Candace Marshall Vice President, Product Marketing, AI and Automation Last updated August 31, 2026 What is a customer service chatbot? A chatbot is an AI-powered tool that simulates human conversation, providing instant, 24/7 support across websites, mobile apps, and popular social messaging platforms. Today's chatbots go beyond just serving help center articles. With the power of generative AI, they are evolving into autonomous AI agents capable of understanding complex conversations and responding just like human agents. These AI agents can also connect to your backend systems, delivering personalized assistance. Depending on your business's automation needs, they can resolve over 80 percent of customer issues independently and seamlessly escalate to a human agent when necessary. The comprehensive buyer's guide to customer service chatbots in 2026 Rudimentary customer service chatbots have given self-service a bad name for too long. We’re now facing a new wave of AI customer service chatbots that have the power to transform CX, employee service (ES), and customer support team efficiency. 24/7 service , personalized solutions, and game-changing budget reductions are just the tip of the iceberg with the right software. AI agents deliver real-time insights and sentiment analysis, so support teams can combine AI response speeds with genuine human empathy. This guide uncovers all you need to know about AI chatbots, from their features and benefits to tips for choosing the right chatbot software for customer service. More in this guide: How AI customer service chatbots work Benefits of using AI customer service chatbots Features customer service chatbots should have Common use cases of customer service chatbots Chatbots for customer service comparison chart The 13 best customer service chatbots How to choose the right chatbot for customer service AI customer service chatbots: Emerging trends shaping the future Customer stories: How companies are using chatbots in customer service Frequently asked questions Try a chatbot for customer service How AI customer service chatbots work AI customer service chatbots combine natural language understanding, connected knowledge, customer context, and automation to move requests toward resolution. Advanced AI agents can also take action across business systems and hand off complex issues to human agents when needed. Here's how AI customer service chatbots work, step by step: Understand customer intent: Natural language understanding identifies what customers mean, even when they use different wording or phrasing. Retrieve relevant knowledge: The chatbot searches connected knowledge sources for accurate, relevant information. Apply customer context: It uses conversation history, previous interactions, and connected data to personalize responses and reduce repetition. Continue multi-turn conversations: The chatbot can ask follow-up questions, gather missing details, and adapt as the conversation develops. Automate workflows: Advanced AI agents can follow business procedures and complete tasks such as checking orders, updating accounts, or processing eligible refunds. Connect with business systems: CRM, customer service, e-commerce, and other integrations give AI agents the data and actions needed to resolve more requests end to end. Hand off to human agents: When a request requires human judgment, the chatbot can transfer the conversation with context intact. Benefits of using AI customer service chatbots AI customer service chatbots help organizations deliver faster, more scalable support while improving both customer and agent experiences. They provide instant assistance, increase efficiency, personalize interactions, and extend support across channels—all while helping teams reduce costs and maintain consistent service quality. Here are the key benefits of using AI customer service chatbots. Deliver 24/7 customer support Chatbots enable businesses to provide answers to global and multilingual customer bases around the clock, meaning hours of operation, holidays, and time zones are no longer an obstacle. Unlike human agents who may be limited by languages and availability, chatbots can respond immediately, reducing customer wait times and enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty . Reduce support costs Support teams can handle greater interaction volumes while lowering costs by letting chatbots answer frequent questions, act as extra support reps, and triage support requests. Customer service chatbots can protect support teams from spikes in inbound support tickets , freeing agents to work on high-value tasks. Salon chain HelloSugar automates 66 percent of customer queries using AI agents and saves $14k per month, allowing it to double the number of locations without the headcount. Improve response times Chatbots boost agent efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and assisting with customer support activities, saving time and streamlining operations. In addition to resolving requests all on their own, bots can also collect key information for agents and route issues to the right service rep for the task. Cosmetics brand Lush used its AI agent to handle common inquiries, giving human agents more time to work on complex cases that require their skills. What’s more, its AI agent requests customer information upfront and adds tags and labels to incoming tickets, giving agents the context they need to solve issues faster. These efficiency gains save Lush roughly 5 minutes per ticket and 360 agent hours each month. Enhance personalization with customer context AI chatbots can significantly