth
• Zapier
• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Facebook
• HouseCall Pro
• Slack 
• And more!

Emitrr Customer Support Channels

• Live chat: Chat with Emitrr’s live representatives
• Phone: Call Emitrr at +1 (210) 941-4696
• Email: Send email to Emitrr’s support team at support@emitrr.com
• Knowledge base
• FAQs/forum
• SMS 

Emitrr Ratings

• Capterra – 4.8 / 5
• G2 – 4.7 / 5

Emitrr Reviews

“AWESOME. I would recommend to anyone looking for a messaging platform. Especially love having a text friendly retail number that is the SAME as the number we’ve always had.”

“Great. One of the best communications tools that I have used.”

Source: Capterra

2. Dialpad

An AI-powered cloud communication solution that offers businesses exclusive VoIP technology to keep them productive. This platform offers three integrated products, for calling its Dialpad Talk, for contact center it offers Dialpad Contact Center and for automated seller dialer, it has Dialpad Sell. Let’s have a quick look at it in a bit more detail!!

Dialpad Features

• Call routing: Direct incoming calls to the right department or individual based on set rules.
• Call monitoring: Observing calls in real-time to ensure quality and provide support when necessary.
• Call conferencing: Allowing multiple participants to join and communicate in a single call for collaborative discussions.
• Call recording: Capturing calls for review, training, or compliance purposes.
• Call center management: Overseeing call center operations, including staff, performance, and workflows.
• Voicemail: A system that allows callers to leave recorded messages when the recipient is unavailable.
• Custom IVR (Interactive Voice Response): Tailoring automated phone systems to guide callers through a menu based on their needs.

Dialpad Pros

• System sound clarity: Offers clear audio quality for both voice and video calls.
• Voice AI feature: Incorporates AI technology to enhance communication, such as transcribing calls and analyzing conversations.
• Ease of Use: User-friendly interface, making it easy for users to set up and navigate the platform.
• Precise transcription: Provides accurate transcriptions of calls for easy reference and documentation.

Dialpad Cons

• Integration issues: Challenges with connecting Dialpad to other software and systems.
• Limited features: Lacks some advanced functionalities available in competing platforms.
• False advertising: The platform’s marketing may not align with the actual features or services provided.
• Cancellation issues: Difficulties or complications when attempting to cancel the service.
• Hidden fees: Unexpected charges or fees not clearly disclosed during the sign-up process.

Dialpad Pricing

Dialpad offers three pricing options:

• Standard: $15/user/month
• Pro: $25/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom
• And more!

Dialpad Customer Support Channels

• 24/7 (Live rep)
• Knowledge Base
• Chat
• Email/Help Desk
• Phone Support
• FAQs/Forum

Dialpad Ratings

• Capterra: 4.2/5
• G2: 4.4/5

Dialpad Reviews

“Tactics DO Not Sign UP-Beware Deceptive Sales”

“Overcharged for Months with No Resolution – Terrible Customer Service!”

Source: Capterra

3. Podium

Podium is an AI-driven platform that offers messaging and AI chatbots for customer service. It specifically focuses on local businesses. The AI chatbot offered by Podium helps automate the lead capture process, answer  FAQs, and streamline interactions across SMS, website chat, and social platforms. Here is a quick detail about this platform: 

Podium Features

• SMS Messaging: Use SMS to communicate with your customers or to send out SMS marketing messages. 
• Reviews: Podium offers review management and review requests feature via SMS and so that businesses can collect reviews from platforms like Google and Facebook & build their online reputation. 
• Phones & Calling: Podium offers a VoIP phone system as well using which businesses can communicate with their customers and team. 
• Website Contact Forms: Create custom website contact forms to collect information from users who visit your website. 
• Website Chat: Allow users to chat with you on your website.
• Social Messaging: Sync with your social media apps, and reply to the queries received from the Podium app. 
• Inbox: Manage all conversations from a unified inbox.
• Payments: Integrate with your payment tools to collect dues and payments from your customers easily.
• Automation: Automate SMS, campaigns, review requests, etc. 
• Integrations: Integrate with third-party apps to simplify and automate your business workflow.
• Mobile App: Use the Podium app to reply to messages, take calls, or carry out any other tasks on the go. 
• Text Marketing: Utilize SMS to run text marketing campaigns.
• Surveys: Send out surveys by sending survey forms or links and gather customer feedback effectively. 

