Company
Date Published
Author
Sebastian McKenna Long, Emily O'Byrnes
Word count
801
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The rise of chatbots and automation has led to concerns about the impact on sales processes and lead qualification. However, a simple example from Intercom's bot, Operator, shows how a well-designed chatbot can help streamline lead qualification by automating repetitive tasks and questions. The bot asks if a visitor is an Intercom customer, with two options: "Yes, I'm a customer" or "No, I'm not a customer yet." If the latter, it assigns them to the sales team for qualification; if the former, it routes them to Customer Support. This simple step dramatically changed the state of their inboxes, resulting in significant time savings and a more personal experience for customers. The example highlights how chatbots can complement human workflow rather than replace it, making the customer experience more efficient and effective.