In an increasingly connected world, customer service is the secret ingredient to stand out from the competition. But how do you do it? Imagine a team of experts who are always available, able to deliver a personalised service in record time, with no time limits. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not! Virtual agents, powered by artificial intelligence, have completely transformed the customer service landscape. They make it possible to deliver an engaging experience to each user, anticipating their needs and surprising them with effective solutions.
Customer engagement has never been easier, and business opportunities are multiplying thanks to this revolutionary technology. It’s time to make a difference and take your business to the next level!
But do we know what exactly a virtual agent is?
Virtual agents are artificial intelligence programs that use language and advanced models to conduct real-time conversations through different media. These programs can not only understand and answer questions, but can also take on specific roles to serve customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Where to implement virtual agents?
Virtual agents can effectively manage customer service via chat, phone, WhatsApp, Facebook and even video call, solving common queries and transferring the more complex ones to the human team.
Let’s take a practical case: a restaurant uses a virtual agent via WhatsApp to receive takeaway orders. Customers can interact with the virtual agent to select their order and make payment without having to speak to a human agent, speeding up the process and improving satisfaction.
Features that improve customer service productivity
Virtual agents offer a wide range of solutions that streamline operations and enrich the customer experience significantly.
One of the key advantages of conversational agents is their ability to identify customers in a quick and secure way. Using voice biometrics, they can distinguish important aspects of the user, such as gender or age. This not only improves the security of interactions, but also speeds up the customer service process.
Intent recognition is another outstanding feature of virtual agents. These systems can classify and assign conversations based on origin, language or intent. For example, if a call center handles calls from different countries, this agent can automatically identify the language in which the customer is communicating and direct the call to the human agent who speaks that specific language. This feature ensures smooth and efficient communication.
Another important solution is their ability to answer frequently asked questions. By freeing human teams from repetitive and monotonous tasks, these systems allow humans to focus on solving more complex problems and providing a more personalised service.
In addition, virtual agents play an essential role in order tracking and status enquiries. For example, in an online shop, a virtual agent can track the status of orders and provide up-to-date information on the location and estimated delivery date of the package.
Virtual agents are also experts at collecting customer data, which speed up procedures and simplifies bureaucratic tasks. By requesting and storing relevant information, these systems facilitate operations such as profile updates, address changes and other actions that previously required the intervention of a human agent.
Another area where virtual agents are helpful is in sending and managing reminders. For example, in a medical centre, these systems can automatically send text messages or emails to patients to remind them of their appointments. This functionality helps to reduce cancellations and no-shows, which in turn optimises the medical centre’s schedule and ensures a more efficient patient flow.
At the same time, they guarantee the security of conversations and comply with the GDPR, protecting customer data. In other words, if a hypothetical bank were to use this technology to provide financial assistance to its customers, the platform would ensure end-to-end encryption of interactions, protecting customer financial information and complying with GDPR regulations.
Finally, conversational agents minimise errors by detecting details that humans might miss, avoiding repeating mistakes.
Virtual agents have proven to be a powerful tool that offers multiple solutions to improve customer service productivity in different industries. Their ability to have natural conversations, handle multiple interactions simultaneously, and learn from each interaction makes them a valuable resource for companies looking to provide exceptional and efficient customer service. By implementing it into their operations, companies can benefit from a personalised experience, increased productivity, and a deeper understanding of the customer, allowing them to stand out in a competitive marketplace and meet the evolving consumer expectations.