Pros of Podium

• Ease of use: Podium has a very intuitive interface that can be easily used by just about anyone without the need of technical expertise.
• Reputation management: Podium users appreciate how they can improve their business reputation using the review & reputation management tools offered by the platform.
• Seamless automation: Users love how using Podium, they can automate necessary tasks and save precious hours that may otherwise be a complete waste. 

Cons of Podium

• High Podium pricing: Podium’s pricing is a bit on the higher side, and users feel that the software is way more expensive compared to other Podium alternatives. 
• Poor Podium customer service: Podium’s customer service is not the best, and many users describe it as “sketchy” and “unhelpful.” Users also complain about delays in issue resolution time. 
• Contractual problems: Users often complain about having difficulty in switching to a Podium alternative. Apparently, Podium’s contract is quite tricky and it might keep you bound until the contract ends. 

Podium Pricing

As mentioned, the cost of Podium can be too high for small businesses. The platform offers three kinds of pricing options, and here’s what Podium’s pricing looks like:

• Core: $399 a month
• Pro: $599 a month
• Signature: Custom pricing 

Podium Support Channels

Here’s a list of Podium customer support channels that you can find: 

• Chat
• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• Knowledge Base

Podium Ratings

• Capterra: 4.3/5 
• G2:  4.6/5

Podium Reviews

Podium customer rating on CHere’s what customers are saying about Podium:

“It is extremely expensive for what it is. The personnel also don’t coordinate very well so often you will get a marketing solicitation call and email even though you already use the product.”

“The product is easy to use and the UX is top notch. While I wish there was a few more customizable options from team management it is easy to use even for people who aren’t tech savvy”

Source: Capterra

4. Intercom Fin

An AI chatbot which is designed to automate the customer service. It helps businesses to make customized chat flows that can handle inquiries, bookings, and follow-ups. The user-friendly set up and seamless integration allows businesses of all sizes to minimize response time along with improving customer engagement through intelligent automation. Let’s have a quick look at it: 

Intercom Fin Features

• AI-powered chatbot: Handles common queries and routes complex issues to human agents.
• Proactive messaging: Sends personalized messages based on user behavior and segmentation.
• Live chat support: Real-time conversation management with customers on your website or app.
• Automated workflows: Streamlines customer onboarding, support tickets, and follow-ups.
• CRM and tool integrations: Works with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and more.
• In-app messaging: Connects with users directly inside your mobile or web application.

Intercom Fin Pros

• Engaging customer experience: AI-driven messaging enhances user interactions.
• Customizable automation: Flexible playbooks to support various customer journeys.
• Scalable platform: Works well for startups and large enterprises alike.
• Unified inbox: Centralizes all customer conversations in one view.

Intercom Fin Cons

• Higher pricing tiers: Premium features can be costly for smaller teams.
• Learning curve: Requires setup and configuration to use advanced workflows effectively.

Intercom Fin Pricing

• Intercom offers basic plans starting at $39 for small teams to advanced solutions for large-scale enterprises. Pricing is based on user volume and feature access.

Intercom Support Channels

• Email support
• Live chat
• Help center and community resources

Intercom Fin Ratings

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• G2: 4.4/5

Intercom Fin Customer Reviews

“Customer service is terrible and they just don’t give two hoots about their customers. Constantly introducing new features but not actually fixing the main feature that someone would need.”

“Intercom is really too expensive and each new feature are more and more expansive. We can’t use other feature, Intercom is the service with the higer price in our company.”

