Our reliance on telecommunications to feed our digital habits has placed even greater emphasis on the standards of customer service these organizations deliver. When it comes to customer service, telecommunications companies around the world come in for a fair bit of criticism.
Whether it be a mobile, broadband/internet, telephone, satellite or cable services provider, customers are constantly venting their frustration at poor customer service. The lack of communication ability is ironic given ‘communication’ is so prominent in the industry name. Of course, the issue of poor customer service is not unique to the telecommunications industry. There are many other industries that also need to up their game when it comes to customer service.
The frustration of many customers is related to them knowing that technology is available that could make their lives easier and deliver on their service needs and can’t understand why companies are not using it.
The poor customer service being experienced by many, around the world, is denting the reputation of telecommunications companies today. But, with the right technology, the issues annoying customers can be rectified affordably, quickly and designed in ways to meet customers’ personalised needs.
Conversational AI
Today’s conversational AI solutions, developed and deployed by industry experts, are now at a level of sophistication where chatbots and voicebots are nearly indistinguishable from human interactions.
Telco companies that are using conversational AI as part of their customer experience strategies, can provide fast and effortless customer service at any time, on any device and platform, and in a way that aligns to the customer’s expectation.
Implementing chatbots and voicebots can solve many of the most complained about telco customer service issues, as well as enhance a telco’s reputation and increase their financial stability. However, achieving these results is dependent on several factors:
1) The features and functionalities of the chosen conversational AI platform
2) Knowledge management expertise of chosen conversational AI solution provider
3) Technology integration capability to enable a best of breed ecosystem
4) Flexibility of AI deployment to enable both generative and curated content sharing, and
5) Human-in-control default approach, guaranteeing compliance, security, and privacy
What do customers want?
Telecommunications companies know what customers want. There are so many reports, studies and feedback from customers telling them. Customers know what they want, and they have been telling telecommunications companies for years.
It’s time telecommunications companies act or face the consequences of customer churn and revenue loss.
Customers value:
- Speed (no waiting)
- Convenience and accessibility (time, platform, and channel of choice)
- Transparency (data privacy protocols/standards, protection of personal information) and,
- Accurate knowledge (verified, correct, authorized and binding communication).
Conversational AI solutions can give customers what they’re looking for
The first non-negotiable in delivering a great customer experience is a conversational AI platform that can act as the orchestration and management center for the entire conversational AI ecosystem. The platform should seamlessly integrate and enable customization with regards each organization’s technology, applications, content, security, compliance and governance controls, and brand personality requirements.
It should be a highly secure, fast, powerful center for omnichannel conversational AI, integrating multiple channels and platforms to ensure that customers can engage anytime, anywhere, and on any device of the customers’ choosing.
Creative Virtual’s V-Studio platform is a conversational AI management and orchestration platform, that is powered by our V-Intelligence. V-Studio is the enabler for our V-Person chatbots and voicebots to engage in highly sophisticated customer interactions – anytime, any channel, any device.
V-Studio | delivering what customers are looking for
Speed, convenience, and accessibility
When it comes to the fast-paced world of today, speed is of the essence. No waiting, no queuing, no hold music. Customers want and expect immediate access to help whenever, wherever and using whatever device they choose. Irrespective of the digital platform or communication medium (voice, message, email, chat) that a customer is using, the expectation is ‘instant attention and satisfaction”.
Creative Virtual’s V-Studio platform architecture enables organizations to deliver the immediacy customers crave. And deliver it wherever and however the customer chooses.
We know that everyone has their own preferences of app, platform, device, and medium they wish to use when online. Using V-Studio means that companies can serve customers where they are, removing the need for customers to search out where the company is. Telco companies must be where the customer is in terms of time, channel, and importantly the language of the customer’s choosing and personalized preferences.
The embedded intelligence in Creative Virtual’s V-Studio platform, known as V-Intelligence, enables the seamless adoption of a hybrid approach that brings the most appropriate generative and/or curated content to customers. The V-Studio platform continuously orchestrates, manages, and joins up the content and conversations. This includes handover to Live Chat, when necessary, based on criteria set by the telco, and without any loss of context, or thread from earlier discussions. The conversation is always moved forwards towards resolution and satisfaction.
Immediate customer interactions, on their terms, delivering the convenience, speed, and accessibility they look for is possible with V-Studio powering V-Person chatbots and voicebots.
Transparency
The overriding architecture of our V-Studio platform allows for humans to still be in control. There is no AI wild west when using V-Studio. It not only has embedded intelligence (V-Intelligence), as mentioned previously, but has built-in guardrails, controls, and compliance settings. All these features can be set by the telco ensuring they are managing their reputation, conversation content, and brand image.
The cutting-edge security ensures customer data stays private and secure. System and process compliance meets GDPR requirements whilst enabling companies to still deliver the personalization and customization that customers look for.
The structures of compliance and security are no inhibitors to enabling conversations that are in the tone of a brand’s personality, keeping brand integrity, and enhancing reputation and ensuring consistency.
Accuracy
Trust between telcos and customers is critical to retention and loyalty. At the center of trust is accuracy. At a time when misinformation, disinformation and fake news abound, the integrity of brand information has become heightened. Customers expect the information passed to them by a company is correct, and that the conversations and engagements they have with brands are truthful.
Every brand has a responsibility to ensure that the information they share is correct. To be able to guarantee this, they must keep control over their content – both AI generated and human curated.
Human control is the permanent override of the V-Studio platform. This ensures brands can effectively manage their reputation and make the decisions on the content they will share. The systems and processes of content dissemination can be set by a company, based on their specific compliance, governance, and risk profile. With V-Studio there is no out of control AI, as humans are always in control of the AI.
Bringing together both generative and curated content ensures that the speed, convenience, and accessibility demands of customers are met, whilst at the same time enabling brands to deliver the transparency and accuracy customers look for.
Strengthening customer service from Telcos
Adopting conversational AI solutions enables telcos to deliver to the customer service standards expected. Incorporating these solutions into a customer experience strategy also ensures that customer service agents have the time to deal with complex situations and customers that may not be able to use the digital channels available.
Smart customer conversational AI solutions integrate digital self-service and human assisted channels, giving customers the choice they’re looking for. They are omnichannel, instantaneous, and make the lives of customers easier. Conversational AI solutions should not work in isolation. They must seamlessly integrate with all business and operational support systems and processes, including all CRMs, databases, platforms.
Rightly, the focus when designing and deploying conversational AI solutions is on the customer, the business benefits that result are operationally, financially, and reputationally positive.
Creative Virtual has been a leading innovator in conversational AI for over 20 years. Our award-winning V-Person technology which includes our V-Studio platform, V-Intelligence, chatbots has enabled telcos to provide the customer service that customers are looking for, and created genuine business value that has driven growth and success.
