Enjoy New Updates to Albert PRO

Hope everyone had a great holiday break! Now, lets get right into it.  The latest version of Albert is live, and PRO users are now able to enjoy a handful of new features described!  Albert's Advice New updates include: 1. Voting mechanisms can be put in place allowing users to vote on the effectiveness of a solution. You can enable this feature in the "Edit Dialog" page.  To view the rating of effectiveness, go to "view usage." As you can see in the photo below, within the widget on the right, the different color dots symbolize whether a solution was voted effective, needs improvement, or somewhere in between.  2.  Some other updates to the usage page include: The ability to view more metrics. Now, the date filter has many ranges to choose from, or you can specify a customer date range for which you would like metrics.  An extra widget titled Top Countries. This shows you where in the world users are coming from. An option to export data has been added.  3. Even personal accounts have included a new feature. Within the dialog settings page, you are now able to create a "help" button at the top of your bot. This button is an easy way for users to escalate to an alternate support resource in the case that they can not find the answer they need with Albert. This button can be labeled whatever you like, and be linked to wherever you want. If you need any help, or have any questions on the new updates, please feel free to contact us. Albert of the Month Congratulations to Centro39 on being named June's Albert of the Month. Centro 39 is the online destination fashion boutique for luxury Italian style. As a small business, they are using Albert as a 24/7 customer service sidekick. Check out their story below. We would love to hear from you, too. Feel free to send us how you are using Albert for a chance to be featured here.

Click here to upgrade to Albert PRO.

How to Add Albert to Your Website

One of the great things about creating a bot through SICURA QuickStart is the bot you create can be used on various channels. For this particular blog, I wanted to share a quick how-to video on positioning Albert on your website. Check it out:



As you see, the video describes two methods for adding Albert to your website: a JavaScript link and an iframe. With minimal effort and in a matter of minutes, you can provide your audience access to your personal bot online.To download the code used in the video to add Albert to the website, go to the support and resources page. Scroll down until you see "Download the Code to Add Albert to Website." This will give you access to a Word document with the code needed. 

The website is not the only place you can leverage your Albert. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Salesforce, Spark, and more can all be channels for people to interact with your bot. And the best part, you only have to do the work of creating a bot once. Stay tuned for some more "how-to" videos and leave a comment below to let me know if you are interested in learning more about a specific channel.
www.albertai.com
www.nohold.com

noHold’s AI Continues to Improve Efficiency in the Call Center

SICURA QuickStart™ is making it easier than ever for Call Centers to adopt bots

April 27, 2017, MILPITAS, CA – Since the launch of SICURA QuickStart, users have shared multiple ways they are using Albert (the bot created from existing documents). One use case that adds significant value to businesses is leveraging Albert in the Call Center. Recently, a globally recognized conference brand based in Long Beach, CA, created an Albert designed specifically to help Call Center Agents become proficient quickly, and compliant when answering customer questions.

This Call Center is responsible for providing technical support and customer care to people in multiple countries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. After trying different methods and resources to help Agents, the Call Center Manager turned to noHold for help.

In the past, noHold has worked with large enterprises to implement Virtual Assistants in the Call Center, proving Artificial Intelligence works as a great resource not only for customers, but also Agents. According to a recent blog by Cisco, bots are included in the top ten technologies to consider for contact centers in 2017 (Cisco).  

Now, with SICURA QuickStart, the same concept can be applied using Albert, except no programming skills are required to create Albert and the implementation time is much quicker. The Call Center Manager was able to input all the content Agents needed to know about into one Word document, upload it to the QuickStart platform, and within minutes a bot was created. Agents are able to use Albert while replying to customers’ emails, and also while on the phone.  Specifically, the Call Center Manager achieved the following objectives: 

• They reduced the time to get an agent up to speed from one month to one week.
•  Agents were excited to get a tool that made their job easier and more fun, which decreased churn significantly.
• Since Albert delivers information to the agents’ fingertips in real time, AHT dropped by 12 points.
• Consistency and compliance of the information delivered by the agents improved significantly because agents were all leveraging one single source of information.
• Albert provides specific reporting on how many questions agents ask every day and what most of the questions are about. This helps the Call Center Manager make sure that the company is always ahead of what is needed to make the agents successful. 