Source: Capterra

5. Zendesk

Zendesk AI chatbot for customer service is integrated into its support suite that helps businesses manage their customer service ticket effectively. This AI platform excels when it comes to resolving common customer issues, route complex queries to agents, and offer self-help options through knowledge bases. Here is a quick look at this software: 

Key Features of Zendesk

• AI-powered chatbots: Automate responses to common inquiries, providing instant support.​
• Unified communication platform: Consolidates customer interactions from multiple channels into a single interface.​
• Customizable workflows: Allows businesses to tailor support processes to their specific needs.​
• Extensive integration options: Connects seamlessly with over 1,000 applications to enhance functionality.​
• Comprehensive analytics tools: Offers insights into team performance and customer satisfaction.​

Zendesk Pros

• Scalable infrastructure: Adapts to businesses of all sizes, supporting growth and changing needs.
• User-friendly interface: Simplifies the onboarding process for support teams.​
• Advanced AI integration: Enhances efficiency with automated responses and intelligent routing.​

Zendesk Cons

• Complex setup process: Full customization may require significant time and resources.​
• Learning curve: New agents might need time to become proficient with all features.​
• Limited customization in lower-tier plans: Advanced features may only be available in higher-priced plans.​

Zendesk Pricing Plans

• Suite Team: $55 per agent/month, offering basic service tools.​
• Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month, includes enhanced capabilities.​
• Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month, provides advanced features.​

Zendesk Support Channels

• Email
• Phone
• Live chat
• Knowledge base

Zendesk Ratings

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• G2: 4.4/5

Zendesk Customer Reviews

“You need to know how to use conditional logics before using the tool.”

“It takes a while to build the AI brain and would be cool to upload a series of documentation to help build that AI brain quicker.”

Source: Capterra

6. Ada

It is a chatbot that utilizes AI and NLP to both comprehend and respond to customer inquiries in a conversational manner. Ada assists companies in deflecting standard support requests by enabling consumers to self-manage tasks like updating profile information, improving account status, and scheduling appointments, and payments. Here is a quick look at this AI chatbot for customer service: 

Ada Features

• AI-Powered Chatbots – Automate customer support using AI that understands and responds like a human.
• No-Code Builder – Easily create and customize chat flows without needing coding skills.
• Omnichannel Support – Engage customers across web, mobile, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.
• Personalization – Tailor conversations using customer data from your CRM or eCommerce tools.
• Live Agent Handoff – Smoothly transfer chats to human agents when complex issues arise.
• Multilingual Support – Communicate with customers in 100+ languages using automatic language detection.
• Advanced Analytics – Track chatbot performance and customer satisfaction with real-time data.
• Proactive Messaging – Automatically send messages based on user behavior to boost engagement.

Ada Pros

• Reduces Support Costs: Automates high-volume queries, reducing the need for large support teams.
• Improves Response Times: Instant replies 24/7 lead to higher customer satisfaction.
• User-Friendly: No-code interface empowers marketing/support teams without developer dependency.
• Scalable: Easily handles increased chat volume without impacting performance.
• Customization & Branding: Fully customizable to match brand voice and style.

Ada Cons

• Pricing: Premium platforms; can be expensive for small businesses or startups.
• Limited Complex Query Handling: May struggle with highly complex or niche queries without human support.
• Learning Curve for Optimization: While the interface is easy, optimizing bots for maximum effectiveness may take time and testing.
• Dependent on Data Quality: Personalization relies heavily on accurate and up-to-date customer data.

Ada Pricing

Ada’s pricing details aren’t publicly disclosed. Businesses can contact Ada’s sales team to receive a customized quote

Ada Ratings

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.6/5

Ada Reviews

“The team at Ada have been very supportive whenever we have encountered any problems. Their team have been quick to respond and helpful.”

