How Will Amazon's Fire Phone Compare to the Rest? Should "MayDay" Evolve into a Virtual Assistant?

A couple weeks ago, Amazon unveiled their latest device to hit the market soon, the Fire Phone. As noted in the video, it has the look of standard smartphones, but inhabits a couple new features unique to the Fire Phone. For example, Dynamic Perspective takes 3D display technology to a whole new level. "The display is meant to give viewers a sense of looking deeper into the screen (technically called positive parallax) rather than creating images that "jump out" (negative parallax)." (How 'Dynamic Perspective' Brings 3D to the Amazon Fire Phone). 

With innovative components such as Dynamic Perspective and Firefly (a universal product scanner that allows you to identify and buy objects, in real time), you would think Amazon has a chance to compete with the top brands in the smartphone space (e.g. Samsung, Apple, and more). But with all these new features, a lot of technical support questions will follow. Similar to Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX, the Fire Phone will have a MayDay button to provide 24/7, live support via video chat. Using this as a first line of defense for support can quickly become expensive and time consuming. According to an analyst, Dan Miller, at Opus Research, "If the MayDay 'rep' continues to be a live agent, it will be a matter of training, workforce optimization and knowledge management. Yet I still maintain that, for MayDay to be done right, it is just a matter of time before it turns into a fully automated intelligent assistant, in which case it will depend on advances in life-like automated speech, natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)." (Amazon's "Fire" Phone and MayDay Will Redefine "Mobile Assistance"). 

With the increasing volume of MayDay users approaching, do you agree that Amazon will need to turn MayDay into a Virtual Assistant? What about  the absence of a 'butler-style' Virtual Assistant (i.e. Siri, Google Now, Cortana, etc.). Will this effect sales and/or user satisfaction? Leave a comment and let us know what you think. 

www.nohold.com

A Look Back at noHold's Top Stories of the Week

This week has been full of exciting news. Take a look back at noHold’s top stories of the week.

1. Eugene Becomes the First Robot to Pass the Turing Test

2. Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: “How Do I Check for Outages in my Area?”

"How do I check the status of my order?" "How do I log into my new router?" Consumers always have 'how to' questions, such as these, when dealing with any company, regardless of the industry. Each company has the power to provide immediate answers to these questions, while increasing customer satisfaction. 

3. noHold Virtual Agent Recognized by Satisfied Customer

4. Throwback Thursday: The Past, Present, and Future of Online Shopping

I’ll leave you with this photo to start of your weekend off with a little laughter. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: bentspine.com

Throwback Thursday: The Past, Present, and Future of Online Shopping

“One of the first known Web purchases took place in 1994. It was a pepperoni pizza with mushrooms and extra cheese from Pizza Hut” (TIME.com; A Brief History of Online Shopping).Today, we use the Internet to purchase almost anything: books, groceries, computers, etc. The majority of Americans are embracing the growing trend and utilizing the convenience of online shopping, but just like in-store consumers, it is important for companies to provide their online audience with an excellent customer experience, too.

According to a Forrester report from 2010, “57% of US online consumers report that they are very likely to abandon an online purchase if they cannot find quick answers to their questions. However, satisfaction with online self-service has room to improve. To reinvigorate online customer service, eBusiness professionals should give virtual agents another look” (It’s Time to Give Virtual Agents another Look, 2010). When looking at eCommerce in 2014, it is apparent that companies are devoting more attention to improving their eCommerce strategy and using cutting edge technology to provide their consumers with world class service, virtually.    

There is no sign of slowing down for Virtual Agents assisting online shopping in the near future either. A trusted analyst firm predicted that the number of online purchases made via a Virtual Assistant will continue to grow into the coming years. With more and more well known brands embracing and even acquiring Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) as part of their own strategy, this is proof that the era of smart machines is upon us. 

Check out this slideshare, How to Increase Sales by Tracking Four Specific Problems, to find out how a Virtual Agent can work as a 24/7 sales person.

What do you expect in the future for online shopping? How do you think Virtual Agents/A.I. will impact the way we make purchases online?

www.nohold.com

noHold Virtual Agent Recognized by Satisfied Customer

Take a look at these statistics.

