As a computer scientist specialist, I have sifted through the myriad of AI chatbots available to bring you the cream of the crop. The goal? To find tools that automatically address customer queries ease your staff’s workload and deliver round-the-clock service.
10 Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service Shortlist
- Guru — The go-to for instant knowledge access via advanced search.
- CoSupport AI — Ideal for fast, accurate, and secure customer support.
- Zoho Desk — Best for analyzing customer sentiment and suggesting responses.
- Zoho SalesIQ — Offers a wealth of customization options.
- Neople — Seamlessly integrates with your existing workflows.
- Stonly — Perfect for interactive step-by-step guides.
- Conversica — Ensures continuity throughout the entire customer journey.
- Netomi — Minimizes customer wait times.
- Intercom — Excellent for creating targeted messages for different customer segments.
- Drift — Great for real-time conversations with website visitors.
Choosing the right AI chatbot can be overwhelming, especially with so many options out there. You need a tool that delivers quick and consistent responses to customer queries. To simplify your decision-making, I’ll share insights on each of these top picks to help you find the best fit for your business needs and customer service goals.
The Best AI Chatbots For Customer Service: Pricing Comparison Chart
Tools | Price | Link |
$15/month | ||
$14/user/month billed annually | ||
Standard US$14/user/month billed annually | ||
PROFESSIONALUS$12.75/operator/month billed annually | ||
Junior €1500 monthly salary | ||
Upon request | ||
Upon request | ||
No price details | ||
Essential $29 per seat/month$468$348/year | ||
$2,500/month (billed annually) |
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How to Choose the Right AI Chatbot
Finding the perfect AI chatbot requires a bit of introspection. Here are some questions to guide you in your decision-making:
⬜ What are your goals for employing an AI chatbots?
⬜ Have you ever used an AI chatbot for customer service before?
⬜ How many users will need access to the tool? And how often?
⬜ What are 3 key software features you can’t live without?
⬜ What unique or niche needs does your company have?
⬜ What channels does it need to connect to? Website, app, other?
⬜ What’s your budget for AI chatbot software?
It could be helpful to write down the answers to these questions before you start reading the reviews below. That way. You can measure each tool against the features, functionality and flexibility you actually need.
Jotting down answers to these questions can help you measure each chatbot against your specific needs and preferences.
Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service Reviews
In-Depth Reviews of Top 10 AI Chatbots
Here’s a closer look at the top 10 chatbots from my shortlist, including what makes each one stand out and a screenshot of their user interface. I have included 22 additional chatbots if you’re looking for even more options to explore.
To make your choice easier I have included a comparison chart summarizing key details about these top AI chatbots. You will find pricing information free trials and dem availability side-by-side helping you find the best solution within your budget.
It’s best for faster, Accurate and Secure Customer Support. Your Go-To for Swift.
- Free Demo Available
- Pricing Upon Request
Rating 5/5
CoSupport AI is a cutting-edge generative AI chatbot that takes customer service to the next level. It works across any communication channel. It deliver real-time and accurate responses to routine queries without needing human intervention. This allows your human agents to focus on more complex issues to make support scalable and efficient.
Using unique AI models, including LLM Large Language Model, CoSupport AI deliver precise answers based on client issues and external databases. It influences ticket history, supports content and knowledge bases and is enhanced with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for real-time data fetching. It’s too designed to operate upto-date with contextually accurate data.
In January 2024, CoSupport AI secured a patent for its innovative customer support technology. This exclusive feature sets it apart from competitors, offering unique advantages with its patented tech. CoSupport AI is known for its rapid response times, precise product training, cost-effective subscription model and secure data handling practices.
It integrates smoothly with existing CRM systems like Zendesk and Freshdesk to ensure your workflow remains uninterrupted. It syncs seamlessly with current communication channels to maintain a natural customer experience.
Pricing details are available upon request and a free demo is also on offer.
2
Best AI chatbot for instant knowledge access via advanced search.
- 30-day free trial + free plan available
- From $10/user/month
Rating 4.6/5
Guru is a handy tool for managing and searching through a company’s knowledge. It helps users quickly find answers to their questions by centralizing all the collective intelligence of the company. What makes Guru stand out is its ability to provide personalized, context-based recommendations in real-time, making it a top choice for businesses that need instant access to their internal knowledge base.
