With access to a combined 4.2m (mostly free) apps across multiple platforms, the world’s smartphone users are spoiled for choice when it comes to the availability of tools to boost their productivity and connectivity. Yet it seems many are not taking full advantage of what’s on offer: Deloitte’s most recent Global Mobile Consumer survey reveals that many users in the UK are deleting apps as a way to remedy smartphone overuse and digital fatigue.
This could suggest that people are becoming less reliant on a broad range of apps as a whole, and are instead utilising a handful of tools they use frequently, such as Facebook Messenger or Skype. This is where virtual assistants, bots and chatbots – in-app virtual assistants designed to help you get things done faster – come in.
In fact, you’re likely to have come across a few bots already – Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are four of the most prominent. Now, Facebook Messenger is delving into the world of bots too, by allowing AI to take over customer service on business messaging platforms, providing a more conversational interface that takes very little getting to grips with.
With a friendly welcome of: “We are here to assist you!” KLM Airlines uses a Facebook Messenger bot to automate flight bookings, help users check departures or arrival times and answer queries. The Wall Street Journal bot provides readers with breaking news, market data and stock charts. Currently, thousands of similar bots in Facebook Messenger can send video, audio and gifs. Similarly, through Skype, a bot for the flight booking platform SkyScanner can help arrange a travel itinerary and – once you’re there – can use FourSquare to check you in, keeping your friends and family updated.
All of which makes customer interaction friendlier, easier and – perhaps more importantly – more cost-effective for any business. However, in 2018 it’ll take more than a few automated replies to break away from the noise. Expect human-machine conversation to involve voice-to-text dialogue, text-to-speech and even the use of facial recognition to gain access to personal data.
But, if you’re not a multinational airline or vast social network, what can bots mean for your business? There are already some “off the shelf” AI tools available, offered by the likes of Nanorep and Botfuel – and while they still don’t come super-cheap, the cost of entry for such technologies will likely drop in the not too distant future. Put simply, an AI-driven service assistant could fix and answer recurring customer concerns with friendly conversation and informed answers.
Last year, Vodafone launched TOBi, an AI service assistant and Vodafone’s “virtual agent” that allows customers quick and easy access – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – for information and queries, such as: “How much does it cost to use my phone in Italy?” and “Is my phone set up to make calls abroad?” If it can’t help, TOBi tags in a human agent to support the customer further.
“There are times when we all want to speak with an adviser, but there are also times when we have a simple question which requires a simple answer,” explains Neil Blagden, director of commercial and customer operations at Vodafone. “It’s about making sure that everybody gets the information that they need, as quickly as possible.”
Vodafone customers have already reacted positively to TOBi’s integration, says Blagden. “TOBi was introduced to make their lives easier. If he has the knowledge to help solve the problem quickly, he will. At the moment, he’s limited to text-based conversation, through instant messaging, or on our website or app. But in the near future, TOBi could have a voice, and our customers could be able to speak to him directly, opening up a whole world of possibilities.”
Thankfully, you needn’t have swathes of niche engineers or warehouses of industry-leading tech to access bots for your business, says Blagden. “It can be delivered in a way that doesn’t require heavy investment or niche software development skills. All of the conversational experiences that happen with TOBi have been designed and configured by individuals we recruited from our own contact centres.”
Crucially, this helps bridge a gap between businesses and their customers and is paving the way for Vodafone’s customer-facing teams, leaving TOBi to resolve a large proportion of customer queries.
“Teaching our team to construct this with the software available was a relatively simple task, because they have so much experience of what customer service means in real terms,” he says.
All of which, you’ll agree, makes a smart business.
This article originally appeared on Your Ready Business. Content on this page is paid for and produced by Vodafone, sponsors of the Business Made Simple hub on Guardian Small Business Network