“Two of the products I use started using this and the experience was shitty both times “

Source: Capterra

7. Zoho SalesIQ

Zoho SalesIQ is a customer engagement and live chat platform powered by AI which is aimed at helping businesses capture leads, deliver real-time support, and establish better client relationships. Zoho SalesIQ is specifically suited for small companies and startups that need an affordable, scalable small-business communication solution.

SalesIQ Features

• AI chatbot (Zobot): Automates customer conversations and lead qualification.
• Visitor tracking: Monitors user behavior on your site in real time.
• Trigger-based messaging: Sends proactive messages based on user activity.
• Lead scoring: Helps prioritize prospects based on behavior and engagement.
• CRM and marketing tool integration: Syncs easily with Zoho CRM, Campaigns, and other platforms.
• Custom reports and analytics: Provides deep insights into engagement patterns and conversion rates.

Zoho SalesIQ Pros

• Great for lead conversion: Real-time engagement boosts sign-ups and inquiries.
• Cost-effective solution: Affordable plans ideal for small and growing businesses.
• Easy CRM integration: Streamlines marketing and sales workflows.
• Highly customizable: Allows tailored messaging and chatbot behavior.

Zoho SalesIQ Cons

• Limited advanced features: High-end capabilities available only in upper-tier plans.
• Limited language support: The chatbot currently supports only English, which can be a drawback for businesses with non-English-speaking customers.

Zoho SalesIQ Pricing

Zoho SalesIQ offers flexible plans including a free tier. Paid plans come with added features such as advanced bot flows, analytics, and CRM integrations.

Zoho SalesIQ Support Channels

• Email support
• Live chat
• Help center and tutorials

Zoho SalesIQ Ratings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.2/5

Zoho SalesIQ Customer Reviews

“The native chatbot (ZIA) works only in english but must of our end customers speak spanish, then we need to pay an external chatbot license.”

“Not all applications are well-integrated for seamless collaboration. There are restrictions on account-level settings and structures.”

Source: Capterra

8. Netomi

Netomi is another AI chatbot for customer service that is specifically focused on support automation. This robust platform seamlessly integrates with most of the popular third-party tools and can also handle diverse customer interactions that makes it an ideal choice for businesses who are looking for a scalable platform and efficient support. 

Netomi Features

• AI Customer Support Automation: Automates responses to customer queries across email, chat, and messaging apps with high accuracy.
• Omnichannel Support: Supports email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more for unified communication.
• Pre-Trained Industry AI Models: Comes with pre-trained AI specifically tailored for industries like eCommerce, airlines, insurance, and banking.
• Seamless Agent Handoff: Transfers complex queries to human agents with full context for a smooth transition.
• Ticket Triage and Routing: Automatically categorizes, prioritizes, and routes support tickets to the right teams or bots.
• Self-Service Capabilities: Helps customers resolve issues on their own using knowledge bases and guided workflows.
• Personalized Responses: Integrates with CRMs and other tools to deliver customer-specific, context-aware replies.
• Analytics Dashboard: Tracks performance, resolution rates, customer satisfaction, and bot effectiveness in real time.
• Integrations: Works with Zendesk, Salesforce, Freshdesk, Shopify, and other popular platforms.

Netomi Pros

• High Automation Accuracy: Recognized for one of the highest resolution rates in AI customer service.
• Fast Deployment: Pre-trained models allow quick setup without needing extensive AI training.
• Multi-Industry Support: Optimized for diverse industries, delivering tailored experiences out of the box.
• Scalable: Easily handles growing ticket volumes without impacting quality or speed.
• Boosts Agent Productivity: Automates repetitive tasks so agents focus only on complex issues.

Netomi Cons

• Pricing Not Transparent: Custom pricing only; may be expensive for small businesses.
• Limited Customization: Some users report constraints when customizing workflows outside pre-built models.
• Heavy Focus on Email: Strong email automation, but live chat capabilities may not be as advanced as specialized chat tools.
• Initial Learning Curve: Understanding how to optimize Netomi’s AI for unique business needs may take some time.