enhance personalization by connecting to backend systems and pulling relevant data during customer interactions. This allows them to access and utilize information, such as purchase history, preferences, and account details, tailoring their responses and recommendations to each customer. For example, an AI agent could suggest products based on a customer's previous purchases or offer personalized assistance with troubleshooting issues. Chatbots' ability to communicate in multiple languages allows them to serve a diverse customer base , ensuring timely, multilingual support worldwide. AI agents go even further, delivering fast, personalized responses tailored to each customer. This immediate, customized assistance significantly enhances the overall customer experience. Provide omnichannel support Customer service chatbots enable businesses to provide omnichannel support by offering consistent and seamless interactions across channels. Bots can engage with customers through their preferred methods, such as live chat , messaging apps, or social media, allowing customers to get help where they already are. Enable easy setup and flexibility Despite being state-of-the-art technology, customer service chatbots are remarkably easy to set up and integrate with your already established systems. Due to their flexible and customizable nature, support teams have no trouble making chatbots work for them—not the other way around. Increase accuracy and contextual understanding Advanced natural language understanding (NLU) revolutionizes customer service chatbots. It allows them to understand and process customer interactions, detecting intent and meanings no matter the phrasing and grammar. This, along with high volumes of customer data drawn from connected business systems, empowers AI agents to deliver the most accurate and fine-tuned responses. Features customer service chatbots should have The best customer service chatbots combine AI, automation, and business context to deliver reliable support at scale. As you evaluate platforms, look for capabilities that improve deployment speed, automation, multilingual support, analytics, quality assurance, and long-term return on investment. These features help teams automate more work while maintaining high service quality. Easy deployment and low-code customization: The best chatbots keep time to value down to a minimum. No elaborate training sessions and steep learning curves. Support teams should be able to deploy AI agents in minutes, not days. Easy deployment and low-code customization: The best chatbots keep time to value down to a minimum. No elaborate training sessions and steep learning curves. Support teams should be able to deploy AI agents in minutes, not days. AI-powered insights: AI agents can provide valuable insights into which support resolutions to automate next, helping streamline your service operations even further. Additionally, it’s essential to choose a bot solution that tracks its impact on your overall service performance, monitoring key metrics such as response times, cost to serve, and customer retention across all channels. Multilingual, omnichannel support: There shouldn’t be restrictions on language or channel support. Chatbots should be able to interact with customers in their preferred language, across all platforms, from your website to social messaging apps. This ensures consistent service delivery across all customer touchpoints . Multilingual, omnichannel support: There shouldn’t be restrictions on language or channel support. Chatbots should be able to interact with customers in their preferred language, across all platforms, from your website to social messaging apps. This ensures consistent service delivery across all customer touchpoints . Automated routine task handling: Chatbot automations are the real time and money-saver. This tool should free up your support agents by automating routine tasks, letting them focus on what really matters. Automated routine task handling: Chatbot automations are the real time and money-saver. This tool should free up your support agents by automating routine tasks, letting them focus on what really matters. Quality assurance (QA) tools : These tools monitor and evaluate chatbot interactions to ensure consistent and accurate responses. They help maintain high service standards and identify areas for improvement. Cost effective pricing: Customer service chatbots only have a high ROI if the initial cost is budget-friendly. Carefully assess the pricing in relation to your estimated support team savings to guarantee the investment is worth it. Cost effective pricing: Customer service chatbots only have a high ROI if the initial cost is budget-friendly. Carefully assess the pricing in relation to your estimated support team savings to guarantee the investment is worth it. Common use cases of customer service chatbots Thanks to modern innovations, chatbot technology can be used in many different ways and for all kinds of industries. Some of the most common use cases of AI chatbots for customer service include: Events and entertainment: Answering queries, booking tickets for customers, and issuing refunds. E-commerce and retail: Recommending products, aiding with product search, and checking stock and item location. Restaurants and takeaway services: Providing delivery information and tracking, responding to customer complaints, and carrying out surveys. Travel and hospitality: Booking flights and hotels, delivering booking information, replying to questions, and automating check-in and check-out— AI for travel is a booming business. SaaS and