In summary, Albert took less than an hour to set up and it paid for itself upon launch. Most of all, Albert helped the Call Center Manager with the constant challenge of onboarding and training new agents necessary to keep the Call Center fully staffed.

Diego Ventura, CEO and Founder of noHold says, “We believe that Albert is taking the Consumerization of IT one step further, empowering agents with the same sophisticated tools, such as bots, that people are starting to use in their daily lives.”

To learn more about how businesses can leverage Albert to improve Call Center efficiency, you can find more information here.

How to Leverage Artificial Intelligence in the Call Center to Improve Productivity

Businesses face many different challenges when it comes to the Call Center. We believe there are some definite use cases for bringing Artificial Intelligence into the Call Center to alleviate some of these pain points. 

Here are a few ways a Virtual Assistant that is available to your agents will add value to your business, and tackle some of the challenges that these professionals face.

First off, churn can be high in some call centers, which can be expensive for companies. It can take up to a month for new agents to train and become productive. Providing a bot for these new agents to access at anytime during a customer interaction, can make them better prepared to handle calls, in a shorter amount of time; making them be just as productive as seasoned agents.

Another important aspect of the Call Center, is for agents to know how companies want them to respond based on their brand. Having a bot that knows exactly how you want your agents to answer questions, increases consistency and compliance within the call center. 

Even seasoned agents can use some help, too. Sometimes agents need to know a little bit of information about a plethora of products and services. Having a bot there as a reminder, or to keep up to date on ever changing products can be a powerful resource.  

Some of noHold's enterprise customers have Virtual Assistants implemented for their Call Centers already and have seen advantages such as decreased Average Handle Time (AHT), increased customer satisfaction, lower churn, and more. Click here to learn more about this story. 

Using Albert, you can create a similar experience for your customers using a word document containing all the information you want your Call Center agents to know and uploading it to the QuickStart platform. Then, the information they need will be readily available right at their fingertip. 

If you are interested, here are a few links to magazines we have found that write specifically about the Call Center space.
http://www.connectionsmagazine.com/
https://www.contactcenterworld.com/
http://www.icmi.com/

Have a great weekend!

noHold Releases Next Generation of Albert

February 27, 2017, MILPITAS, CA – Last month, noHold announced SICURA™ QuickStart, the first platform designed to allow non-programmers to create a chatbot (Albert). Today, noHold is excited to introduce the next generation of Albert. There are many new features implemented to make creating a quality bot easy for anyone.

Here is a list of the new features offered on the platform:

• Phrases Digital Signature (PDS) – This is a new algorithm that allows Albert to no longer rely solely on the Headings to retrieve information. Now, Albert can analyze the entire document (headings and content) to determine what the end user is asking and provide the most accurate solution.
• Synonyms list – Directly within your document, you have the ability to create a list of synonyms for words that are specific to your business. For example whether Joe asks about “Droid settings”, or “Android settings”, Albert understands they are the same questions, because “Droid” and “Android” are set as synonyms.
• Albert Etiquette – This feature gives users the ability to add some personality to Albert. Simply add a few phrases and answers to your document that you would like Albert to answer in a certain way. For example, if someone asks Albert a silly question like “what is your favorite color?” or “why is the sky blue?” You can let Albert know exactly how you would want him to respond. This sort of one off phrase adds character to Albert.
•  Dialog configuration – Users can now manipulate the dialog settings. This includes changing greeting messages, escalation phrases when Albert does not know the answer, and escalation links for further assistance.

