Much of the world was enforcing lockdown restrictions, and many businesses already employing the help of chatbots saw a huge increase in usage.
COVID-19 was essentially the spark that chatbots needed to rise again. Much of the world was enforcing lockdown restrictions, and many businesses already employing the help of chatbots saw a huge increase in usage. For Example, from March to May 2020, retailers saw an 86% increase in customers using self-help services through chatbots. Embracing this new digital infrastructure was imperative at this time, as companies were being forced to enable home-working, or were having to furlough staff. For these organisations, there was extraordinary pressure to provide superior customer experiences and cut losses due to the pandemic. In opposition, many businesses were encountering unprecedented demand, and so chatbots were a welcome support for the existing human team. Each scenario meant that integrating AI into businesses to address customer queries became a critical aspect of organisational problem solving, supporting both businesses, and their customers.