Tech: Troubleshooting, ticket routing, and customer onboarding . Chatbots for customer service comparison chart Autonomous AI agents As low as $1.00 per automated resolution Routine task handling $9 per user/month (billed annually) (limited tools) Integration with Zoho ecosystem $7 per operating license/month (1 custom chatbot) Straightforward flow builder $32.50 per user/month (includes 50 AI conversations) E-commerce integrations $10 per user/month (50 tickets/month) Natural AI conversations $29 per user/month and $0.99 per resolution (billed annually) ProPofs Live Chat Drag-and-drop templates $0 per user/month (single user) E-commerce businesses $89 per agent/month (billed annually) Analytics and reporting The 13 best customer service chatbots Let’s take a look at the top 13 AI chatbots for customer service on the market. Zendesk: Best for autonomous AI agents HubSpot: Best for routine task handling Zoho SalesIQ: Best for integration with Zoho ecosystem Tidio: Best for straightforward flow builder Gorgias: Best for e-commerce integrations Netomi: Best for integrations Intercom: Best for natural AI conversations Ada: Best for low-code tools ProProfs Live Chat: Best for drag-and-drop templates Certainly: Best for e-commerce businesses Dixa: Best for customization Zowie: Best for analytics and reporting Meya: Best for developers Best for autonomous AI agents As low as $1.00 per automated resolution Explore more Zendesk pricing plans . Adaptive reasoning Knowledge integration Goal-based use cases Procedures (business process automation) Actions (system integrations) Multi-agent architecture Real-time reasoning controls AI agent builder (no-code, natural language) Custom personas and tone-of-voice AI-powered quality assurance (QA) Omnichannel support Outcome-based pricing support Zendesk AI agents are the most autonomous customer service bots available, pre-trained on over 18 billion real interactions to handle complex requests and grasp the nuances of CX from day one—no technical resources required. With Zendesk, you can provide 24/7 multilingual support across all preferred channels and even customize a bot persona to seamlessly align with your brand. To set up your AI agent, simply connect your knowledge base , and your chatbot will be ready in minutes. For more control, use the intuitive, no-code builder to create rich, interactive, and personalized conversation flows. Zendesk AI agents also integrate with your business systems, enabling them to draw on large volumes of data for highly personalized responses, which in turn boosts customer loyalty. Plus, AI agents scale effortlessly to meet your business’s automation needs, now and in the future. Zendesk's AI-powered analytics and QA tools offer critical insights to optimize your AI agents. They automatically analyze conversation data, generating actionable reports with clear guidance on what to automate or refine next. Automated issue detection ensures high service quality, while sentiment analysis fine-tunes conversation flows for a better customer experience. Pricing: As low as $1.00 per automated resolution. A 14-day free trial is available. Resolution-first Predictable pricing Agency and control Deploy easily, scale rapidly Built directly into Zendesk Low-code interface AI-powered knowledge base Streamlined CX platform Robust QA and analytics Data security and compliance Global presence Unified support Free trial only lasts 14 days What people are saying: " The platform offers robust automation tools and reusable macros, enabling quick and consistent responses to common customer inquiries. " " Zendesk also offers AI-powered bots and intelligent ticket routing for faster resolution. " " The AI IT Agents feature helps automate repetitive queries and speeds up response time. " Explore more Zendesk pricing plans and experience the Zendesk AI effect with an interactive AI agent demo . Best for routine task handling $9 per user/month (billed annually) (limited tools) Knowledge base integration Human agent hand-off Multichannel support HubSpot provides tools for marketing, sales, content management, operations, and customer support. The company states that its AI customer agent, Breeze, resolves over 65% of conversations automatically and is available 24/7. Using pre-existing Hubspot CRM data and knowledge base information, the chatbot ensures that the responses are both accurate and personalized. What’s more, customers can access the AI agent almost anywhere, from Facebook and Whatsapp to email. Keep in mind that customer agents are attached to a credit-based system, so you may need to purchase additional credits on top of your monthly or annual subscription. Pricing: A free plan is available with limited tools. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, billed annually. Recommended reading: Learn how HubSpot integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. HubSpot compare. CRM integration Clean user interface What people are saying: " The automation features save us hours every week, and the AI tools like Breeze make responding to customers faster and smarter. " " Some of the more advanced features, like custom reporting or advanced automation, are locked behind higher-tier plans. " " It's not as flexible or robust as specialized support platforms like Zendesk or Freshdesk. " 3. Zoho SalesIQ Best for integration with Zoho ecosystem $7 per operator license/month (1 custom chatbot) Codeless chatbot templates Answer Bot powered by Zia or OpenAI Multilingual chatbots Zoho SalesIQ provides users with a few different types of chatbot: custom chatbots, AI chatbots (Answer Bot), and