Just when you got used to social media, things are changing up again. While it’s not time to close out your Facebook account or delete Instagram just yet, the way humans communicate is once again showing signs of reorganization. For a while social media was king. Now, it’s looking like people are gravitating more towards messenger apps to interact, which means chatbots are becoming a stronger presence in all modern enterprises and may be the key to flourishing in the auto industry of tomorrow.
What Are Chatbots?
Chatbots are services that interact with users through a chat platform. You may have seen versions on e-commerce sites. They often pop up with an offer to answer any questions you have about the product you’re looking at. The technology is also being added to social sites and apps, allowing users to ‘chat’ directly with groups and companies from within their preferred social media platform.
Chatbots can work via a set rules, i.e., their responses are preprogrammed to react to your typed cues, or via machine learning, like artificial intelligence. The latter can grow more complex the more data it collects through human interactions. Both can be personalized to give users a more organic experience.
Chatbots and the Auto Industry
There are several ways chatbots are set to change the automotive experience.
To start with, dealers can harness this technology to enhance user experience. As more customers turn to the internet before coming on a lot, chatbots can help potential buyers access essential information about your dealership efficiently and effectively. They have the added benefit of being able to provide five-star quality customer assistance at all hours of the day or night, allowing your sales team to focus on more hands-on tasks. Overall, chatbots are a sound investment for dealerships and are set to rapidly change how car sales develop.
Chatbots are also set to change how consumers interact with cars. As smart cars get smarter, and we march closer to greater acceptance for fully autonomous vehicles, chatbots are going to become crucial to vehicular travel. For one, the technology will be linked to many smart features, allowing cars to communicate with their owners about theft, damage and routine maintenance needs. Not only that, once we’ve reached full automation, cars will need chatbots in order to interact with drivers, as it will be how routes and other preferences are determined. They’ll also be how they interface with other cars on the road for maximum safety.
Get Started Now!
While the foundation is there, some of these applications are still a little ways away. But smart dealers will begin interacting with the parts that are currently available, like customer assistance chatbots. The more familiar they are with them, the less they’ll be thrown once the technology is integrated into every part of the driving experience. Additionally, knowing about chatbot technology and its current uses in the industry will equip dealerships with the knowledge needed to sell the latest, most advanced models.