1.    A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. –White House Office of Consumer Affairs

2.    Happy customers who get their issue resolved tell about 4-6 people about their experience. –White House Office of Consumer Affair

Source: 15 Statistics That Should Change the Business World—But Haven’t

Knowing this, it is gratifying to hear positive feedback from users. Recently, a woman ran into an issue with her laptop battery. She used a Virtual Agent to troubleshoot her problem and shared her experience on Facebook…

As we mentioned before in this slideshare, sometimes happy customers become your best sales people. We'd love to hear about the experiences you have had with a Virtual Agent. Let us know by leaving a comment below. Cheers!

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: "How Do I Check for Outages in my Area?"

"How do I check the status of my order?" "How do I log into my new router?" Consumers always have 'how to' questions, such as these, when dealing with any company, regardless of the industry. Each company has the power to provide immediate answers to these questions, while increasing customer satisfaction. 

The inspiration for this blog came from an article titled, 12 Ways to Improve Android Battery Life. It got me thinking about all the cutting edge, lesser known features that gadgets have, that most people don’t know how to use. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about embedding 'how to' videos into Virtual Agent responses to visually represent the solution to an issue, but Virtual Agents are equally used for supplying ‘how to’ solutions via a conversation.

Using the article mentioned above as an example, the user wanted to know how to improve the battery life of the Android phone. Instead of searching through articles online, a more direct and interactive way to find out would be to ask a Virtual Agent. The Virtual Agent can then give you a list of steps on how to save the life of your battery, in real time.

Also, finding cool new ‘how to’ hacks for a new device is social currency and encourages sharing with friends and family. “Hey, did you know your device can do this?!” You can easily share the solution(s) you found with your social audience directly through a sharing mechanism that can be embedded into the Virtual Agent.

What are some of the most commonly asked ‘how to’ questions? Are the solutions difficult to find and share, or are they presented in a conversational manner (even without the assistance of a live person)? How does your company make 'how to' questions an interactive experience for your customers? 

www.nohold.com  

Eugene Becomes the First Robot to Pass the Turing Test

Video Source: Yahoo! Tech

A few weeks ago, Russian researchers made history when they created the first robot to pass the Turing Test; they named him, Eugene. Alan Turing created this test to measure the intelligence level of a computer through the interaction of man and machine. The computer passes if more then 30% of humans can not identify that the conversation they are having is with Artificial Intelligence (A.I.).

There are a lot of mixed feelings surrounding this topic; what do you think? Does a robot tricking humans into believing A.I. are human make them a danger to mankind? Or is our society so accustomed to interacting with robots/technology already (Siri, Google Now, etc.), that making them more "human-like" is a benefit? 

I'll leave you with a quote from Professor Warwick, the organizer of the test, "In the field of Artificial Intelligence there is no more iconic and controversial milestone than the Turing Test, when a computer convinces a sufficient number of interrogators into beleiving that it is not a machine but rather is a human. Having a computer that can trick a human into thinking that someone, or even something, is a person we trust is a wake-up call to cybercrime." (Turing Test, Bested, Robot Overlords Creep Closer to Assuming Control).

www.nohold.com

Illustration of the Internet of Everything Working to Make Your Life Simpler

Check out this snapshot of a Cisco infographic. It illustrates an example of how a connected world (Internet of Everything) can help simplify your life. 

Click here to see the full document. 

How do you see your life being impacted by the Internet of Everything?

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Managing Crowded Cities with the Internet of Everything

Photo Credit: suspectphotography.com

City of Tomorrow video. 

Above is a link to a video from CNN.com about a company using traffic cameras and algorithms to reveal data about pedestrians; essentially, becoming a part of the Internet of Everything (IoE).

The video was set in New York City, one of the most crowded places in the United States, with millions of people walking around daily. The Department of Transportation would hire individuals twice a year to use umpire pitch counters and manually track the number of pedestrians walking by. Using this method is not always accurate, though. In today’s society, now that everything is connecting to the Internet, a startup called Placemeter is supporting this phenomenon. Using various cameras around the city, they can count the number of people outside and inside buildings and turn those camera feeds in useful data.

Capturing these numbers and turning them into actionable data that can be accessed by the public is just another way to stay connected through the Internet. As they mention in the video, “Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours a year waiting in lines.” This technology can help the public reduce the number of hours they spend waiting in line. 

