How Chatbots Will Transform Customer Support in MENA

Business is booming in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with year-on-year growth expected at 3.1 percent in 2019. As companies in various verticals scale their businesses, customer service should at the top of their lists of priorities. Otherwise, these businesses won't be able to survive.

Chatbots can help solve customer service issues across the MENA region. This technology automates many of the tasks associated with customer service, providing consumers with real-time answers to their queries. As a result, companies can engage with customers about shipping delays, stock problems, store closures, refunds, complaints, and various other customer service-related topics.

What is a Chatbot?

A chatbot is a piece of AI software that lets companies connect with customers using natural language programming (NLP) on mobile apps, websites, and mobile apps. Unlike email and phone communications, there are no response delays with chatbots, and customers will receive instant help with problems and queries. This because chatbots simulate human conversations.

The Benefits of Chatbots in MENA

Chatbots provide customers in MENA with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week across various channels and devices. Research shows that customers don't like to wait too long to receive a response from a customer service agent, so chatbots provide customers (and businesses) with real value.

Chatbots emulate human conversations so customers receive a similar level of service. Businesses can communicate with customers and solve problems in real-time, which can increase brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. In the UAE, 20 percent of consumers said they were not satisfied with their online shopping experience. Chat bots can change this.

There are even more benefits. A recent study from Juniper Research discovered that:

• Companies in the Middle East that use chatbots have the potential to reduce costs significantly. Chatbot deployment could result in annual savings for retailers of up to USD439 million by the year 2023 — up from USD7 million in 2019.
• Chatbots can cut operational costs for Middle Eastern companies by up to 30 percent.

It's no wonder, then, that 85 percent of all customer interactions in the Middle East will be processed without a human agent by the year 2025.

Despite all these benefits, few companies in the MENA region offer live chat to customers. Live chat adoption is higher in the UAE than any other MENA country, but it still only stands at 53 percent.

However, things are about to change. The potential for chatbots in MENA is endless. Here are just some of the sectors that can benefit from chatbots:

• Banking
• Retail
• Hospitality
• Government
• Education
• Media

Which Companies in MENA Use Chatbots?

Various companies in MENA now use chatbots, including the following:

• UAE-based Mashreq incorporated a chatbot into its digital platforms last year, which allows customers to perform cardless transactions, view financial products, and execute various other banking-related tasks.
• Digital bank Liv, also based in the UAE, recently launched an AI chatbot.
• IHG's Middle East division lets customers use a chatbot.

How to Choose a Chatbot Solution

Not all chatbots are the same. A good Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider will create a bot based on your business requirements. As a result, you can streamline customer communications and improve service.

A good chatbot will bring your communications to life and let you personalize interactions with customers, wherever they are in the world. Think of your chatbot like a member of your customer service team, who goes above and beyond to solve problems and improve the customer experience.

If you have customers around the world, you should choose a multi-language chatbot that targets different customer segments. More than 60 languages are spoken in the Middle East alone.

Here are some of the other things you should look for in a Chatbot solution provider:

• Flexible deployment: Facilitate successful deployment with a chatbot provider that ensures your chatbot runs smoothly in various environments, whether that's on-premise or in the cloud.
• Integration: A good chabot solution provider in MENA can integrate chatbots into your chosen communications channel, such as WhatsApp.
• Rich media: Enhance communications with rich media for deeper customer engagement.
• Support: The best providers in the MENA region provide you with the support you need at all times.

Final Word

There's a growing demand for next-generation and integrated technologies in the MENA region, and chatbots certainly fit the bill. These software applications bridge the gap between companies and customers with real-time chat solutions that save costs, improve engagement, and move more people through customer service pipelines.

Here at CEQUENS, we create powerful customer-centric communication solutions. As a leading CPaaS provider in the MENA region, we provide chatbot capabilities based on your business budget and requirements. Click here to find out more.

CEQUENS Can Help

We're leading Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider region that aims to bridge communication gaps in a communication-driven world.

Powered by innovation and guided by a Cloud-First and Mobile-First approach, we provide omnichannel communication services and APIs that enable enterprises and developers to communicate with their customer base worldwide.

As an Endeavor Entrepreneur and GSMA associate member, CEQUENS plays a pivotal role in transforming communication in the region.