a hybrid version of the two. For custom chatbots, the builder has a drag-and-drop interface allowing you to create pre-defined responses and build chatbot flows—no code required. Chatbots can work in up to 30 languages, automatically detecting the language of incoming text. The Answer Bot connects with a business’s knowledge base to pull answers, articles, and information from company resources. Users can add responses to the bot’s vocabulary to differentiate conversations and create a library of terms used by visitors. Going the extra mile, the Answer Bot can connect with Zia or OpenAI for responses that require information outside of a company’s knowledge base. Zoho also offers a hybrid model, where users can add AI Answer Bot capabilities to a standard custom chatbot flow. The catch is that both the AI and hybrid chatbots are only available in the Enterprise plan. Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per month, billed annually. A free plan for three operators and a 15-day free trial are available. Recommended reading: Learn how Zoho integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. Zoho compare. Zoho CRM integration Social media integrations AI and hybrid chatbots only available in Enterprise What people are saying: " It is a great tool for tracking your leads, sales, quotes and many other features. " " The Codeless chatbot builder is straightforward for non-coders to build a bot. " " Bots are triggered at the wrong instances and sometimes even the chat doesn't allow you to answer if some bot is triggered. " Best for straightforward flow builder $32.50 per user/month (includes 50 AI conversations) Real-time performance insights Human agent hand-off Knowledge base-only data Tidio’s Lyro AI agent deserves praise for its 67% autonomous resolution rate and smooth integrations with other software, including Zendesk. Its chat flow builder is another highlight, making it straightforward for users to get started with pre-made templates that can be easily customized. The company proudly states that Lyro draws data only from its own knowledge base, which guarantees a higher rate of accuracy and cuts out any chance of AI hallucinations slipping into responses. On the other hand, this may be considered limiting when it comes to providing a well-rounded CX experience. Lyro can be purchased as a standalone product with an allotted number of AI conversations refreshing monthly. Alternatively, AI agent conversations are included in other packages, but only as a one-time quantity of 50 in the Starter and Growth plans. Pricing: Tidio’s Lyro AI Agent standalone plan starts at $32.50 per user/month and includes 50 AI conversations. 67% AI resolution rate Chat flow builder Zendesk integration AI chat features limited in lower plans What people are saying: " Lyro, their AI bot, takes care of most common questions, and I especially like how I can build custom flows for keyword search optimization. " " There are features that allow you to transfer conversations to specific team members which are helpful for account specific questions and sensitive situations. " " Compared to some alternatives, it feels like the cost is on the higher side, especially when you need more advanced features. " Best for e-commerce integrations $10 per agent/month (billed monthly) AI agents designed for e-commerce Shopify integration Routine task handling Gorgias has two AI agents designed specifically for e-commerce businesses: shopping assistant and support agent. These chatbots for customer service handle routine tasks like responding to return requests and answering FAQs, while also being able to take actions such as escalating sensitive enquiries and issuing refunds. It’s easy to align the AI agent with your brand voice as the software closely analyzes your brand policies and protocols to ensure that no customer is misinformed. If the chatbot can’t find the information it needs to respond accurately, it hands over seamlessly to a human agent. Meeting the demands of shoppers, Gorgias operates across all kinds of channels, from social media to email and SMS (but this needs to be purchased as an add-on). It also integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento (the latter is only available in high-tier plans). Pricing: The Starter plan is $10 per agent per month and includes 50 helpdesk tickets. E-commerce features All-in-one platform Features locked in add-ons and higher plans Slow with high ticket volume What people are saying:

" What I like best about Gorgias is how intuitive and easy to use it is. " " Some automation features could be more flexible or customizable to better fit specific workflows. " " If you manage a high volume of tickets Gorgias is not reliable. The integration may crash constantly. " Best for integrations Omnichannel support Customer insights The Netomi chatbot fully integrates with existing backend customer service systems, like Zendesk, so businesses can keep using the software they’re familiar with. For instance, the platform can access customer and order information within a CRM system to determine and communicate the status of a customer’s order. The chatbot’s omnichannel support allows businesses to deploy the AI agent across various platforms, such as email, social media, live chat, and messaging apps. This capability lets customers receive support via whichever channel they use. It can maintain the context of conversations across different platforms for customers who might switch between channels during their interaction. Providing real-time insights into customer interactions, the AI copilot supports human agents