Imagine a world where a Virtual Agent can augment this type of technology by organizing and communicating this information to humans. For example, a Virtual Agent might have access to this data and let users know how many people are at the grocery store so it can estimate how long it might take you to go shopping. Or the Virtual Agent might notify you that your favorite restaurant has a short wait time. The more information you have on a location, the better equipped you are to manage those areas.

How do you feel about the ability for cameras to count people and share this information with the public? Would a Virtual Agent help to provide the 'human element' to transform this data into loyalty and efficiency? 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agents Enhance the Customer Experience within Handheld Devices

Lately, there has been much news about trusted brands expanding product lines to include mobile devices, as well as consolidation among vendors. Top PC manufacturers are starting to realize that to stay a competitor in the industry they need to branch out to the tablet, smartphone, and wearable device markets. For example, Lenovo recently acquired Motorola Mobility from Google with the desire to strengthen its position in the smartphone market (Lenovo to Acquire Motorola Mobility from Google). Also, Dell has been reaching beyond PC’s to solidify its stake in the tablet and mobile arena. Big name companies are also preparing for the wearable device boom. Intel jumped on the wearable train and acquired Basis Science, a provider of high-end fitness trackers, along with a few other companies that specialize in wearable tech (Intel Buys Fitness Band Maker Basis Science). Amazon's recent announcement of a smartphone, further validates the demand for not only mobile devices, but enforces the consumer desire for streaming media on the go. 

While Virtual Agents are known for the ability to troubleshoot issues and answer questions about desktops and laptops, they are also flexible enough to live on handheld devices. Their lightweight characteristics give them the ability to adapt to almost all environments. In fact, noHold's CEO has talked about a future where websites take a more proactive approach and begin by asking the visitor a question first; comparable to a concierge style Virtual Agent.

Do you see the future of websites (via PC’s or mobile devices) being more proactive, intuitive and interactive? Will trusted brands start using this concierge-like approach to seamlessly guide users through their websites? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.   

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: Implementing a 'Care' Virtual Agent

Excellent customer care is a key factor in satisfying your audience and encouraging them to remain loyal. When they have a question about shipping information, it is important to be able to find a solution as quickly as possible, on their own terms. With the increasing demand for self-service, having an effective strategy for customer care questions, is equally as important as having one for support questions.

Here is an example of a noHold customer recognizing this need for customer care support. Later this week, a leader in the PC and consumer electronics industry is launching a customer care Virtual Agent. This VA is designed to answer questions regarding shipment/purchase information, account access, and more. Having both a support and customer care Virtual Agent allows users 24x7 access to get answers to all types of questions. Companies can position the Virtual Agents together (as one) within the typical support web page, or encourage consumer use by promoting an individual URL as the first line of defense for customer care issues, specifically.  

Customers want to know that the company they purchase from is there to help every step of the way: before, during, and after the purchase. From a customer experience stand point, nurturing the relationship is imperative to keeping current customers and gaining new ones. A Virtual Agent can help through all aspects of the customer journey, coming full circle to create loyal customers by…

• Engaging prospective customers through personalized marketing
• Guiding them along the sales process by educating and up-selling
• Providing excellent customer care
• Supporting them as they maintain a valued customer

How does your company handle customer care questions? Do you see Virtual Agents as being a link between the various stages of the customer journey?

www.nohold.com

A Virtual Agent for the Internal Help Desk: 92% of Users Would Recommend it to a Colleague

Here at noHold we work with clients from multiple industries to provide them with the most interactive and diagnostic Virtual Agent solution. We are able to customize each Virtual Agent based on specific needs for individual companies. For example, one company was looking to reduce Average Handle Time (AHT) while still providing their customers with a great experience. In this case, they utilized the Call Center App, a VA designed for Call Center agents to reduce churn, AHT, and aid in training and consistency. 

Albert is another example of a Virtual Agent designed to improve the customer experience. Albert was created for internal use; to answer employee questions about the latest devices, applications, and operating systems. While Albert is an expert at all things IT, that is not the only topics he knows about. Albert has the flexibility to answer a wide array of questions specific to your company. For example, concerns involving HR and company policies. A custom version of Albert can be created to optimize employee use and satisfaction. 

Here is a video demo of Albert to show you how he operates.  

If you are interested in 'meeting' Albert, you can take a  test drive. By participating, you will be able to try out the Virtual Agent first hand and provide noHold with valuable feedback so we can continue to improve Albert. Participants who complete the test drive, can get a complimentary t-shirt. (Please note: sizes are limited, and shipping is limited to North America). 