Guru seamlessly integrates AI-powered enterprise search with existing workflows and tools, ensuring that knowledge is always at your fingertips. Its unique feature, AI Suggest, uses artificial intelligence to show relevant information from the Guru database based on what’s on your screen. Plus, Knowledge Triggers automatically display information when certain conditions on a webpage are met, like visiting a specific URL.
With integrations for popular platforms like Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Chrome, Gmail, and Outlook. Guru makes accessing your knowledge base easy and efficient. This is especially useful for maintaining a smooth and effective customer service operation.
Perfect for Analyzing Customer Sentiment and Crafting Responses.
- 15-Day Free Trial
- From $14/User/Month (Billed Annually)
Rating 4.6/5
Introducing Zia, Zoho’s AI assistant designed to supercharge your customer support. Zia doesn’t just suggest solutions; it helps draft responses based on ticket content, making it easier for your agents to provide personalized experiences.
Always on standby, Zia taps into your knowledge base to offer instant answers around the clock. It can auto-generate replies, summarize tickets, and analyze customer sentiment to tag tickets with relevant skills. This ensures that your agents are matched with tickets that suit their expertise.
Beyond these everyday tasks, Zia can handle additional functions like placing or editing orders and alerting you when more agents are needed or when new trends emerge. The software transforms collected data into easy-to-understand graphics and lists, making it simpler to analyze and act on customer feedback.
Zoho Desk’s pricing starts at $14/user/month, with a 15-day free trial available to get you started.
Best for Customization and Real-Time Engagement.
- 15-Day Free Trial Available
- From $7/Operator/Month
Rating 4.6/5
Zoho SalesIQ is software designed to help businesses enhance their customer support and sales processes through live chat and visitor tracking. You can engage with your website visitors in real-time through a chat widget that you can customize to match your brand, add proactive chat messages, and even route chats to the right team member based on the visitor’s behavior.
The software is user-friendly and easy to set up, and it offers a range of useful features that make it stand out from other live chat software. One of the standout features is the ability to see what visitors are typing before they hit send. This allows you to anticipate their needs and respond quickly. Another great feature is the ability to create chatbots that can handle basic inquiries and free up your team’s time for more complex issues.
Zoho SalesIQ plans start at $7/operator/month, and they offer a 15-day free trial.
5
Ideal for Seamless Integration with Existing Workflows.
- Free Demo Available
- From $1,597/Month.
Rating 4.6/5
Neople is a tool that helps automate customer support. It creates digital co-workers, called ‘Neoples,’ to assist with routine tasks like ticket labeling, order searches, and returns using AI.
What’s great about Neople is that you can customize its chatbots. You can train them with your company’s data, like product info and FAQs, so they give accurate answers. They can also match your company’s tone, making sure all customer interactions feel consistent.
These digital co-workers can easily integrate with tools you already use, like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and contact center platforms like Trengo and Zendesk. This makes it easy for your team to start using them right away.
Neople costs $1,597 per month and you can request a demo to see how it works.
6
Best for Creating Interactive Step-by-Step Guides.
- 14-Day Free Trial
- From $99/Month (Billed Annually).
Rating 4.6/5
Stonly is a knowledge management platform that boosts customer service by offering interactive step-by-step guides, decision trees, and AI-powered answers. It’s known for delivering quick, accurate solutions for both agents and customers, making it a great tool for creating and sharing interactive, instructional content.
Unlike traditional chatbots that only use text, Stonly lets you create interactive, step-by-step guides right in the chat. This is especially useful for complex troubleshooting, onboarding, or any situation where users need more visual help. The guides can include images, videos, and branching logic, providing a tailored experience that adapts to the user’s specific needs and responses. This level of interactivity and personalization is uncommon among chatbot services.
Stonly integrates seamlessly with a variety of tools, including Slack, Zendesk, Intercom, Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail, Jira, WordPress, and Trello. These integrations facilitate smooth workflow and information sharing across platforms, enhancing productivity and support capabilities.