in handling complex issues quickly and effectively. Moreover, Netomi’s AI agent is equipped with analytics and reporting tools, helping support teams understand trends, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement. Pricing: Contact Netomi for pricing. In-depth analytics Extensive integrations What people are saying: " Training our AI to resolve and deflect thousands of tickets has saved our company millions of dollars. " " Out-of-the-box integration with a variety of CSM Tools (Zendesk, Gladly, etc.). " " Initial implementation and setup does take quite a bit of time and attention, so for a small team like ours, it did take a little longer than we'd hoped to start seeing value. " Best for natural AI conversations $29 per user/month and $0.99 per resolution (billed annually) Reporting and analytics Intercom created the Fin chatbot using OpenAI to complement its customer service platform. In addition to automating routine tasks, Fin can understand complex queries, follow up with clarifying questions, and break down hard-to-understand topics. Businesses can integrate Fin with other Intercom features, such as messaging, help center, and live chat. Fin pulls information exclusively from your business’s existing knowledge base and can hand over more complex requests to trained staff members. Alternatively, human agents can work alongside Fin in copilot mode, but for unlimited usage, this must be purchased as an add-on. Additionally, Fin offers analytics and reporting capabilities, providing businesses with insights into customer interactions. These analytics help companies track the chatbot's performance, monitor customer satisfaction, and identify areas for improvement. By analyzing data from interactions, businesses can refine their support strategies and change Fin's responses. Pricing: Plans start at $29 per seat/month, billed annually, and $0.99 per resolution. A 14-day free trial is available. Recommended reading: Learn how Zendesk vs. Intercom compare. Efficient task handling Straightforward setup Clean interface Copilot purchased as add-on What people are saying: " It answers simple questions really well, as long as there’s content available. " " The setup is straightforward, and it requires minimal additional training for agents. " " Compared to other AI chatbot solutions we’ve evaluated, Fin’s pricing feels high, especially for teams handling large ticket volumes. " Best for low-code tools Explore more Zendesk pricing plans . Omnichannel support AI autonomous responses Business integrations Ada is an automated chatbot powered by AI and NLP, allowing it to understand and conversationally respond to natural language. Its capabilities extend to voice channels, letting it field phone calls and answer common questions. It deflects repetitive tickets with a self-serve solution that lets customers change their information, upgrade their accounts, schedule appointments, and make payments. Ada’s AI responds to a customer’s information, intent, and interests with tailored answers, proactive discounts, and recommendations in over 50 languages. Businesses can build their bots in a no-code interface, creating custom conversation workflows. Once the bot is live, you can continue to refine its performance regarding its tone and the proper procedures it should follow. Businesses can also set up variants of the same bot to test how the differences impact performance. Additionally, built-in QA tools read customer transcripts to identify areas of opportunity. Pricing: Contact Ada for pricing. A 14-day free trial is available. Multilingual translations Zendesk integration Some customization limitations What people are saying: " Ada helped our small support team contain most "easy-to-resolve" customer inquiries, freeing-up more time for agents to go through our backlog. " " The tool is intuitive and gives a lot of autonomy to those who don't understand much about programming. " " I think Ada is a good chatbot but you are limited in some of the customizations especially if you have more than one product line. " 9. ProProfs Live Chat Best for drag-and-drop templates $0 per user/month (single user) No-code chatbot builder As one of the only completely free (for one user) AI chatbots on the market, ProProfs Live Chat has all the core tools needed to create a high-functioning AI agent. The pre-designed chatbot templates are categorized by purpose and can be customized to your specific needs. ProProfs is designed to upgrade your CX with simple request automations and AI agent to human agent handover. For the full experience, the company recommends connecting chatbots to ProProfs Help Desk in order to automate ticket creation and routing to the correct team members. AI agents are trained using each business’s data and can be tested prior to being launched. Once live, chatbots operate 24/7, offering precise responses pulled from the resources you’ve selected. Pricing: ProProfs Live Chat is free for individuals. The plan for teams starts at $39.99. Customizable templates Full feature set included Basic chatbot software What people are saying: " I like the team management features of the tool where we can easily supervise the chat. " " It helps us reach out to customers faster and help them get instant support efficiently. " " For a few days we weren’t able to track the correct data on our support reps through the software. " Best for e-commerce businesses Routine task automation Conversation analytics Customer sentiment insights Certainly’s AI agents are made especially to help e-commerce teams automate and personalize customer service conversations. Chatbots