Netomi Pricing

Netomi’s pricing details aren’t publicly disclosed. Businesses can contact Ada’s sales team to receive a customized quote

Netomi Support Channels

• Email
• Live Cha
• Web Messaging / In-App Chat

Netomi Ratings

• Capterra: 4.8/5
• G2: 4.8/5

Netomi Reviews

“A good foundational set up for Ai/Chatbot phase for companies.”

“A company concerned with feedback has a lot of growth potential”

9. Birdeye

Birdeye facilitates an AI chatbot for customer experience management. It not only helps businesses interact with customers through chat, SMS, and reviews but also caters them for feedback gathering, answering questions, and setting appointments. Here is a quick look at this AI chatbot for customer service: 

Birdeye Features

• Mass texting: Create and send personalized messages at scale and respond to them from a unified inbox.
• Messaging AI: Use AI to draft and send messages across SMS, social media, email, and web chat.
• Chatbot AI: Use smart AI chatbot to optimize your website and use it to engage visitors and boost engagement. 
• Appointments: Send automated reminders to book more appointments and to reduce no-shows for your business.
• Two-way texting: Re-engage contacts who don’t respond to emails or calls and have 1:1 conversations with those who do.
• Landline texting: Use your official business phone number.to send and receive text messages.
• MMS texting: Include images, videos, GIFs, emoji, etc, with MMS texting. 
• Templates: Use tailor-made templates to send SMS and announce special offers, new products, events, etc. 

Pros of Birdeye

• Great review management tools: Birdeye offers excellent review and reputation management tools that can help you build your online reputation with ease.
• Detailed analytics feature: Birdeye offers a very detailed analytics report using which you can determine how your campaigns are performing and take necessary actions, thereby.
• Great automation: Birdeye’s automation for texting, emailing, and reviews is one of the best, and it can help businesses build customer relationships and reputation in auto-pilot mode.
• Easy setup process: The setup process for Birdeye is quite easy, and with the help of an implementation specialist, you can get it up and running in no time.

Cons of Birdeye

• Overwhelming interface: Birdeye has so many capabilities and features that you may not necessarily need and due to this, the interface may feel too overwhelming to the users.
• Not the best customer support: Birdeye has a subpar customer support team, you may or may not get quick and effective resolution to your problems.
• Costly: Since Birdeye’s pricing starts at $299 a month, it can be quite costly for small businesses.
• Limited customization options: With Birdeye you can only do limited customization, especially when it comes to texting.  

Birdeye Pricing

Birdeye’s pricing is also a bit on the higher side, with plans starting from $299-$399 a month.. 

Birdeye Support Channels

Here’s a list of Birdeye customer support channels: 

• 24/7 (Live rep)
• FAQs/Forum
• Email/Help Desk
• Phone Support
• Knowledge Base
• Chat

Birdeye Ratings

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.7/5

Birdeye Reviews

“I like Birdeye’s capabilities as a service to allow you more functionality for your clients, whether it’s the reports or the tags/tickets you can assign. It’s an easy tool to onboard and everyone loves it upon logging in.”

“SMS marketing list segmentation needs serious work. The tags are complicated and confusing. Cannot send SMS marketing to more than one list at a time.”

Source: Capterra

10. Tidio

Tidio integrates live chat, chatbots, and email marketing into one single platform. This AI chatbot for customer service is capable of engaging visitors, answering questions, and providing product recommendations in real time. It is easy to use and its seamless integration capability makes it an ideal choice for small and medium businesses. Let’s have a quick look at it: 

Tidio Features

• AI Chatbots: Automate customer interactions with customizable bots that handle FAQs, order tracking, lead capture, and more.
• Live Chat: Real-time chat with website visitors, allowing agents to manage multiple conversations through a clean, centralized dashboard.
• Multichannel Support: Engage customers via website chat, email, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram DMs—all from one place.
• Visitor Tracking: Monitor who’s on your website in real time, including location, visit history, and browsing behavior.
• Predefined Responses & Typing Insights: Save time with canned responses and see what customers are typing before they hit “send.”
• Automation Workflows: Create workflows to send targeted messages based on visitor actions, like exit intent or time on page.
• Analytics & Reporting: Track chat volume, response times, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction scores.
  