Stonly starts at $99 per month (billed annually) and offers a 14-day free trial.
Best for Seamless Customer Journey Continuity.
- Free Demo Available
- Custom Pricing Upon Request
Rating 4.6/5
Conversica is perfect for marketing and sales teams who want to engage potential customers throughout their journey. It works well with Salesforce, making sure all your customer interactions are tracked and managed smoothly.
One cool feature of Conversica is its A/B testing. This lets you send personalized messages to different lead segments based on details the bot gathers. This can really boost engagement rates.
Conversica starts at $2,999 per month, and they offer a free demo so you can see how it works.
Netomi is great at cutting down customer wait times. It works well with tools like Zendesk Chat, Salesforce Chat, and LivePerson. It can quickly find relevant articles from your knowledge base, so bots can give fast answers to customer questions.
A cool feature of Netomi is that it can solve most issues quickly by looking at social media feedback. They don’t list pricing details, but you can ask for a free demo to see if it works for you.
9
Best for Tailoring Messages to Customer Segments
- 14-Day Free Trial
- Starting at $74/Month (Billed Annually)
Rating 4.4/5
Intercom provides services like customer support, engagement, and marketing. You can use their apps on both iOS and Android to stay connected and manage your interactions anywhere.
One cool feature is that it supports both Ionic React and Native React, making it flexible for different technologies. Intercom costs $59 per month and offers a 14-day free trial and a free demo.
10
Best for Real-Time Conversations with Website Visitors.
- Free Demo Available
- Starting at $2,500/Month (Billed Annually)
Rating 4.4/5
Drift is great for teams who want to talk to potential customers on their website in real time. It helps customer service teams find good leads and connect them to human agents through chat, phone, or meetings.
Drift also asks questions to understand customer needs better, making interactions more effective. It costs $40 per month, plus $20 for each extra user. They offer a free trial to try it out.
Other Noteworthy AI Chatbots for Customer Service
If you’re exploring other options, here are some additional conversational AI platforms that didn’t make the top list but are still worth considering:
Each of these platforms offers unique features and benefits, so exploring them further might help you find the perfect fit for your needs.
Choosing the Best AI Chatbot for Customer Service: What to Look For
Selecting the best AI chatbots for customer service isn’t just a quick decision—it requires a thoughtful approach backed by thorough research and practical experience. I started by diving into the top-rated AI chatbot platforms, creating an extensive list of potential contenders. Drawing on years of experience, I honed this list by evaluating each option against a set of key criteria designed to spotlight the tools that truly ease the burden on customer service teams and elevate the overall user experience.
Core AI Chatbot Functionality: 25% of Total Score
I focused on finding chatbots that offer more than just basic chat features. The best platforms are those that excel in conversational AI, providing customers with self-service options. Essential features included natural language processing (NLP), scalability, easy integration, 24/7 availability, and the ability to learn and adapt from interactions.
Standout Features: 25% of Total Score
To differentiate the platforms, I looked for:
- Advanced Conversational Skills: Chatbots that mimic human-like interactions and engage customers in a natural way.
- Deep Integration Capabilities: Seamless connections with CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and other business tools for a cohesive data ecosystem.
- Unique Engagement Strategies: Innovative AI-driven features that offer personalized experiences.
- Beyond Text Capabilities: Additional features like voice recognition or augmented reality to offer creative service options.
Usability: 10% of Total Score
Usability was crucial. I evaluated:
- Ease of Setup: Platforms should be simple to set up and manage, minimizing the learning curve for your team.
- Customer Interface: An engaging and user-friendly interface for customers to interact with.
- Efficiency: Features that reduce wait times and streamline ticket management.
Onboarding: 10% of Total Score
A smooth onboarding process is vital. I assessed:
- Training Resources: Comprehensive materials and support to facilitate a smooth transition.
- Support Team: Availability of a dedicated onboarding team to assist with setup and scaling.
Customer Support: 10% of Total Score
High-quality customer support was a key factor. I looked for:
- Support Channels: Extensive options including live chat, knowledge bases, and community forums.
- Proactive Service: Regular updates and responsiveness to feedback.
Customer Reviews: 10% of Total Score
When assessing value:
- Pricing Transparency: Clear pricing models with no hidden fees.
