For retailers, chatbot technology isn't just a customer service tool—it also can collect unique first-party customer data, according to Yash Kotak, co-founder and CEO of direct-to-consumer platform Jumper.ai.
“When it comes to conversations, [chatbots] become a one-on-one connect,” Kotak said. “It also helps [retailers] collect data on where this customer is located and their buying preferences. You can ask questions that they're comfortable answering in a conversational format rather than filling out a form.”
Despite usage among retail shoppers, chatbots are still one of the least-preferred mediums for communicating with a business, per the Drift study. When asked which platforms consumers used to communicate with an organization in the past year, most said email (65%) and telephone (55%), while just 13% of respondents said they used chatbots.