Answer: No One!

Quick disclaimer: This is our opinion, based on the tools that we have seen builders using and the actual data that comes from the interactions. A lot has changed in three weeks, but most of these opinions we held BC (before COVID-19) but have been amplified DC (during COVID-19).

Let me start with a quick story…

The other day I was on a virtual training with sales leaders who were just establishing an online sales program. We were talking about the importance of tools like video email and call tracking, which cost around $70/month combined. One sales manager asked how she could convince the owner (who doesn’t see the value) to spend more money on these tools. She also asked if they were really worth it. I said yes and explained why. She then said something that totally shocked me. I mean, I almost fell over!

She said, “Mike, all of this starts to add up. We already have XYZ bot that costs a lot of money.” I said, “Wait, what?!? I know that tool; it probably costs you a few thousand dollars a month… right?” She replied, “Yeeeaahh…” I tried to breathe to calm down and gather myself. Then I responded, “If you are comfortable spending that amount of money you should be fine spending $70 on tools you’ll actually use.”

Ok, I’m worked up just writing this out so let me do some quick breathing and I’ll be back….

… That’s better. So why do we feel so passionately about this, especially DC (during COVID-19)?

What do people always want, despite a global crisis? Human connection, great customer service and fast responses. Layer on a once-in-a-100-year pandemic and dwindling consumer confidence. Now the very few active customers out there also need empathy. And last I checked, bots haven’t figured that one out.

Why did bots come on so strong in the past 18 months? They were trying to solve the problem of slow response and no response. That existed because the market was in overdrive and we couldn’t keep up. Our online and onsite sales teams were overwhelmed and understaffed, and we needed something to help ease the pressure. I also think a lot of sales and marketing leaders were sucked into the “hype cycle” and didn’t want to be left out.

How effective are bots in the home builder world? Not very. Chat and text bots are glorified “if/then” tools that need most of the actual responses programmed. So they really aren’t that smart. We’ve tried them all. With every builder, community and floor plan being so varied it’s hard to leverage A.I. to learn anything and apply it to the next builder.

Bots are expensive. I think that’s our biggest beef. Compared to other critical business tools they were 5-10 times the amount monthly. If the price was more in line with other essential tools that add value, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. The great thing about the internet is democratization, but the prices we see feels more like highway robbery.

Sales pros are worried about their job; I’m sure they don’t mind talking to prospects. Seriously, a lot of builders are laying off or furloughing sales professionals. Some areas in lockdown are letting go of entire teams. All of the sudden we have a lot of hungry sales professionals that would gladly chat, text, FaceTime or talk with potential prospects any hour of the day.

We are finally meeting customer expectations. For a solid three+ years only a handful of online sales professionals received grades of 90 percent or higher on our secret shops. What has changed in the past few weeks? Well, we’re seeing a much better result. In fact, we received our first ever 104 percent score just last week. The online sales pro aced the shop plus got extra credit. Funny how a crisis will sharpen you up.

We still need automation. Of course, we still need a level of automation. Whether it’s follow-up, phone trees or chat trees, it’s always good to have a process in place to help direct customers to the right person. But if they raise their virtual hand and have a question or want to talk, you better have a human ready or they’ll move on.

What about AC (after COVID-19)? Hopefully the bots will be smarter and more affordable. If leads become overwhelming and unmanageable and the pendulum swings back to the way it was the four months BC then sure, sign me up and let’s solve some problems with robots.

What about after hours when chat is not staffed?Love it! We recommend turning your “chat” into more of an interactive form. Setting the expectation that if you provide a little bit of information we will have someone reach out to you the next business day. Just don’t have a “bot” pretend it is a human or try to have a conversation that goes nowhere.

Until then, furlough your bot.

So what now? Minimize the automation on the front end. If you have chat bots in place (and they are affordable, like Drift, Chatbot, Intercom or Hubspot’s free bot), just make sure you limit the amount of bot interaction on the front end. Let customers choose their own adventure. If they have sales questions, start your clock and engage at warp speed!

If you have text bots, just get rid of them (unless they are affordable). Have your people text people. You don’t need a text bot trying to figuring out if someone is interested. If they are engaging virtually – or especially in person – it’s the best lead EVER!

At Do You Convert we love innovation and technology. We welcome tools to help us enhance the customer experience. At the end of the day, this is ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER and what they think matters the most.

We are also open to debate, so use the comments below or on whatever platform this is posted and let us know if you agree or disagree.

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