A big misconception with ChatGenie is that it's just another chatbot. It’s true—they both have the word chat in their names but that’s where the similarity ends.

If we were to examine their definitions, we’d see a stark difference. Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulate conversation with human users whereas ChatGenie is a multi-channel commerce platform. And while they both have uses for online sellers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a solution like ChatGenie that takes the hard work out of eCommerce. It’s the complete package!

To get a better idea of how ChatGenie differs from chatbots, we’ve highlighted three points for comparison all in the context of online selling.

AUTOMATED MESSAGES

Chatbots are experts at generating automated messages. This is one of their biggest upsides. With chatbots, users can get help when they need it; no more need to wait on hold to speak to a service agent.

Chatbots, however, can have limited range. This is due to the fact that some of them are only designed to follow a script. Menu or button-based chatbots are sufficient for answering frequently asked questions but are unable to respond to complex questions. Keyword recognition-based chatbots, despite being able to come up with appropriate responses, fall short when faced with repeated keywords in a lot of similar questions.

These shortcomings can be frustrating for customers who want straightforward and informative answers. They can get stuck in an endless loop trying to communicate with a chatbot that can barely keep up with them.

ChatGenie also uses automated messages but not in the same way as chatbots. In fact, messages generated through ChatGenie are designed to avoid the need to answer FAQs.

Welcome and instructional messages crafted by ChatGenie merchants ensure that buyers are able to complete their purchase journeys without a hitch. They can be customized to give buyers clear direction on how to navigate ChatGenie-powered stores. These messages signal the beginning of a hassle-free shopping experience from viewing products all the way to checkout and delivery.

In addition to ensuring that merchants won’t be bombarded with FAQs, ChatGenie’s automated messages can be used to check up on customers after they made their purchases and encourage them to re-order, for instance. They can also be crafted to send customers updates of their orders.

HUMAN INTERACTION

Being the robots that they are, chatbots give off a mechanical vibe. They lack the human touch that customers expect from businesses.

The best they can do is remember past conversations and use that knowledge to engage in contextualized conversation.

Chatbots that are capable of doing so can ask buyers about their preferences and provide product recommendations. For instance, big fashion brands use bots to create a fashion profile of each user by asking about their style and having them choose from a selection of images. Contextual chatbots are also able to remember information from past conversations like what food customers like to order. That’s why when the same customer chats with a chatbot they ordered from previously, the bot will be able to pull up his or her common order.

ChatGenie recognizes that automated messages are no substitute for genuine human interaction. For this reason, our developers did not hinder merchants from communicating directly with customers should they ask questions that require detailed answers. What this means is that merchants can chime in with their response or suggestion to a customer question if need be.

The flexibility offered by ChatGenie gives merchants the power to take control of a situation before they go out of hand. It’s also a chance for merchants to show that they care and avoid being accused of poor customer service.

For example, if there was a delay in shipment or a return and exchange request, merchants can offer assurance that they are on top of the problem and that it's currently being handled.

ONLINE SALES MANAGEMENT

Chatbots do a good job of shortening the sales cycle of a business. They accomplish repetitive work and follow-ups instantly without any human intervention.

Besides acting as an on-the-go customer service agents and personal shopping assistant, chatbots are capable of generating leads and performing marketing strategies.

However, if you’re looking to deal with the backend or operational aspects of your business like inventory and accounting, you’re probably better off using a different tech solution.

ChatGenie is multi-faceted compared to chatbots, which can only execute tasks that they’re programmed to do. It’s more holistic in the sense that it takes elements of chatbots and adds a multitude of features to help your business start selling online as seamlessly as possible.

ChatGenie-powered stores come with analytics that gives merchants an overview of their best-selling products and a comparison of weekly sales. ChatGenie also allows merchants to see which products are in low supply.

As if that’s not enough, ChatGenie also has tools for offering flexible payment options, processing refunds, implementing promos and discounts, and sending message blasts to customer segments.

We hope we were able to clear out any confusion you had prior to reading this article. If you still aren’t convinced and need to see our product in action, sign up for our FREE product demonstration webinar on March 30 at 2:00pm PHT by clicking this link: https://bit.ly/ChatGenieWebinarDemo.

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