can connect to a business’s e-commerce platform and integrate with other systems, such as a CRM, to access and share customer data. Certainly’s chatbot can recommend products, upsell, guide users through checkout, and resolve customer queries related to complaints, product returns, refunds, and order tracking. It also gathers zero-party data—information deliberately provided by customers—from conversations with visitors, which agents can use to customize shopping experiences and increase customer lifetime value. The platform offers analytics tools that track customer interactions, allowing businesses to gain insights into customer behavior and chatbot performance. These insights can continually refine the chatbot's responses and workflows. Plus, it has multiple APIs and webhook (automated communication between two apps) options for reporting, data sharing, and more. Pricing: Contact sales for a custom quote. A 14-day free trial is available. Detailed KPI reports APIs and webhook options Limited customization Struggles with high volume of data What people are saying: " Their Webhook building features enable us to offer an intelligent Bot that may help customers self-service themselves. " " Their chat-bot development is top-notch, and the compatibility with Zendesk is seamless. " " The software has a tendency to freeze while receiving a lot of data, which increases the chance that changes may be made incorrectly. " Best for customization $89 per agent/month (billed annually) AI autonomous responses Multilingual support Brand customizations Dixa’s chatbot for customer service, Mim, is powered by OpenAI and built to support companies in all kinds of industries, from retail and travel to financial services. Although this AI agent can handle up to 60% of conversations autonomously, it also facilitates a smooth handover to a human agent when faced with a complex issue. Mim pulls answers from the company knowledge base, so its responses are as up-to-date as your articles. When integrated with other business tools, like CRM and e-commerce platforms, it can also perform actions such as updating customer details. Plus, Mim’s interactions can always be on brand, with custom instructions and personas. The tool is also context-aware, meaning it can handle personalized support requests and respond in over 95 languages. To use the Dixa chatbot, you will need to purchase a plan plus the AI agent add-on for $0.40 per conversation. Additionally, Dixa has a seven-seat minimum. Pricing: Plans start at $89 per agent/month, billed annually. A free trial is available. Extensive language support Custom branding features Easy to navigate AI agents not a standalone product What people are saying: " The software operates reliably and provides a user-friendly interface that is straightforward to navigate. " " There is also a good range of AI support, which works particularly well with case summaries and translations and offers great support! " " I know that setting up the different chats has been at times challenging and time consuming for our tech team. " Best for analytics and reporting Omnichannel support Chatbot and customer insights AI autonomous responses Zowie’s AI agent uses data to understand how to respond to customer questions, meaning it leverages machine learning to improve its responses over time. This solution is prevalent among e-commerce companies that offer consumer goods that fall under categories like cosmetics, apparel, appliances, and electronics. The customer service chatbot pulls information from several data points, such as historical conversations, knowledge bases, FAQ pages , and ongoing conversations. Additionally, it connects with e-commerce platforms, CRMs, and other systems to share information. Zowie offers analytics and reporting features that provide businesses with insights into chatbot performance, customer satisfaction, and areas for improvement. These insights use generative AI to highlight generated revenue, identify shoppers' interests, and update a live dashboard. Pricing: Contact Zowie for pricing. There is no free trial available. Smooth automations Intuitive interface Some limitations in integrations and customization What people are saying: " Zowie has shown that AI can be the real-deal in providing efficient customer service. " " There is a lot of very detailed data in analytics but would like to see more useful and accessible data to provide people with instant feedback. " " For us, what we really be is lacking is the user interface, with our previous provider we could access shopify features and that is something I would love to see with Zowie. " Best for developers Routine task handling Developer tools Meya markets itself as an automation platform consisting of three components: Grid, Orb, and Console. The Grid is Meya’s backend, where you can code conversational workflows in several languages. The Orb is essentially the pre-built chatbot that businesses can customize and embed into their app, platform, or website. Finally, your team can design, create, and execute conversational experiences in the Console. Meya enables businesses to build and host complex bots that connect to their back-end services. Meya provides a web IDE—an online integrated development environment—that makes bot-building easy. Your chatbot will read all incoming messages connected to your CRM and respond when it knows the answer. You can set the bot to pause when a customer gets assigned to an agent and unpause when unassigned. Pricing: Plans start at $99 per month. A 14-day free trial is available. Business integrations Highly customizable Aesthetic