In addition to the new features mentioned above, noHold also introduces SICURA QuickStart PRO, making Albert available for commercial use. Features that are exclusive to PRO users include:

• Commercial Use – Companies are able to create and distribute business chatbots, either for external or internal use for little cost.
• Customization of the User Interface (UI) - The free version offers a standard UI that is not customizable. With PRO, account holders have the ability to easily change colors, add company logos, and more all without touching the HTML.
• Multiple Alberts – There are many advantages to having more than one Albert. For example, a company can leverage different Alberts to be knowledgeable about various business units. There can be one bot that knows all about support questions that is positioned on the website for external purposes. Then, another Albert can know about HR policies/company manuals used internally for employees.
• Key encrypted URLs – An extra level of security was added to ensure that Alberts that contain company sensitive information (particularly for internal use), stay private.

Diego Ventura, CEO of noHold says, “Companies are surprising us every day in how they are using Albert. A dealership uses Albert to train and onboard new employees. A technology company is connecting Albert to Near Field Communication (NFC) tags to activate Albert when a user phone gets close to a specific device. A design agency uses Albert to rapidly prototype new bots. We would have never thought about these applications if it weren’t for our customers.”

It is great to be able to offer a more dynamic option to users, still without needing programming skills, and for very little cost. To upgrade your personal account to PRO is as little as $100/month. To sign up for a PRO account, please click here.

About noHold, Inc.

noHold is a privately held company established in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, USA (Silicon Valley). noHold is the acknowledged leader in Web based Self-service solutions with a mission to deliver real answers to real questions – real fast. Simple to use, easy to implement and as close to human as you can get, noHold turns automated customer support into cognitive customer interactions. noHold customers include Cisco, Dell, Intel and a host of industry leaders. More information can be found at http://www.nohold.com or subscribe to noHold’s vlog to hear more from CEO, Diego Ventura. 

What Would You Do With Your Own Bot?

noHold is excited about the response we have received from the BETA program of our latest platform, SICURA QuickStart. If you don't know, QuickStart is a platform designed for anyone, even non programmers, to create a chatbot out of a Word or GoogleDoc. We call these bots, Albert. Get your own Albert here! Small businesses are adopting the concept already. One example is Revolve Robotics, creators of the teleprescnce robot Kubi. Check out the video below to see how Albert has helped enhance customer service without requiring much effort at all.  In this instance, Revolve Robotics is using Albert to answer support questions, but Albert is versatile and can be knowledgeable about whatever you want. It can be used for internal purposes including employee manuals, sales processes, and general IT information. Individuals are also using personal accounts to create customized AI assistants from documents they already have such as recipe bots, teacher assistants, and more. For more small business use cases, please click here. If you would like to sign up for your own free, personal account you can visit www.albertai.com, and click 'sign up' in the top right corner. Already have an account? We would love to hear how you are using Albert! Tag us on Twitter (@albertai2)/Facebook (@Albert) or contact us via the web, and share your story for a chance to be featured on our website. Cheers!

ASK Albert | Contact Us | 408.946.9200 x 311

Small Businesses Adopt noHold’s Newest Product, Albert, Adding Value for Little to No Cost

January 24, 2017, MILPITAS, CA – A little over a month ago, noHold launched the BETA version of the platform, SICURA™ QuickStart. This platform empowers anyone, including non-programmers, to easily create, implement, and maintain a Virtual Assistant (Albert) through a Word or GoogleDoc. The BETA program is now officially over. People can get a free personal account at www.albertai.com and clicking sign up in the top right corner.

Since the launch, Albert has received positive feedback from large enterprises to personal users. Top press publications such as The Next Web, Forbes, PCWorld and more have also recognized the advantages that stem from SICURA QuickStart, and the simplicity of operating it. In addition, small businesses are also finding this technology to be extremely powerful, allowing them to provide customers with the self-service options they crave, without breaking the bank.

Here are a few examples, just from the past month, of small businesses that have leveraged Albert in various ways already. Each example includes a short video showing how each company is utilizing Albert.

