Chatbot use continues to rise as more people start to understand their many benefits. For entrepreneurs or business owners, this is good news because a chatbot can be added to virtually any app or website.

Chatbots are being used by millions of businesses around the world. They are used to provide recommendations, to contact retailers, to complete purchases, and for so much more.

No matter what industry your business is in, there’s probably a good way to implement chatbots to expedite the operations. If you wonder what are chatbots used for, the follow are fourteen most popular chatbot uses:

1. Use for customer support

The sophisticated AI found in chatbots make them ideal for automated customer service. When a user is browsing your website but not completing action, it may be a sign that they need customer support. Similarly, if their online behaviour doesn’t fit patterns you’ve observed with other customers, customer support will be needed.

Thanks to recent developments in the AI industry, one of the common chatbot uses is on-the-spot customer support. Several brands such as Airbnb, Spotify and Evernote have used chatbots to provide customers with 24-hour customer service on Twitter. These chatbots provide customers with quick responses to their complaints and questions. They can also track the status of a customer’s order.

2. Use for customer probing

Recommendations, personalized merchandising and search results can help your customers find a specific product. However, when their online activity indicates a willingness to purchase but they don’t, it’s best to probe what exactly a customer is looking for.

Chatbots provide a conversational interface that allows a service provider to ask probing questions and understand a customer’s behaviour better, so they can solve the issue at hand.

3. Use to predict customer churn

Customer churn is the rate at which customers tend to terminate their business relationship with an entity. Churn prediction is among the most important chatbot uses in subscription-based industries. Understanding the reasons for churn, and making churn-reducing offers, can be achieved through a chatbot.

4. Use for product suggestion

Sometimes customers want to purchase a product they need but don’t have a specific model or item in mind. Chatbots can be used to suggest different colours, brands and variations of a product to meet a customer’s requirements.

A good example is H&Ms chatbot, which can build an outfit for a customer from their described pieces of clothing.

5. Use for lead conversion

A significant number of potential leads make use of online channels to buy. Conversion optimization is, therefore, crucial in virtually any company and in any industry. More companies are using chatbots that can answer complex questions to dramatically increase conversions.

6. Use for e-commerce

Chatbots add an extra layer of interactivity to e-commerce, which allows customers to interact beyond buttons and menus. Among uses of chatbots in e-commerce include setting price alerts and reserving services.

7. Use for vacation planning

From travel booking to solving travel-related problems, the conversational interface of chatbots is very helpful. Although most travel booking platforms are self-serve, planning a vacation is time-consuming.

A traveller may want to select their preferred sights and experiences, come up with an itinerary, and book hotel accommodation based on criteria such as kid-friendliness and location. Although these tasks can be frustrating, clever chatbots can turn them into pleasant experiences.

8. Use to find a restaurant

Restaurant chatbots give recommendations depending on location, price range, and cuisine. This chatbot use is handy, especially when you have no idea where you would like to have your meal. You get to choose from recommended restaurants. Some chatbots can even take your order or make a reservation at a restaurant of your choice.

9. Use for pizza delivery

Chatbots make it easy to order pizza. You can place your order through a tweet, text, voice, or from your car. Pizza places such as Dominos allow their customers to order their favourite pizza, or build a new type of pizza, and track the order on Facebook messenger.

10. Use for weather

There are several weather bots to choose from. Some are fun and unique while others are basic. You can find the current weather condition in your area or set reminders for particular times during the day.

11. Use for personal finance assistance

Chatbots can help you track your finances, trade, and get notifications for stock market trends. Chatbot uses can also extend to mortgages, bankruptcy, and personal finances.

Some banks have chatbots that allow you to check your bank account balance and conduct daily transactions. Tax bots help track tax deductions in your business.

12. Use to schedule meetings

If you have several schedules to consider, it can be challenging to plan a meeting. Some chatbots exist that allow you to request a meeting with multiple people. It then finds out from everyone’s calendar when they’re available for a meeting before scheduling it.

13. Use for news

News chatbots keep you updated on happenings around you or topics that are of interest to you. For example, you can get news headlines from mainstream media sources such as Fox News, the Guardian or CNN. You can also receive tech headlines from Engadget or TechCrunch.

14. Use to find and track flights

Some chatbots give you vacation inspiration while others allow you to find and compare different flights based on pricing and location. With Kayak’s chatbots, you can book your flights and hotels from Facebook. After booking, some chatbots allow you to track wait times, current flights and delays.