Tidio Pros

• Affordable Pricing: Offers a free plan with basic features and competitively priced paid plans.
• User-Friendly Interface: Clean, intuitive design for both desktop and mobile apps.
• Rich Integration Options: Works well with CRMs, e-commerce platforms, and marketing tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Zapier.
• Multi-language Support: Supports global businesses with multilingual chat capabilities.

Tidio Cons

• Limited Bot Capabilities on Free Plan: Free version has restricted chatbot automation features, requiring upgrades for advanced workflows.
  Basic Analytics: Reporting features may not be in-depth enough for larger enterprises seeking detailed insights.
• No Phone Support: Customer service is primarily available via email or chat, which may not suit users needing immediate phone assistance.

Tidio Pricing

Tidio offers four pricing plans:

• Starter: $24.17/mo.
• Growth: $49.17/mo.
• Plus: $749/mo
• Premium: $2999/mo

Tidio Support Channels

• Help Center
• Live Chat
• Email 
• Knowledge Base

Tidio Ratings

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.7/5

Tidio Reviews

“A Catalyst for AI-driven Customer Service and Support. “

“Tidio worked great until they doubled their prices in Dec 2024”

4 Best Practices for Using Customer Service Chatbots

Involve your agents at every step of chatbot deployment

Support agents are a vital part of customer service and they understand customer pain points way better than anyone hence it becomes important to involve them in planning as well as in rolling out your chatbot. By doing this you make sure that your AI chatbot for customer service is aligned with the real-world scenarios. 

Integrate your knowledge base with instant messaging channels

It is always a good idea to connect your chatbot to your existing help center or knowledge base as it allows businesses to instantly pull relevant information and answer customer questions accurately. This makes it easier for customers to find solutions without needing to wait for an agent, reducing ticket volume and enhancing self-service across chat, email, and social messaging platforms.

Use AI bots to ensure quality assurance

AI chatbots can also be harnessed for monitoring the quality of customer interactions. By analyzing chat transcripts and customer sentiment, chatbots can flag issues, detect gaps in service, and identify trends.  This data can then be used to improve training, refine chatbot responses, and enhance the overall quality of your customer support.

Encourage agents to train the chatbots with new intents

Customer requirements are always evolving and it is important for you to keep your AI chabot for customer service updated. For this, all you need to do is involve your agents, detect emerging customer intent, revise response templates, and optimize current conversation flows.  Periodic updates and training help keep the chatbot relevant, precise, and able to address a broader set of customer situations, with the end goal of enhancing its performance and user satisfaction.

AI Chatbot Use Cases for Customer Service

Frequently asked questions

AI chatbot excels at answering common customer questions such as shipping times, business hours, or account-related queries. By handling FAQs instantly, an AI chatbot for customer service reduces the burden on live support agents and offers customers instant round-the-clock support. 

Order tracking & status updates

Customers very often call or text to know the status of their order and when will it arrive. AI chatbot for customer service is capable of accessing the order status and offering real-time tracking information or shipping updates, eliminating the need for customers to contact support.

Product information & recommendations

Chatbots can also help customers by providing information on products, such as specifications, prices, and stock availability. Furthermore, based on customer preference or previous buys, bots can make personalized product recommendations, which improve the shopping experience.

Returns & exchanges

Customers often come with the issue of return and exchanges to customer support and here is when an AI chatbot for customer service can excel and save the agents time. Chatbots can guide customers through return policies, initiate return or exchange processes, and provide updates, streamlining what can otherwise be a time-consuming process.