• Filosano is a curated marketplace for sustainable fashion. They needed a way to take existing content on the website such as vendor information and product materials, and package it in a way that can deliver that information to end users efficiently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytvyAX_HANw
• Centro39 is a high fashion online boutique centered on clothing from Italy. Just like many small businesses, customer service departments can be small or sometimes nonexistent. Centro39 is leveraging Albert to fill that gap, being a part of the team to answer support questions 24/7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLRo41CvQaY
• Revolve Robotics, creators of the telepresence robot Kubi, is using Albert to enhance the customer experience. Klaudia Izabella, Customer Success Manager at Revolve Robotics says, “…bringing affordable telepresence and robotics technology to those in the world who need it is our goal, and with Albert we can focus on the bigger picture.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77LJ8bbhTbM

To learn more about the SICURA™ QuickStart platform and other companies that are using Albert, visit www.albertai.com.  Also, noHold’s Founder and CEO, Diego Ventura, will be speaking at the Conversational Interaction Conference on January 30 in San Jose, CA. He will share his expertise on chatbots, the Internet of Things, and where he sees the industry going. To register, click here.

“We are surprised every day by the way in which people are deploying Albert,” says Diego Ventura, founder and CEO of noHold. “The smaller companies focus on customer relationships to answer pre and post sales questions. The larger companies instead are finding ways for Albert to bring efficiency to internal processes. For example, if you work at a company employing 20,000 individuals, just finding access to the right resources may be a challenge. Albert can help with that easily, and with the documents you already have.”

About noHold, Inc.

noHold is a privately held company established in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, USA (Silicon Valley). noHold is the acknowledged leader in Web based Self-service solutions with a mission to deliver real answers to real questions – real fast. Simple to use, easy to implement and as close to human as you can get, noHold turns automated customer support into cognitive customer interactions. noHold customers include Cisco, Dell, Intel and a host of industry leaders. More information can be found at http://www.nohold.com or subscribe to noHold’s vlog to hear more from CEO, Diego Ventura.

Press Contact

Veronica Cech

Marketing Associate

vcech@nohold.com   

408.946.9200 ext. 356

All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners.

Curated Marketplace for Sustainable Fashion Creates Chatbot for Support Using Albert

The creation of Alberts are well underway. Publications such as Forbes, PCWorld, TheNextWeb, and Business Insider have all recognized SICURA QuickStart as a powerful platform for non programmers to build their own chatbot, opening up the world of AI to so many more people. 

Filosano, marketplace for eco-friendly clothing and accessories,  was one of the first small businesses to try Albert. With little technical background, they have already created and positioned an Albert on their website for their customers to get help on their own terms, 24/7. Check out this video to see how they are embracing this technology. 

Want to create your own chatbot? Sign up for Albert here to create an account.

noHold Launches SICURA™ QuickStart

Empowering non-programmers to create their own Virtual Assistant (bot)

December 6, 2016, MILPITAS, CA – noHold announces SICURA™ QuickStart, a platform designed to make creating a Virtual Assistant (Albert) easy for anyone with a basic understanding of Microsoft® Word or Google® Docs.

Now, if you are a small business owner you can create a Virtual Assistant out of the manual for your product(s). If you are a large enterprise you can create a Virtual Assistant out of an Employee Handbook. Personal use is possible, too. For example, students can create a Virtual Assistant out of their last research paper.

According to Business Insider, in April of 2015 the number of messaging application users surpassed the number of social application users.  Given that the interaction paradigm of a messaging application is very similar to the paradigm of a Virtual Assistant (bot), the popularity of Virtual Assistants has increased exponentially. Recognizing this growing trend, noHold engineered SICURA QuickStart as a way to make creating and managing AI simple for anyone.

To make your own Albert, go to www.albertai.com, and click sign up in the top right navigation bar. Follow a few simple instructions to get a free personal account, and once you have access you will be ready to start teaching Albert anything you want. Upon completion of training Albert (a process that takes seconds), a mobile-friendly URL is provided. This URL can be placed anywhere you like, making integrating with websites, social media, and collaboration platforms easy. Metrics are also available to monitor weekly usage and identify exactly what users are asking your Albert.

CEO of noHold, Diego Ventura, goes on to say, “I don’t believe the next generation AI will be built by one single big company, instead, it will be the result of the collaboration of millions of people who have created their own Virtual Assistants and are able to connect them together. Who knows, maybe a lot of them will be called Albert.”