interface Complicated for beginners How to choose the right chatbot for customer service Here are a few things to think about before selecting customer service chatbot software. Consider your business goals When selecting a customer service chatbot, it's crucial to align its capabilities with your specific business goals to ensure it meets your needs effectively. Understanding what you will use the chatbot for—such as increasing self-service ratios or improving first reply times—helps you select a solution that fits your operational requirements. AI agents, like those provided by Zendesk, can execute all of these tasks and more, delivering better flexibility and scalability to your unique automation needs. Ensure it integrates with your key systems Your chatbot should integrate seamlessly with your CRM , customer service software, e-commerce tools, and any other tools your business uses to access data to deliver hyper-personalized experiences. Pre-built integrations offer a great advantage since they keep costs low and avoid the involvement of developers. Confirm it’s easy to set up and purpose-built A customer service chatbot that is quick to deploy and purpose-built for CX offers major business advantages. Opt for a bot pre-trained on real service data to handle complex queries and understand nuanced issues right from day one. This delivers immediate value without requiring technical expertise, saving time and resources typically spent on training. Assess the channels it can deploy on You should deploy a customer service chatbot on any channel where customers communicate digitally with your business. Channels will vary depending on your business and customer demographics. However, it’s possible to deploy chatbots on: Custom-coded, Shopify websites Apple Messages for Business Messenger for Business X (Twitter) for Business WhatsApp Business AI customer service chatbots: Emerging trends shaping the future Developments in AI for customer support and AI in services more generally are evolving so rapidly, it can feel hard to keep up. To stay ahead of the curve, we recommend getting familiar with these emerging trends we’re predicting based on recent patterns found in customer intelligence platforms and automated customer service software. More human-like interactions: AI chatbots are fast learning the nuances of human conversations. Conversational intelligence software will continue to get smarter, using NLP and ML to mimic human behaviors and leave robotic responses in the dust. Increased focus on customer sentiment: Real-time sentiment analysis is completely changing the CX game. As AI agents become more in tune with customer tone of voice and mood, AI responses have the potential to be more personalized than human replies. Closer consideration of ethics: As with any new technology, often the innovations take precedence over the ethical implications. As AI in customer service becomes more commonplace, companies will need to ensure all users are receiving equal support, regardless of the sentiment detected. Voice over chat technology: Voice recognition technology is hitting the CS scene, increasing accessibility and improving initial query to resolution time. Customer stories: How companies are using chatbots in customer service Take a look at what our customers have to say about Zendesk. “What I love about Zendesk is that it is very customizable. You can use it in different ways and adapt a tool to the needs you have.” —María de la Plaza, Director of Community Operations at SoundCloud “It was the busiest Christmas the digital team ever had and we’d just migrated our website. Having Zendesk as a stable force at that point meant we could identify any potential customer issues and quickly get those rectified.” —Naomi Rankin, Global CX Manager at Lush “With Zendesk AI, I'm seeing an exciting opportunity to streamline and be more efficient. That will allow our team to have more time to work on projects of importance to the business, be it driving revenue or new sales channels.” —Ian Hunt, Director of Customer Services at Liberty London Frequently asked questions What is the role of chatbots in customer service? In customer service, chatbots provide immediate support across channels. They automate routine inquiries, such as answering frequently asked questions, processing orders, and handling basic troubleshooting, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex issues. However, chatbots are evolving into AI agents that can do much more and take on many complex requests 24/7. How can chatbots improve customer service? Chatbots can help improve customer service in several ways, some of which include: Providing support agents with rich, contextual information before they begin a conversation with a customer Collecting customer data which aids in personalization efforts Answering simple and frequently asked questions to reduce wait times and agent workloads Enabling 24/7 customer support What are the different types of chatbots? Customer service chatbots consist of several broad types: AI-powered chatbots use machine learning and natural language processing to understand and respond flexibly and accurately to user inputs. They can learn and improve over time. Generative AI chatbots create responses in real time by using advanced AI models, generating more dynamic and contextually relevant conversations rather than relying on pre-written scripts. Keyword recognition-based chatbots identify specific keywords in a user's input to trigger relevant responses or actions. They are suitable for handling common queries or tasks. Rule-based chatbots operate