Click here to take Albert for a spin. Enjoy!

www.nohold.com and albertai.com

World Cup 2014 MVP...Technology: The First 'Digital World Cup'

Photo Credit: hdwallphotos.com

Who is excited for the World Cup to kick-off!? This afternoon (1:00 pm PST) Brazil will be facing off against Croatia in the first match-up of World Cup 2014: Brazil!  

This World Cup is going to be much different than the previous years, though. People are referring to it as the first ‘digital World Cup’ impart because of the the emphasis on smartphone applications and fan connectivity via social media. Twitter is going to be a sort of ‘ESPN zone’ for your phone; fans can stay updated with their favorite teams and share with others their own thoughts using ‘hashflags’ (tweeting using the three letter code for their country, i.e. #ITA). “The popularity of smartphones will make this year’s World Cup the most connected and interactive tournament ever” (Source: Why World Cup 2014 will be the Most High-Tech Tournament Yet).

Looks like wearable devices are making an appearance this year as well; FIFA is introducing goal line technology. Now, multiple cameras will be mounted on the goal and once the ball crosses the line, a notification will go out to wrist watches the referees will be wearing indicating ‘GOAL.’ This technology will be particularly useful for referees to determine if the ball passed the line in unclear situations.

Even the soccer balls are getting updated with cutting edge technology and aerodynamic designs. During training, various countries used a ‘smart ball’ equipped with sensors inside the ball to detect speed, spin, strike, and flight trajectory, as well as determining impact points for penalties and corners. Utilizing this technology gives insight into specific data that can help teach players how to improve their game (Source: http://micoach.adidas.com/us/smartball). Check out how much the official World Cup soccer ball design has changed over time.

Photo Credit: fastcompany.com

These were just a few of the technology highlights that will make their way to World Cup 2014. More tech advancements include security robots, foam spray to draw temporary lines, futuristic soccer cleats, World Cup Instagram profile, different ways to stay cool in the hot weather conditions, and more.  With all these new technologies and innovations, how do you think this will impact the games?

www.nohold.com

Majority of Users Preferred Interacting with a Virtual Agent as a First Line of Support

Recently, noHold has been conducting A/B testing to test the end user experience for some of our clients. A group of noHold team members randomly asked coffee shop goers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in a short experiment regarding support site functionality. Each participant was asked to find the solution to a possible problem they might face if working with a certain brand. For example, we asked participants to imagine that they wanted to find out if lead is present in products from a leading manufacturer of home appliances.The interested parties were asked to find the answer using A) the brands current support site and then B) the brands support site implemented with a Virtual Agent. 

So far, we have done this testing with a few clients and have learned a lot from users' feedback. Most people preferred interacting with the Virtual Agent to find the solution because of its easy-to-navigate, clean user interface. While most people enjoyed using the Virtual Agent, some people still stuck with what was familiar to them. For example, one participant went straight for the 'contact us' form without trying to find the answer on his own because that was what he was accustomed to.    
I'll leave you with this statistic that explains the soon to be shift within the customer service space, which also applies to customer support. "Worldwide demographics will affect customer service. Generation Y will account for 33% of the global population by 2020. They want to communicate via social networks and be empowered by self-service" (Source: Orange Business Services; Delivering the New Customer Experience). 

How does your company plan to meet or exceed the demand for modern customer service strategies in these upcoming generations?

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: Making Adjustments to Your Virtual Agent and Self-Service Over Time

One of the biggest questions companies need to ask themselves is, "Do our support options still work best for our customers?" It is important to take some time to re-evaluate implementations, technologies and strategies to make sure what was working then, is still working now. 

In parallel with the customer journey on the website, noHold customers are always looking for ways to further enhance the Virtual Agent and self-service experience. For example, one noHold customer has opted to update the Virtual Agent's User Interface (UI) while asking end users to select his/her specific product before beginning a conversation. This updated experience with the Virtual Agent will streamline the interaction and guide the end user to best solutions related to his or her specific product. 

Keeping up with customer demand, and modernizing support is a major contributor to revolutionizing the customer experience. Virtual Agents can be updated quickly, can automatically capture the voice of the customer, and can be positioned across channels. 

