Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: What Are the Components That Create a Stellar Self-Service Experience?

Within the past couple of years, Personal Virtual Assistants have become household names (Siri, Watson, GoogleNow, Cortana, etc.). Although they are gaining popularity with the public now, noHold has been developing sophisticated Virtual Agents (VA) for over a decade. Based on our experience, and the satisfaction of our customers, these are just a few of the key features one should take into consideration when implementing a Virtual Agent: 

1. Natural Language Processor (NLP). The NLP gives the VA the intelligence to provide the right answer to a question, even if questions are phrased differently, or if there is misspelled or morphed words. For example, "Show me a neworking sample" and "What is a network?" Due to the NLP, even though the questions are different and there is a misspelled word in one of the phrases, the VA will still provide me with the same answer. 
2.  Multilingual Capability. Having a multilingual Virtual Agent is one of the differences between  becoming a global success and staying a local commodity.  Global support options should speak the language of your audience. 
3. Reporting metrics. This feature allows you to listen to the Voice of the Customer (VoC), and gives the customer an opportunity to share how he/she feels about the experience. Flexible reporting options empower trusted brands to not only listen to the VoC, but also to customize the reporting they capture from each interaction. 
4. An effective VA should be able to provide multimedia options within the solutions. For example, including images for visual learners, or embedding an instructional video to demonstrate how to fix the audio sound on your PC. Most people prefer watch a clip to see how something is done, instead of reading a long list of directions that can often be confusing. 
5. Ease of implementation and ease of maintaining is another feature to look out for when learning about Virtual Agents. A short implementation process and easy administrative tools allow entry level associates (or even interns) to build and maintain a Virtual Agent. Some noHold customers utilize short overview videos to introduce groups a Virtual Agent to call center agents, employees, consumers and more. 
6.  Another important feature that a Virtual Agent should have, is the ability to ask confirming questions. In a natural conversation with your peers, the listener often confirms he/she understands your request before responding or taking action. For example: "Where is the light?" Before answering, the other party might ask "Are you asking me where is the light in the kitchen?" By implementing this type of feature, you keep the conversation as close to a human interaction as possible, while avoiding a false positive response. 
7. Clarifying Questions. The end user should be able to ask clarifying questions without confusing the VA. For example: During a natural conversation, I might use a term that my audience is not familiar with. In this case, my peer or audience should be able to stop me and ask "Before you proceed, please tell me what a Virtual Assistant is?" The ability to ask clarifying questions is imperative for the end user to have a successful dialog, and a smart self-service application should be able to mimic that dialog. Clarifying questions during a VA conversation empowers the end user to understand a term, and then continue naturally with the remainder of the conversation without a hiccup. 
8. Change of subject. The end user should be able to abruptly change subject during the interaction without confusing the VA. Giving consumers the freedom to control which direction the conversation goes in is an important aspect to increasing Customer Satisfaction. 
9. Integration with the customer experience ecosystem. A Virtual Agent can live within your existing call center, integrate with live chat, and/or other applications. Having open APIs gives companies the flexibility to create a custom Virtual Agent that is specific to the needs of the brand. In addition, seamless customer experiences increase customer loyalty and satisfaction, and have proven to reduce costs. 
10. One of the most important features that a Virtual Agent should have is the ability to be diagnostic and interactive. Sometimes, users need help diagnosing or figuring out what the problem is. When there is an 'error' message, the customer may not understand how to troubleshoot the problem. With the diagnostic element, a Virtual Agent can help troubleshoot the problem and give interactive instructions to solving the issue. A Virtual Agent makes sure it understands you and you understand it, every step of the way.    

These are just some of the most popular best practices that have worked for our customers. The light-weight, flexibility of a Virtual Agent gives companies the power they need to create a stellar customer experience, from the beginning of the relationship all the way to supporting that relationship.  

What are the features that make your customer experience stellar? Does your company offer self-service options for pre-sales, customer service/care, and support? What is your strategy to creating a unified customer journey for end-users?