on pre-defined rules and logic, offering responses based on specific conditions or decision trees. They work well for simple, structured tasks. Menu-based chatbots guide users through a series of options or menus to reach the desired outcome. They are often used to navigate services or information. Hybrid chatbots combine rule-based or menu-based systems with AI capabilities, offering structured guidance and flexible, intelligent responses depending on the situation. Voice-enabled chatbots recognize and process spoken language, allowing users to interact via voice commands. These commands are often used in virtual assistants and smart devices. AI agents are the most autonomous customer service chatbots, capable of handling complex requests. How can you measure the ROI of a customer service chatbot? Measuring the ROI of a customer service chatbot involves quantifying the benefits and costs associated with its implementation. Here are some key metrics to consider: Cost savings: Calculate the reduction in operational costs due to automated tasks, such as answering FAQs and resolving simple issues. Increased efficiency: Measure the number of tickets deflected with automation and improvements in first reply times. Improved customer satisfaction: Track metrics like customer satisfaction scores and first contact resolutions to assess the chatbot's impact on customer experience. Higher conversion rates: Analyze whether the chatbot has contributed to increased sales or conversions. Reduced churn and improved retention rates: Evaluate if the chatbot has helped retain customers by providing timely and accurate support. How do AI-driven and machine learning chatbots differ from rule-based ones? AI chatbots use machine learning to understand varied questions, making them more flexible, while rule-based bots rely on fixed keywords and decision trees, making them simpler but less adaptable. AI-driven and machine learning chatbots differ from rule-based chatbots in key ways. With machine learning, AI agents understand patterns and can make predictions, allowing them to autonomously respond to customers’ queries and all their nuances. Rule-based bots are simpler and more limited as they rely on fixed keywords and decision trees. What makes a customer service chatbot enterprise-ready? Enterprise-ready customer service chatbots combine AI-powered conversations with workflow automation, business system integrations, governance controls, analytics, and enterprise-grade security. They scale across channels, languages, and teams while seamlessly handing conversations to human agents when needed. Enterprise readiness isn't measured by conversational quality alone—it also depends on operational reliability, governance, and the ability to deliver consistent customer outcomes at scale. What customer service tasks can chatbots handle? Customer service chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, track orders, troubleshoot common issues, collect customer information, route requests, and provide account or product information. More advanced AI agents can also complete multi-step tasks, such as updating account details, processing eligible refunds, or changing subscriptions through connected business systems. Vagaro redefines CX excellence and efficiency with Zendesk AI VP of Customer Support and Success Try a chatbot for customer service They quickly deploy across any channel to automate complex requests from day one and integrate seamlessly with your backend systems to deliver personalized 24/7 support. Customizable to your brand, they offer the flexibility to scale with your unique automation needs. Start optimizing your CX operations with AI today—sign up for a free trial. Candace Marshall Vice President, Product Marketing, AI and Automation Candace Marshall is a seasoned product marketing leader with a passion for solving complex problems and driving innovation in fast-paced environments. Her career began in operations and research, but her love for understanding customers and translating insights into impactful strategies led her to product marketing. Currently, Candace leads product marketing for Zendesk AI including AI agents and Copilot, driving growth across AI-powered solutions and the core service offerings. Her team delivers end-to-end product marketing strategies, from market validation and messaging to go-to-market execution and customer adoption. Before joining Zendesk, Candace spent nearly a decade at LinkedIn, where she built and led the product marketing team for the rapidly scaling Marketing Solutions division, overseeing key advertising products in the multi-billion-dollar business. Share the story Related customer service guides Learn how you can provide excellent customer support on any channel. Chatbots vs. conversational AI: What’s the difference? Chatbots and conversational AI are often used synonymously—but they shouldn’t be. Understand the differences before determining which technology is best for your customer service experience. Why an AI chatbot should be the gatekeeper to your customer service The best way for your brand to manage and prioritize customer requests is to provide a single entry point to your customer service channels. Learn how What is conversational AI? How it works, examples, and more Learn how conversational AI is transforming CX and how you can use it to benefit your business, agents, and customers. What is a chatbot? Learn how AI enhances CX Chatbots are AI solutions that simulate human-like conversations to deliver 24/7 support and give service teams time back for higher-value tasks. See our chatbots in action