- ROI: Platforms that offer a tangible return on investment by improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Customer Reviews: 10% of Total Score
I took customer feedback seriously, focusing on:
- High Ratings: Consistently positive reviews regarding usability, integration, and AI interaction quality.
- Impact: Testimonials showing significant improvements in service metrics and workload reduction.
Integrations: Ensuring the chatbot fits seamlessly into the existing tech setup was essential. I prioritized platforms with robust native integrations, API access for custom solutions, and compatibility with major business tools.
This detailed evaluation approach, blending user feedback with an in-depth analysis of each platform’s features and integration potential, guided me in selecting the best AI chatbots for customer service. The chosen solutions are set to enhance operational efficiency and transform customer interactions, making them invaluable for businesses aiming to excel in the digital age.
Trends in AI Chatbots for Customer Service
As businesses focus on improving customer experiences, several exciting trends in AI chatbot technology are emerging, each addressing specific needs within customer service:
- Emotionally Intelligent Responses: Advanced NLP capabilities are enabling chatbots to understand and respond to the emotional tone of customer inquiries, leading to more empathetic and contextually relevant interactions.
- Voice-Enabled Interfaces: Integration of voice recognition allows users to interact with chatbots using natural speech, making technology more accessible and aligning with the growing use of voice-assisted devices.
- AI Ethics and Bias Mitigation: Efforts are being made to ensure ethical AI practices, aiming to minimize bias and ensure fair treatment for all users.
- Hyper-Automation: Beyond handling simple queries, chatbots are automating complex customer service tasks, from order processing to appointment scheduling, reducing the need for human intervention.
- Continuous Learning: Chatbots that learn from each interaction and adapt over time are in high demand, as they continually improve service accuracy and efficiency.
These trends reflect a shift towards smarter, more intuitive, and integrated AI chatbots. For customer experience professionals, embracing these advancements means enhancing operational efficiency and delivering a more engaging customer experience.
What is an AI Chatbot for Customer Service?
An AI chatbot for customer service is a smart software tool designed to interact with customers and assist them with their questions and issues. Imagine having a helpful assistant who’s available 24/7, ready to tackle everything from answering common questions to guiding users through complex processes. These chatbots are always on duty, providing speedy and effective support, which helps lighten the load for human customer service representatives. By leveraging AI chatbots, businesses can boost response times, enhance customer satisfaction, and streamline their support operations.
Features of an AI Chatbot for Customer Service
AI chatbots have revolutionized customer service with their ability to provide instant, consistent responses. Here’s a rundown of the standout features that make these chatbots essential in today’s customer service landscape:
- No-Code Chatbot Builder: Think of this as a user-friendly toolkit for creating chatbots without needing tech skills. It simplifies setup and deployment, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes to implement chatbots quickly and easily.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): This feature allows chatbots to understand and process human language in a way that feels natural. NLP ensures that the chatbot can interpret queries in various formats, making interactions smooth and conversational.
- Comprehensive Knowledge Database: With access to an extensive repository of information, chatbots can answer a wide array of questions, minimizing the need for human intervention and providing accurate responses.
- Omnichannel Compatibility: Whether it’s live chat, SMS, or social media, chatbots can operate across multiple platforms. This ensures that customers can get support through their preferred channels, enhancing their overall experience.
- Conversation Workflow Templates: Pre-built templates streamline the chatbot setup for different interaction scenarios, ensuring consistent responses and speeding up deployment.
- Self-Learning Capabilities: AI chatbots can learn from their interactions and improve over time. This continuous learning process helps bridge the gap between human and machine understanding, leading to increasingly accurate and helpful responses.
- Integration Capabilities: Chatbots can easily integrate with existing CRM systems and databases, allowing them to access and utilize customer data for more personalized interactions.
- Multilingual Support: For businesses with a global reach, chatbots can communicate in multiple languages, making it possible to cater to a diverse customer base without sacrificing service quality.
- Sentiment Analysis: By assessing the mood or sentiment of customers during interactions, chatbots can adjust their responses to be more empathetic and tailored to the customer’s emotional state.