How often do you evaluate and modernize the customer experience? In your opinion, what are the best ways to retrofit self-service without compromising customer satisfaction? 

www.nohold.com

Exclusive Interview: Diego Ventura Talks with Connected World Magazine About IoE and AI

The CEO and founder of noHold, Diego Ventura, sat down with Tim Lindner of Connected World Magazine to talk about the Internet of Everything (IoE) and how Virtual Agents are a growing part of this phenomenon. Below is the introduction to the article; to read the full interview, please click here.   

Introduction
"At the close of 2012, Ray Kurzweil, a well-known inventor, futurist, and founder of Singularitarianism, posted a brief article in his online newsletter entitled "How the Internet of Everything Will Change the World."

His primary source was Cisco, which at the time was beginning its transformation into a company primarily focused on supplying the infrastructure that would support the explosive growth it forecasted as the world embraced the IoE (Internet of Everything).

Cisco made the statement that "more than 99% of things in the physical world are still not connected to the Internet." Cisco went on to state that "by 2020, 37 billion intelligent things will be connected to the Internet." 2020 is less than six years away.

As Cisco defines it, "The Internet of Everything builds on the foundation of the IoT (Internet of Things) by adding network intelligence that allows convergence, orchestration, and visibility across previously disparate systems."

Like the iceberg, the things we can see, such as connected-smart devices in people's hands or cars, is just a small part of the whole. The larger part unseen by most is the infrastructure that connects those devices and makes the Internet of Everything work.

It is here, unseen but an important player in the functioning of the infrastructure, "adding network intelligence that allows convergence, orchestration, and visibility across previously disparate systems," that we find Diego Ventura and his company, noHold, Inc. Recently Connected World magazine's Tim Lindner sat down with the very distinguished Ventura to have a very candid conversation about how he plans on charting a course for noHold straight into the future of the Internet of Everything. What we learned is that what noHold does will at some point in the future touch your lives on a daily basis. It will soon be very transparent to you. All you will see, hear, and touch will be his company's Virtual Agents."

To read the full interview, visit: Diego Ventura, CEO, noHold Talks IoE and AI

For more information about noHold, visit: www.nohold.com

Apple Embraces the Internet of Everything with the Announcement of HomeKit

Photo Credit: techcrunch.com

On Monday (June 2), Apple announced their official dive into the smart home device market at WWDC 2014. HomeKit, as they call it now, is "a new toolkit for iOS 8 developers that will create a standard for developers to pair their iPhones with different smart home devices. That will make it simpler for users to provide secure access to those devices" (Apple Introduces HomeKit to Securely Pair iPhones with Smart Home Devices).

This further validates the need to experience the Internet of Everything in simpler terms. Being able to manage multiple devices through a single user interface, plus the integration with a Virtual Agent to act as a 'butler' and streamline all interactions, revolutionizes users' experiences.  

Do you think Apple is beating out the competition with their latest smart home platform? Check out this article, Apple HomeKit vs. Samsung, Google + Comcast, and let us know what you think about the current state of the home automation market. 

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: Insider Interview with VP of Worldwide Customer Advocacy

Circa 2010, noHold had the privilege to get an exclusive interview about noHold Connect (formerly known as Confederated Knowledge) with Cisco's VP of Worldwide Customer Advocacy, D. Jay Pederson. Here is a snippet from the interview.  

"How do your customers feel about your support initiatives? 

According to our online survey, more customers perceive our online support initiatives very positively and are satisfied with the support options available to them online. 

Where do you see the industry heading, both in general, and specifically as it relates to support? 

Several industry indicators lead us to believe that there are more collaborative support efforts among key industry players, in areas such as inter-operability where support boundaries begin to blur. Also more companies have support presence in new social media channels such as Twitter, and Facebook, which are out of those companies’ domain. Social media dictates a new engagement model with customers and has a significant impact on brand image and equity."

To read the full document, please click here.  

Fast forward to today, I'm curious to see how these answers might have changed? Where do YOU see the industry heading, both in general, and specifically as it relates to support? 

www.nohold.com 

Leading Analyst Firm Predicts Cognizant Computing to Include Virtual Agents

Photo Credit: smartplanet.com

In today’s market, cognizant computing is making a breakthrough. It is the cutting edge technology that customizes services, products, and advertising to individual consumer based on information gathered straight from those consumers. For example, cognizant computing allows ‘Brand X’ to advertise sales on tablets to Joe because he searched for tablet sales, and that same brand can advertise device accessories to Suzie because she has a purchasing history of device accessories. Of course, this is a basic example, and cognizant computing involves more complex algorithms to determine what each customer wants.

