Customer support is the frontline of your brand. Automating it offers the allure of 24/7 availability and reduced costs, but it also carries the risk of alienating customers who need a human touch.
The "Risk" is creating a loop of frustration where a customer is trapped in a chatbot maze. The "Reward" is instant resolution for simple queries like "What are your hours?" or "Order status."
The Hybrid Approach
The most successful implementations use a triage system. An automated system handles the initial intake, solving the simple 80% of queries instantly. For the complex 20%, it seamlessly hands off the conversation to a human agent, providing them with the full context so the customer doesn't have to repeat themselves.
Automation should never be a wall; it should be a door that opens the right path for the customer, whether that path leads to a knowledge base article or a phone call.