Appointment scheduling

Appointment scheduling is something where an AI chatbot for customer service can be of great help. Businesses that rely on scheduling like healthcare providers, salons, or repair services—chatbots can help customers book, reschedule, or cancel appointments with ease. Not only this they can also send reminders to them which helps in reducing no-shows. 

Billing & payment inquiries

AI chatbot for customer service is also capable of handling queries about invoices, payment status, and due dates. Not only this it also caters to customers with processing payments, setting up payment plans, or resolving issues like failed transactions, offering quick resolution to billing concerns.

Technical troubleshooting

Very often customers reach out to support in case they face any technical issues and an AI chatbot for customer service can help customers here by offering step-by-step troubleshooting on the basis of known problems as well as solutions. In cases of complex issues, the chatbot can also escalate the case to human resources. 

Customer feedback & surveys

After interactions or purchases, chatbots can gather customer feedback through surveys or simple rating systems. This helps businesses understand customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

Proactive customer engagement

AI chatbots do not sit and wait for customers to call on them—they are able to initiate interaction based on trigger points, e.g., browsing history on websites or previous buys. It could be offering assistance, proposing goods, or updating, which keeps customers notified and engaged.

Why Emitrr is the Best AI Chatbot for Customer Service

Customizable Workflows

Every business is different and Emitrr knows that hence offers the feature of customization based on different processes and requirements of your business. If customer onboarding, appointment scheduling, or lead qualification is a must for you, you can establish your own specific flows that enable automatic activities exactly as desired by you.

Advanced AI Answering Services

Unlike other AI solutions, Emitrr AI is specifically designed to handle inquiries with great accuracy. Be it appointment scheduling or answering detailed questions, its advanced AI provides customers with personalized assistance, leaving them feeling heard and valued. 

Seamless Appointment Management

Emitrr chatbot simplifies the appointment booking and rescheduling process which reduces the chances of scheduling conflicts and aids in having an effective workflow for businesses. Automated reminders reduce the likelihood of missed appointments, saving businesses time and maximizing resource utilization.

Insurance Verification Assistance

For healthcare or wellness businesses, Emitrr helps verify insurance details by collecting required information and checking eligibility—streamlining a task that usually takes a lot of manual effort and time.

Multi-Channel Communication

Emitrr AI excels in working across various platforms such as text messaging, phone calls, emails, and even social media. Multi-channel communication offered by the Emitrr chatbot ensures that your customers get consistent, timely support wherever they reach out.

Scalable for Growing Practices

Emitrr excels at scaling hence if you are anticipating growth in the future and want a platform that can grow as your business grows then Emitrr is the perfect solution for you. It handles increasing customer interactions efficiently, without needing to add more support staff.

Seamless Integration

Emitrr chatbot goes well with others and excels in integrating with 500+ third-party software. Whether it is your existing CRM, PMS, or EHR it can be seamlessly integrated with your existing system to ensure a smooth workflow. 

AI-Powered Insights & Analytics

Emitrr AI goes way beyond communication and offers other capabilities that are vital for businesses. Insights and analytics into customer behavior, support performance, and engagement trends is something businesses can not forget hence to help you make informed decisions and continuously improve your service Emitrr the best AI chatbot for customer service helps you with important data and analysis. 

Automated Campaigns and Notifications

With Emitrr, you can run automated text campaigns for promotions, updates, or reminders. This keeps your customers informed and engaged without manual follow-up.

Intelligent Call Routing

Emitrr offers extensive features and capabilities and intelligent call routing is one of them as calls are automatically directed to the right person or department based on customer needs, reducing transfers and ensuring that customers get the help they need faster. 

FAQs

Conclusion

AI chatbot for customer service is indeed a robust tool that helps businesses offer instant, efficient, and personalized round-the-clock support hence it is important for businesses to opt for an AI chatbot for customer service but with a plethora of options it gets difficult to pick one. That’s where Emitrr AI stands out. Designed for accuracy, scalability, and seamless automation, Emitrr offers all the advanced features businesses need to elevate customer service. Want to know how? Book a demo now!!