Speed in responding to customers is the line that separates success from frustration. A Harvard Business Review study reveals that companies that contact potential customers within an hour are seven times more likely to convert those leads compared to those that take longer.
Additionally, data from InsideSales shows that the chances of converting a lead decrease by 80% after five minutes from the initial contact. That is, the qualification probability is eight times higher in the first five minutes compared to a 5 to 24-hour interval.
In the physical world, a consumer who enters a store and is not attended to quickly may simply leave and look for another option. In the digital realm, the logic is the same, except the competition is just a click away. If a company takes too long to respond to a WhatsApp message or a quote request email, it loses the conversion opportunity to someone who got there first.
“Today, it’s no longer just about providing good service, but about being fast and high-quality. Response time determines closing a deal and, in many cases, builds customer loyalty. Those who don’t adapt lose ground,” highlights Mateus Miranda, CIO of Irrah Tech, a company specializing in digital solutions for businesses.
With increasingly demanding consumers, simply training teams to respond more quickly is not enough. Technology emerges as an essential strategy, and artificial intelligence (AI) has become a crucial tool to bring brands and customers even closer.
For example, Irrah Tech developed GPT Maker, a solution that creates and customizes chatbots to meet specific business demands. “Unlike traditional chatbots that follow rigid flows, Irrah Tech’s system interprets contexts and adjusts tone according to the customer, speeding up service by up to 50% compared to traditional systems.”
The CIO further highlights that this happens because AI is capable of responding more quickly and efficiently, handling simple issues and only forwarding more complex cases to humans, without interrupting the interaction flow—that is, without pauses or breaks in the natural conversation sequence. “The time savings come primarily from the ability to provide immediate responses, reduce waiting time, and optimize the problem-solving process. For example, in traditional service, a customer might wait for delayed responses, need to repeat information, or be transferred from one agent to another. With the mentioned system, the communication flow remains continuous, providing a faster and uninterrupted experience.”
CHATBOT learns and creates emotionally intelligent communication
Miranda explains that GPT Maker is not an ordinary chatbot. “It learns from the company’s existing content, such as websites, internal documents, and past interactions, ensuring more precise and personalized responses. Additionally, it allows ‘personifying’ the interaction, creating emotionally intelligent communication tailored to the target audience’s profile.”
The tool’s versatility allows for application in various sectors, from retail to healthcare and food. Businesses handling high service volumes, such as e-commerce and service networks, benefit from automation to maintain active support 24/7.
“Imagine a restaurant that receives dozens of orders and inquiries via WhatsApp daily. With traditional service, customers would face virtual queues, ignored messages, and lost orders. With an AI-trained chatbot, responses are instant: the customer receives the menu, selects items, makes the payment, and gets confirmation—all without human intervention. This reduces errors and increases customer loyalty as the process becomes more agile, efficient, and uninterrupted, providing a more satisfactory and hassle-free service experience.”
In the fashion industry, automation is already a reality. Kigi, another product from IRRAH, is an ERP integrated with WhatsApp and an e-commerce platform tailored for retailers in this segment. “Beyond facilitating sales, the solution speeds up communication with customers and suppliers by automating processes that previously required manual time and effort,” explains Miranda.
With accelerated digitalization, response time will remain a decisive factor for customer experience. Tools like Dispara Aí and Plug Chat, both from Irrah Tech, are already being adopted by companies looking to optimize WhatsApp for marketing automation and service management.
“Technology doesn’t replace the human factor but complements it. In the end, what consumers want is a fast, personalized, and frustration-free experience. And AI is the best ally to deliver that,” concludes the expert.