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

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: Leading Analyst Predicts Top Customer Service Trends for 2014

A few months back, Kate Leggett (Principal Analyst at Forrester) wrote a blog titled “Forrester’s Top Trends for Customer Service In 2014.” She suggested 12 new developments to adopt this year to keep customers satisfied and coming back to your business for more. Here are just a few of her tips that really hone in on how to provide over the top customer service.

“Trend 1: Customers Demand Omnichannel Services”
noHold's opinion:
People like to have multiple options when it comes to customer service. Although voice is still the most used channel of communication, it is still important to offer other preferred channels, such as self-service, to balance out the company’s support ecosystem.

“Trend 6: Knowledge Will Evolve from Purely Reactive to Giving Advice”
noHold's opinion:
It is going to be crucial for your company to invest in a knowledge management solution this year. “67% of consumers use web self-service to find answers to their questions” (Forrester's Top Trends for Customer Service in 2014). Since customers prefer self-service, it is important to have the company’s knowledge easily organized, shared, and analyzed so people can find the right solutions on their own time, quickly. Analysts foresee an increased use in Virtual Agents to support a more natural conversation. This will help create an enjoyable experience for the customer, instead of sending lengthy, irrelevant documents.

“Trend 7: Decisioning Will Power Offers, Actions and Connections”
noHold's opinion:
Predictive analytics is a growing trend this year. Brands are analyzing what you look at and your past purchases to try and predict what it is that you would want/ need. Predictive analytics is a great resource for cross-selling/ up-selling. For example, if someone buys something online and encounters  a problem, they can pull up the Virtual Agent, get the answer they need and the Virtual Agent will be able to provide them with the right content personalized for them.

“Trend 10: The Agent Experience is No Longer an Afterthought”
noHold's opinion:
Another top trend for this year is to increase Contact Center agent efficiency by simplifying their work space. One way to accomplish this is by implementing a Virtual Agent into the Contact Center directly. By doing this, your company will improve the Average Handle Time (AHT) per phone call, increase consistency, improve churn, and even new trainees can effectively give solutions to customers with the help of the Virtual Agent.

These are just a few of the top trends talked about in this article; there are many more predictions that can help your company exceed your customers expectations. To read the full blog, click here.  

How do you plan to keep customers satisfied and increase loyalty? 

Cheers!
www.nohold.com 

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: 5 Reasons Why Your Support Site Encourages Customers to Call You

     Have you ever wondered why, in a Web dominated era, phone calls are still one of the most common channels for receiving support? To add to that, phone calls are one of the most expensive channels for support teams to upkeep, often more than $10 just to pick up the phone. One motivation for consumers to call in is due to the way support sites are organized. When designing a support site it is important to encourage cost effective methods such as self-service.  Here are 5 reasons why your support site discourages self-service and encourages 'call in' behavior.

1. A list of FAQs doesn't cut it. Let’s face it, a low cost list of FAQs is costing more money than it should. When the end user can't easily find a solution, he/she is forced to call. 
2. The live assistance option is front and center. If live assistance is what the customers see first, more often than not, they will use that channel. It's best to provide multiple options, without making live assistance difficult to find. That said, if you encourage end users to call you, they will. 
3. There is no GPS for navigating a website. Your customers might be asking themselves: Where do I go for sales questions? Where do I go for support? What's the cost to your company if the end customer engages with a live chat agent for sales rather than the support agent they need?
4. The company has built a library full of wonderful content, but there is no easy way to find the right resource. To the end user, some common phrases are: I have a problem,error, not working, help! It's not easy to solve the problem without an interactive experience, especially when troubleshooting is necessary. 
5. Lack of promotion. Most customers are not aware that there are options. Make it known that support and sales options are available and make it fun for customers to use. One way to make consumers aware of the cost effective support solutions is by making it fun, encouraging them to come back. Apple's Siri advertisements demonstrate a friendly 'pal' when you need answers to questions. Think about this: A Virtual Agent for your website can be just as engaging and even fun to interact with. In addition to answering the typical support/service/marketing questions, embed contests, surveys, candid and 'quirky' responses to add some personality. In addition, make it easy for your customers to share with their own network through social sharing. 

