AI-First vs Chatbot + AI: Why One of These Will Actually Work for You!

[Intro]

All right, let me ask you something. Have you ever tried getting help from a chatbot and ended up just wanting to throw your computer out of the window? You know, you type your question, but instead of giving you an answer, it gives you this menu that has nothing to do with what you asked. Frustrating, right? Today, we are diving into why that happens and more importantly, how to fix it. We will break down to two different AI strategies. Chatbots plus AI and AI first and only. One of these can be a gamecher, but the other might just be wasting your time. So, let's go. Let's kick things off with a little story.

It's late on a Friday night and you're finally dealing with this issue that's been bugging you all week. It's within an app you rely on for work. You jump onto their website and open the chatbot and type, "Hey, I'm having trouble accessing my project files after the latest update. Can you help?" And then the boss replies, "Welcome. Please choose one. Report a bug, request a refund, talk to sales. None of these options are close to what you need, but fine, you try report a bug. Just hoping it will take you somewhere useful. Then the bot says, "Please describe the bug in a few words. Come on." But you have already described it.

Right now, you're stuck in a loop, repeating yourself again and again, getting nowhere. We all been there, right? This is what happens when a bot lacks context. It's frustrating for customers, but also a huge waste of time for support teams. But imagine if this assistant was using an AI first and only approach instead. AI first doesn't just rely on keywords or menus. Instead, it actually reads your message, understands the context. For example, you're having trouble accessing files after an update, and recognizes that you need technical support. No looping through options, no back and forth. The assistant just says, "Got it. I see you're having trouble accessing project files after an update.

Let me guide you through some steps to fix this. That's efficient, helpful, and you don't feel like you're talking to a wall. That's the difference an AI first approach can make. And today we're going to talk about when to use each approach, chatbot plus AI or AI first and why AI first can make all the difference. Let's

[What is Chatbot + AI?]

start with the chatbot plus AI approach. In this setup, the chatbot takes the lead and gives some basic options to start the conversation. You might see something like report a bug, request a refund, or talk to sales. These options can be helpful if you're handling super simple questions. But here's the thing, they don't adapt to what the customer actually typed, which means they often miss the mark completely. But then there is more work for your team, too. They have to set up each prompt manually, create all these options, and constantly maintain them all. But even with all that set up, at the end of the day, the chatbot still doesn't understand context.

So if customers come in with something completely new like needing access to files after update, the chatbot isn't equipped to pick that up. And that's why we end up with those sorry I didn't get that loops. What are the pros of chat plus AI? It can handle simple straightforward cases and helps categorize requests and redirect the conversation to the right person or team. The cons on the other hand, it still feels like traditional chatbot with limited understanding of context. is timeconuming for your team to set up and maintain all the options and it just won't manage those unique tricky cases or nuances customer needs. Now let's get

[What is AI-First?]

into the AI first approach. An AI first setup isn't just a chatbot with some options. Instead, it's built to understand why the customer is reaching out from the very first message. So let's get back to that example. I'm having trouble accessing my project file after the latest update. With AI first, the assistant doesn't throw you into a random menu. Instead, erase the message, gets your issue, and responds to your needs right away. The pros of AI first is AI understand context, which means you get relevant answers without being forced through irrelevant options. It's flexible and adjust to each user's needs instead of following a fixed menu. The cons of AI first is setting it up requires some training and understanding of your customers needs of course, but once it's running, it's incredibly effective at handling even the tough edge cases. So, you might be wondering

[Which one would you choose?]

when should you go with chatbot plus AI and when does it make sense to switch to AI first? I can't decide. If most queries are simple, chatbot plus AI can do the trick. It's best for questions like, "What are your business hours?" or "How do I reset my password?" If your customers often have complex or unique requests, AI first will make all the difference. AI first skips the loops, the repetitive prompts, and get right to the point. And consider your team's capacity for setup and maintenance. If your team is stretched thin, chatbot plus AI might seems easier to set up, but you will end up with high maintenance and low returns on complex questions.

AI first might seems like more set up at first, but in the long run, it's a timesaver that handles those tricky cases with ease. Now, you might be wondering when is the right time to upgrade from chatbot plus AI to a full AI first experience. Well, if customers keep saying, I just want to talk to a human or leave feedback about not getting real answers, then a big sign that chat+ AI isn't cutting it. Or if your business is scaling, adding more products or handling more complex request, then an AI first approach will grow and adapt with you. Or as for team system, they've got this seasonability of customer queries.

So you're getting a lot of spikes during the year outside of support tickets. That would be great to set up an AI first approach because you can scale up fast. Something that you wouldn't be able to do with a human team as Daniel said in this interview. So at the end of the day, choosing between chatbot plus AI and AI first is all about knowing your customers needs. If you're dealing with simple routine stuff, chatbot plus AI might be all you need. But if you're ready to offer support that feels smarter, that understands context and actually listen to your customers, an AI first approach is where it's at.

So, are you ready to leave those old menudriven bots behind? Of course, of course, of course, of course. Let's get you set up with AI that get it from the start. Thanks for watching. If you found this helpful, hit like, subscribe for more tips on transforming customer support, and I'll see you in the next video.