- User-Friendly Dashboard and Analytics: Dashboards offer insights into chatbot performance and customer interactions, helping businesses refine their service and identify areas for improvement.
Incorporating these features into your customer service strategy can transform how you interact with customers, providing efficient, consistent, and high-quality support around the clock.
Benefits of AI Chatbots for Customer Service
AI chatbots offer numerous advantages that can enhance customer service operations and overall customer satisfaction:
- Instant Response: AI chatbots provide immediate answers to customer inquiries, cutting down wait times and improving satisfaction.
- Scalability: They handle increasing volumes of customer interactions effortlessly, without needing additional resources, making them ideal for managing busy periods.
- Cost Efficiency: By automating routine queries, chatbots reduce the workload on human agents, lowering operational costs and freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.
- Personalized Experiences: AI chatbots can leverage customer data to offer tailored recommendations and support, enriching the customer experience.
- Reduction in Human Error: Automation helps ensure that responses to common questions are accurate and consistent, minimizing the risk of incorrect information.
AI chatbots are more than just a trend; they’re a crucial part of modern customer service strategies, providing dynamic, efficient, and customer-centric solutions.
Costs & Pricing for AI Chatbots for Customer Service
The cost of implementing AI chatbots varies depending on the plan and features you choose. Here’s a snapshot of common pricing tiers and what you can expect from each:
- Free ($0/month): Basic functionality with limited interactions and community support. Ideal for small-scale or experimental use.
- Starter ($20 – $50/month): Includes customizable designs, more interactions, and email support. A good option for businesses beginning to scale their chatbot use.
- Professional ($100 – $500/month): Offers integration capabilities, advanced analytics, and priority support. Suited for growing businesses with more complex needs.
- Enterprise ($1000+/month): Provides custom development, AI model training, 24/7 support, and unlimited interactions. Best for large enterprises requiring advanced, tailored solutions.
When choosing a plan, consider your business’s current needs and future growth to ensure you select a solution that can evolve with your customer service demands.
FAQs: More on AI, Chatbots and Customer Service
The best AI chatbots for customer service in 2024 are known for their efficiency, advanced AI capabilities, and ease of integration. Some of the top options include:
- Intercom: Offers conversational AI for real-time customer interactions, with strong automation and integration capabilities.
- Drift: Known for proactive customer engagement and AI-driven lead generation.
- Zoho Desk: Part of the Zoho ecosystem, Zoho Desk is a powerful customer service platform with AI-based automation.
- Netomi: Excellent for automating customer support ticket resolution with advanced AI algorithms.
- Ada: Focuses on personalized AI-driven conversations, offering scalable support for enterprises.
- Tidio: Combines live chat with AI to handle common customer service tasks.
- Conversica: Ideal for lead engagement and customer service automation, especially for sales-focused teams.
The primary benefit of AI-powered chatbots in customer service is 24/7 availability. They provide immediate responses to customer queries, automate routine tasks, and reduce wait times, ensuring customers get help anytime, even outside of regular business hours. This boosts customer satisfaction and reduces the workload on human agents.
AI chatbots are used in various ways in customer service, including:
- Answering FAQs: AI chatbots provide instant responses to frequently asked questions, reducing the need for human intervention.
- Ticketing and Issue Resolution: They can automatically create, prioritize, and assign tickets based on the customer’s needs.
- Live Chat Support: AI-powered chatbots can manage live chat interactions, resolving simple queries and transferring complex issues to human agents when necessary.
- Lead Generation: They engage website visitors, capture lead information, and initiate conversations for sales teams.
- Multichannel Support: Chatbots assist customers across various channels like websites, social media, and mobile apps.
AI helps in customer service by:
- Automating repetitive tasks: AI chatbots handle common queries, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex issues.
- Providing personalized responses: With natural language processing (NLP), AI chatbots can understand customer intent and provide tailored answers.
- Improving response times: AI can process customer inquiries instantly, offering faster solutions compared to traditional methods.
- Learning from interactions: AI-powered systems use machine learning to improve their responses over time, continuously enhancing the customer experience.
- Handling large volumes of inquiries: AI can scale to manage thousands of interactions simultaneously without compromising quality.