     Having a multi-channel website is essential, but positioning and encouraging self-service is equally important. Using these tips will help cut the cost of support and increase Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). The more your consumers use self-service, the greater the ROI will be. Does your support site encourage ‘call in’ behavior? Maybe it’s time to evaluate.      

www.nohold.com

Throwback Thursday: QR Codes and Virtual Agents

Quick Response codes, or QR codes, have been around for quite some time. The announcement of QR codes was released in 1994, but during that time they were mainly used to track parts for vehicle manufacturers in Japan. Today, QR codes are used in a variety of ways. For example, many marketers utilize QR codes in their strategies, as well as commercial tracking, product labeling, etc. 

With the rise of the smart phones, the use of mobile recognition technology has risen as well. It is predicted that by 2015, there will be double the amount of money invested into mobile recognition technology (364 million dollars) and a large part of this includes QR codes. QR codes are gaining popularity because it is a quick way to scan and get information. In other words, it is an easy to use resource for end users. 

Offering access to a Virtual Agent through scanning a QR code is a great tip for companies looking to elevate their customer service and support strategies. Providing consumers with Virtual Agents via a QR code gives them more power to make an informed decision about the product of interest. Consumer knowledge is key to gaining new customers and creating loyalty. 

QR codes are just one way to access a Virtual Agent via your mobile device. In addition to native mobile apps, and mobile friendly VAs, there are other alternatives that might appeal to your company's target audience. Some alternatives include:

1. SMS short codes 
2. Augmented reality apps
3. UPC bar code reader
4. Bluetooth and NFC (nearfield communication)

To give you an example of one of the alternatives to QR codes, Bluetooth and NFC work like a sensor. When you walk near or through these "sensors", they trigger a notification to be sent to your mobile phone. (More information about NFC can be found here.) For a Virtual Agent, the notification can range from a personal virtual shopper, a virtual assistant, information on products, or limited time coupons to entice consumers to purchase products on the spot.   

In short, mobile recognition technology (whether it be QR codes, SMS short codes, etc.) are an important part of a mobile strategy. Monitoring the target audience and adapting to what the consumer wants is essential when adopting mobile strategies.  How does your company make it easy for customers to interact with your brand via mobile device? Does your strategy include QR codes or apps? Share your mobile marketing or support strategy here. 

www.nohold.com

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: Now Trending… #VirtualAgents

Social Media is one of the most popular ways to communicate with your audience. From top Fortune 500 companies to the local corner shop, staying connected to your customer is a top priority. More and more companies are turning to social media to do so.  It’s fast, it’s easy, and (in most cases) it’s free!

With more than half the population connected to social media (Social Networking Statistics), quick tweets and updates can promote self-service. Companies across multiple industries have discovered that sending quick messages to a connected audience is a great way to spread awareness and remind clients that self-service is available 24x7. In the example below, one company tweeted about one of their Virtual Agents, and provided users with a link directly to “Emma.” This in turn increased the use of the VA. 

Marketing your Virtual Agent to your consumers is a great tip to maximizing usage. Check out the blog written yesterday for more advice about embedding your Virtual Agent directly to your social media sites.

www.nohold.com 

Virtual Agent Tips and Tricks: This Valentines Day, Give the Gift of Virtual Agent Love

Have you ever wondered how to gain the most from your Virtual Agent? Virtual Agents are capable of doing so much more than just providing answers to consumer questions. One tip to getting the most out of your Virtual Agent is by sharing it with you partners. It is equally important for partners to feel special, as well as customers. Extending the Virtual Agent to them will build a stronger relationship with them all while seeing an increasing ROI. Here is a slideshare we have presented before about how a company in the medical field made a customer support Virtual Agent accessible to all their partners and reaped great benefits, such as

• Generating about $5M in revenue per year
• Building a powerful relationship and making partners feel apart of the inner circle.