Virtual Assistant Usage to Increase in 2019

noHold, Inc. Welcomes 2019!

Happy New Year! As we all start getting back into our routines after what hopefully was a great holiday, I wanted to share a quick read from Forbes contributor, Bernard Marr, "5 Important Artificial Intelligence Predictions (For 2019) Everyone Should Read."

According to Forbes, this year we can expect to see many positive things come from the AI space. For one, AI use cases will continue to become more wide spread throughout different industries and sectors. Companies (in every industry) have seen the advantages to implementing an AI strategy. For example, when noHold first started creating Virtual Assistants in 1999, it was primarily for customer support purposes, and typically with the consumer electronics space. Just in the last year, we have seen AI adoption grow exponentially within the Financial and Educational industries. This just proves how versatile and commonly used Virtual Assistants are today. 

Also, this year we can expect AI user satisfaction to increase. As the technology continues to become smarter, more people will find AI-based Virtual Assistants to be useful. 

Here is an infographic found on ISG-one.com demonstrating that automation and AI usage is expected to triple in 2019. 

For more information on Virtual Assistants, and how your company can benefit from this technology, feel free to contact noHold here to schedule a call. 

Proven Strategies to Improve Customer Effort Score for PC Manufacturers

noHold's 18+ years of experience, and long standing customers in a variety of industries (including PC) have given us insider knowledge when it comes to what companies can do to better support customer efforts. Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold, took some time to look into the PC industry, and determined a few key pointers that will help improve Customer Effort Scores (CES). 

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

Guidelines to Driving Self-Service Adoption

Photo Credit: hyperoffice.com

Did you know, "70 percent of all software adoption efforts fail" (liquidplanner.com)? Getting customers and/or employees to adopt new technology tools can be like pulling teeth. It is human nature to resist change, but there are ways to combat this resistance and get people to see the benefits of adopting new technology. 

With 15+ years of experience under our belt, we have learned some helpful tips and tricks to increasing adoption of new, or already existing technology. For this instance, we created an infographic specific with tips to increasing adoption of self-service tools, but most of the tips can be overlapped to increasing any sort of software adoption. Take a ride through some of the methods that we have seen drive self-service adoption.

One tip I want to emphasize the importance of is the positioning of the self-service tool is key. As mentioned in the infographic, 40% of customers that contact the call center tried to find a self-service tool first. We have witnessed consumer usage increase significantly for companies using our Virtual Assistant (VA) technology when they simply position the VA one of the forefront options of their support sites, making it easier to find and more likely to use. Accessibility is crucial for positive adoption of self-service tools; being mobile-friendly, sharing links via social media, etc. are all great ways to help accomplish this. 

Has your company come up with other ways that have worked in increasing software adoption? We would love to hear about them, or if you would like more information about self-service adoption, please contact us via the web.

www.nohold.com

Insider Metrics: Self-Service Traffic Spikes

View the infographic showing real metrics on the impact of customer contacts during outages, major holidays, and peaks in volume. See how Virtual Assistants help trusted brands across various industries increase First Contact Resolution (FCR), 24x7,  when humans are not available. 

In our last edition, we shared How Stand-out Brands Weather the Storm During Critical Spikes in Customer Traffic. You can still view this quick read here.

Stay tuned next week for advice from industry experts Bill Rose from Bill Rose, Inc. and David Hare, SVP of Customer Success, as both offer their own take on the biggest support related challenges, and recalling how each weathered the storm during critical events. 

6 Tips to Help Reimagine the Customer Support Experience for Your Audience

A couple weeks ago we mentioned the ongoing trend multiple companies are following of 'reimagining' products and services. While the product is an important component to the customer experience, it is not the only component that needs attention. Think about brand names such as Disney, Apple, Sony, and Amazon. When you hear these names you don't just think about their products...you typically associate them with exceptional customer service. To achieve global success, your customer service and customer support need to match this product evolution. 

Here are 6 tips to help 'reimagine' the customer support experience:     

Photo Source: wearesocial.sg

• Embrace Social Media - Social media is not a new concept, but the necessity for companies to connect with their audience through these channels (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.) is now a must. In a survey, "42% of consumers complaining in social media expect 60 minute response times," and "24% expect a reply within 30 minutes, regardless of when the contact was made." (Convince & Convert) Support vendors are making this transition easier with interactive technology that can be deployed directly on their social channels. 

• Leverage the Internet of Everything (IoE) - As we've heard previously, the number of connected devices is expected to reach 50 billion by the year 2020. Thanks to the IoE "companies are starting to use support automation to preemptively diagnose and fix issues with minimal human intervention." (Forrester) "The real value in IoT [IoE] is not just connecting devices to their users, but to deliver an integrated management platform, driven by big data to centralize customer service." (CSMWire)
• Clear Website Design - People typically visit a company website first when looking for support. It is crucial to have a clear, flowing website layout for customers to easily find the information they need.  
• Understand Customer Wants/Needs - The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is powerful data to incorporate into the development of any company. Leading brands have implemented self-service marketing tools that collect metrics/qualitative insight directly from the customers themselves. In one particular case, using an empty Virtual Agent (EZIntel), a leader in computer hardware manufacturing was able to use the knowledge they gained from their customers to make adjustments to their web design to better fit their audience. Learn more about collecting actionable customer intelligence here: http://www.nohold.com/assets/ezintel_brochure-(1).pdf

Photo Credit: ideastogo.com

• Improve Self-Service Technology - "In a survey Forrester recently found that web self service was the most widely used communication channel for customer service, surpassing use of the voice channel for the first time." (Forbes) It is not just enough to have sub par self-service options though. Customers are demanding a more interactive, personalized way for self-service interactions to flow.  
• Single Point of Search - Providing customers with the convenience of having one place to search and find answers to their problems. For example, users can ask a question in the text field, and solutions will come up from multiple knowledge sources. (i.e. internal knowledge base, Google, CRM systems, etc.) Click the infographic below for an enlarged visual representation of this concept.                                            

Please share in the comments below some of the ways your company is 'reimagining' the support ecosystem. For more information on any of the tips mentioned above, please contact noHold.

