You call Verizon. A Google bot answers. You demand a human. The human is told what to say by the bot
- Reference: 1594678144
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/07/13/if_customer_service_for_verizon/
- Source link:
“Verizon customers in search of support may soon find a more natural and streamlined digital experience, thanks to a new collaboration with Google Cloud,” the US telecoms giant [1]gushed on Monday.
“What they won’t see behind this experience is the conversational artificial intelligence that can help customer care agents respond to customer queries, as well as assist consumers directly.”
The Contact Center AI technology will, we're told, use natural-language recognition to transcribe on-the-fly customers as they talk down the line. This speech-to-text output will be fed into [2]Dialogflow , a platform that parses the text and generates responses in real-time. Similarly, written conversations with online support chatbots will be processed in real-time by Google's AI.
The overall aim is to allow subscribers to rant, er, complain away using natural language at the computer system, from their keyboards or over the phone, and the artificial intelligence should be able to work out what customers want, and help them out, without them having to navigate a menu or bark simple commands.
And presumably the aim is to sort out simple stuff quickly without a human operator having to come on the line and deal with it. Subscribers with trickier problems should also, we hope, be directed to a human being without having to negotiate their way through a menu or a script of irrelevant procedures.
The software agents can also suggest relevant online documentation, such as information on how to view or pay a bill, based on a subscriber's request.
Google answers 'Why Google Cloud?' with services and spectacle [3]READ MORE
"Whether through voice call or chat, customers will not need to go through menu prompts or option trees; they simply say or type their request, and the natural-language recognition feature finds the best way to assist them. No stilted speech or robot-like commands," Verizon claimed.
Amusingly, if you get through to a human, or demand to speak to a person, the staffer will probably just tell you what the AI wanted to say anyway: the software will, behind the scenes, provide prompts to the call-center workers.
"For live agent requests, the Contact Center AI Agent Assist feature offers Verizon’s customer care agents a real-time digital assistant that fetches relevant articles within the knowledge base, and then recommends personalized responses to agents at each turn of the conversation, assisting the care agents in effectively answering customer questions and addressing any issues," the telco said.
Google’s Contact Center AI service was launched last July and made available for general use in November. It features two main tools: virtual agent and agent assist. The former carries out basic interactions and connects customers to real humans for further support. The latter processes and transcribes calls and suggests to human agents step-by-step instructions to solve an issue.
It’s unclear how and when Verizon will deploy Google’s software. The Register has asked the cellular network giant for comment. ®
Get our [4]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-customer-google-cloud
[2] https://cloud.google.com/dialogflow/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2018/07/24/google_cloud_next/
[4] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Yet another reason to not use Verizon
I have led a Verizon-free life since January. Much happier for it.
I can hear the conversations already
System: Good morning and thank you for calling Verizon customer support. How can I help you?
Client: I am trying to activate a new phone online, but it says that the eSIM requires me to call for activation.
System: I will help you resolve this situation. First, may I have the phone number you are using to call us so we can call you back if needed?
Client: Sure. Here it is.
System: And now your subscriber number?
Client: Here.
System: And your pin?
Client: Here.
System: Thank you. The SIM card slot is usually located on the side of your phone or in the battery compartment. You may notice a small hole.
Client: Wait a minute. I have an eSIM problem, not a SIM problem.
System: You can use a paper clip to eject the SIM card tray from your device, but make sure to turn it off before you do so. If there is an existing SIM card in the device,
Client: Stop. Cancel.
System: ... remove that card from the tray and insert your new Verizon SIM card.
Client: Other query. Help. Not my question.
System: There is a triangular cutout on the card which should align with the tray.
Client: If I wait it out, will it let me do something else?
System: If your SIM card is too large for the tray, you will need to break out the smaller card ...
Two minutes later:
System: Has this solved your problem?
Client: No.
System: I'm sorry to hear that. How can I help you?
Client: Activate new device.
System: I am capable of recognizing human language. Please phrase your request in full sentences.
Client: I am having trouble activating a new device.
System: I will help you resolve this situation. Is the number you are activating the same as the number you provided earlier? That number was two [long pause] four [long pause] eight [long pause]
Client: Of course not; I can't activate, so I have to call you from a working line.
System: six [long pause] zero [long pause] [...]
Client: [after number has been read] No.
System: May I have the number of the line you are trying to activate?
Client: Here.
System: Thank you. This line is not associated with any devices on your account.
Client: Right.
System: Has this solved your problem?
Client: No.
System: I'm sorry to hear that. How can I help you?
Re: I can hear the conversations already
You made it a lot further than I would have. If it were my exchange...
Client: Operator.
System: You may state your question and I can help you. What can I do for you today?
Client: OPERATOR! (minor flying of spit)
System: Before I transfer you to an operator, what's the nature of the problem you're experiencing?
Client: (Mashes zero forcefully, hoping the force will transmit through the line)
Re: I can hear the conversations already
[moves to less idiotic provider]
Re: I can hear the conversations already
I have a rotary dial phone as my main phone here... no, really. I have learned to be VERY discerning as to what companies i will interact with, and which I will leave potentially illegal voicemails for.
Oh dear...
We are SO screwed...!
"Whether through voice call or chat, customers will not need to go through menu prompts or option trees; they simply say or type their request, and the natural-language recognition feature finds the best way to assist them. No stilted speech or robot-like commands," Verizon claimed."
Had this for years at my bank. You don't tell it what you want 'in your own words', you learn what the keywords are and just say them. 'Payments', 'Balance', 'Transfer', etc..