Photo Credit: coolmomtech.com

Just recently, Apple announced the newest version of its Operating System (iOS 8) to include features that will personalize user experiences through cognizant computing. They unveiled the “intuitive typing technology that can predict replies to text messages based on the content of the text and the person you’re talking with” (Apple Announces iOS 8, with an Overhauled Keyboard and Self-Destructing Audio Messages). In essence, your device will recognize who you are talking to and adapt the predictive text accordingly. So, if you are talking to a colleague, the predictive text will appear more professional, as opposed to talking to a close friend where the predictive text will be a bit more laid back. 

This type of cognizant computing is paving the way for everyone else. Soon, users of all types of devices will expect this type of customized interaction, not only for mobile apps, but even on the web. Virtual Agents are going to be able to collect data from users and provide them with more specific information to what pertains to them. Also, cognizant Virtual Agents are going to be able to purchase things online for 'me.' Leading analyst firms agree that Virtual Agents are going to be to apps, what search is to websites; but with most people using mobile devices to browse the web, Virtual Agents are going to be expected for website interactions as well.

What do you expect when interacting with a Virtual Agent? What is your opinion on cognizant computing and the future of technology for end users? 

www.nohold.com

Can a Virtual Agent Decide What Kind of Tablet Best Fits Your Personality?

Photo Credit: stores.macmall.com

We have all seen the fun, social quizzes typically on Facebook to find out, “What Star Wars Character is Most like You?” or “Who is Your Perfect Literary Boyfriend/Girlfriend?” Once in a while, we come across one that strikes our interest and we get pulled in to take it.

Many popular brands use these types of quizzes to engage their audience, and promote sharing among friends via social media. By doing so, brands are able to create a unique experience, increase engagement, while spreading brand awareness to prospective clients without having to do it directly themselves.

One way to implement quizzes is through a Virtual Agent. Using fun quizzes as a part of the Virtual Agent experience will encourage more users to interact. A core part of the technology used for a Virtual Agent is its ability to provide an interactive and diagnostic experience for users. Meaning, it can take the answers from the quiz, and using logic, turn them into meaningful metrics. For example, a company in the consumer electronics industry that is focusing on tablet sales can include a quiz in the Virtual Agent that might ask, “What Kind of Tablet Best Fits Your Personality?” Take the photo above: an Apple superstore created a quiz, "Which iPhone 5s Color Are You?" People were interested in taking the survey, increasing engagement, and participants were encouraged to buy the product they thought best suited them according to the results. By incorporating a fun quiz into the Virtual Agent experience, you create 'stickiness', promote sharing, while capturing actionable customer intelligence, among other benefits. 

Tell us how your company leverages quizzes to increase customer engagement. Have you thought about using a Virtual Agent as a customer experience companion? 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agents Can Provide 'How To' Videos for Visual Learners

Last week, we talked about embedding surveys into Virtual Agent solutions to encourage users to complete a survey by making it more fun and interactive. The same concept about embedding surveys into Virtual Agents can be applied for 'How To' videos, as well.  

It is estimated that about 65% of the entire population are visual learners (Prime Infographics). Most people prefer to see how something is done rather than read about it. Knowing this, we need to adapt self-service support solutions to include options for all types of learners.  

Take the video above for example. In this video, by Donald Bell from CNET, he demonstrates how to take your old PC data and store it in the cloud. Since this is a hot topic now, a lot of people will be asking, "How do you do this?" Explaining this process through text only can be confusing to some and a bit lengthy, but adding a 'How To' video into the Virtual Agent solution, it offers supplementary information that can aid in the support process. In addition, the Virtual Agent makes finding videos much easier than traditional search. By positioning the video as part of a solution, end users can play a short clip and visualize how to fix their problem. 

Here is an example of a Virtual Agent that provided the answer to a question AND a supplementary instruction video. 

Note: In this example, the Virtual Agent being used is SalesAdvisor. A Virtual Agent designed to educate, advise, and cross-sell to prospective customers in real-time. 

How does your company make it easy for customers to find video solutions? Does typical search retrieve a list of potential solutions where the customer has to 'guess' which visual is the answer to his/her questions? 

www.nohold.com