Virtual Assistant Best Practices: Insight into Enhancing End User Experiences

As an acknowledged leader in the Knowledge Management and Virtual Assistant space, with over 15 years of experience under our belt, noHold is continually developing and adapting a list of best practices, so companies can get the most out of their Virtual Assistant. Below is an infographic created to help companies find out how to enhance end user experiences with the use of our Virtual Assistant technology. 

**I apologize for the small font, please click on the image for an amplified version.

To print a copy of this infographic, please click here.
Cheers!
www.nohold.com

How to Find the Solution You are Looking for Using a Virtual Assistant

I stumbled across this really interesting infographic from Alienware's support Twitter account (@AlienwaretechSupport). They describe how using their Virtual Agent can help you find a solution in 4 easy steps: 

1. Access the Virtual Agent homepage
2. Select your computer model
3. Pick a topic from the 'hot topics' section or type your problem in the search bar   
4. Follow the appropriate link to access that article in their Knowledge Base

Sharing this infographic with their audience via social media has a number of advantages. It lets customers know they have self-service options for tech support, it encourages user adoption, and provides a step-by-step guide on how to use it for those that aren't familiar interacting with Artificial Intelligence.  

Social media is an important platform to utilize as a business. It is a way to connect with the majority of your audience easily and on a more personal level. Sharing helpful tips and tricks on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook benefits both the company and consumers.  

Click here to check out the infographic. 

www.nohold.com

The Benefits of a Virtual Agent for BPOs

Photo Credit: mycustomer.com

Outsourcing is not a new paradigm; in fact, many well-known and trusted brands leverage BPO vendors to successfully manage customer support, service, sales and more. 

In order to drive productivity and efficiency, companies turn to BPOs. According to the infographic from INFINIT-O on the left, companies are increasing the amount they spend on outsourcing, while in-house spending is remaining relatively constant. 

Leading analyst firms agree that Virtual Agents play an important role in a successful customer interaction, which bleeds into integration in the services that BPOs provide. Automation, profitability, and scalability are just a few of the challenges that Business Process Outsourcers face. And in a new era of smart machines, Virtual Agents offer a competitive advantage. 

Here are just a few use cases for adding a Virtual Agent to the BPO's existing portfolio of services:

1. Increase revenue by adding disruptive new offerings. 
BPO companies can offer their customers the Virtual Agent to provide a scalable solution that will continue to work as the company grows. The Virtual Agent can also be used to increase conversion rates and generate more leads by suggesting products or services in the appropriate context. BPO companies can also offer the Virtual Agent during peak seasons such as seasonal demand, new product offerings, or even natural calamities. 
By offering the Virtual Agent, BPO companies increase revenue, while providing their customers with the best services for their needs, when they need it.     

2. Increase efficiency at Call Center (lower AHT and training time).
By implementing a Virtual Agent, Contact Center Agents can ask the VA questions while on the phone with customers, follow business guidelines and procedures easily, and can rely on a single repository of information for correct and consistent answers.

3. Provide a competitive strategic advantage.
Leading analyst firm predicts that BPOs must adopt 'automation' to achieve non-linear growth. 

Whether a company adds a Virtual Agent to the existing in-house Contact Center, positions it on the Website as a self-service option, or your BPO vendor provides one for Contact Center Agents, it is a a cost-effective way to provide the end user with the new standard for customer service. 

What do you think about the future of the Contact Center? Do you see Virtual Agents empowering the Contact Center (either outsourced or in-house)?
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: The Rise of Wearable Technology... a Fad or Here to Stay?

Click to enlarge

In the past few years, wearable devices have become a household name. Similar to the beginning of the smartphone boom, wearable technology is starting to pop up all over the place. If we take a step back though, we realize that wearable devices have been around for a lot longer than we think. To the right is an infographic (click link to enlarge) about the rise of wearable tech. 

Eyeglasses were one of the first forms of wearables created in the 1200s. Then, in 1907, the creation of the first wristwatch was introduced to the world by Alberto Santos-Dumont. 

These two "old-school" wearables paved the way for today's innovators to enhance them. The invention of eyeglasses and the wristwatch are getting futuristic touches in today's tech inspired world. Now, manufacturers are coming out with smart-watches (Apple) and smart glasses (Google).    

Also, circa 2010, fitness gadgets were invented to help people track their health and activity. These devices then connect to your smartphones, showing all your data on a larger screen making it easier to analyze. Now, wearable devices are becoming a part of the Internet of Everything and being augmented by a Virtual Agent. Click the link to watch a demonstration of how a Virtual Agent helps users experience the Internet of Everything.     

According to the infographic made by Memoto (now known as Narrative), the amount of wearable devices shipped is projected to grow between 39 and 171 million devices in 2016. Some analysts are saying that wearable technology is just a fad, and it won't be as big as people are making it out to be. What is your opinion? Are wearable devices here to stay or is the next evolution of wearable technology embedded in our handheld devices (i.e. smartphones)?

                                      www.nohold.com