Celcom Axiata Berhad today unveiled its new online chat bots, Clive and Emma, a “state-of-the-art” Intelligent Virtual Agent service powered by Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technology.
Available now on the Celcom website (Online Customer Service), Clive and Emma – with their own personalities, will interact with customers 24×7 with regard to customer inquiries and transactions.
Celcom and Microsoft claims that the combination of technology, transaction capability and personality is the first of its kind in Asia. The chat bots will initiate conversations with consumers with a personal and humanised touch, providing an “awesome customer experience anywhere and at any time”.
Microsoft’s Machine Learning feature will allow Clive and Emma to auto-learn questions variations via a knowledge-based system that improves their effectiveness over time. Clive and Emma will also be integrated with Microsoft’s Language Understanding Intelligent Service (LUIS), and will be using reinforced learning technology for constant updates and improvements. The result is a more natural chat experience compared to the more common static and pre-scripted interactions available, it claims.
Clive and Emma are available to deliver quick and engaging responses to customers, and customers with day-to-day transactions such as:
- Prepaid – Check Balance & Reload, Check Data Usage, Add Value Added Services & Mobile Internet
- Postpaid – Check Bill details, Pay Bills, Check Data Usage, Add Value Added Services & Mobile Internet
- Key FAQs with plan suggestions
- Roaming Data and Voice
- Check roaming partners
- Small Talk & Personas
- Ability to handover to Live Agent
At the moment, Clive and Emma will interact in English and “some Bahasa Malaysia”. While admitting that 70-80% of its customers preferred Bahasa Malaysia, Celcom said it is working on these chat bots to support the national language.
Celcom and Microsoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a strategic partnership that comprises of four building blocks namely; Use of Emerging Technologies, Joint Go-To-Market for Small Medium Businesses, Modern Workplace Solutions, and Joint Recruiting Activities. The MoU was signed by Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad and K.Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia at Menara Celcom today.
Michael Kuehner, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, said, “AI is one of the most important things humanity is working on, and holds the potential for some of the biggest advances we are going to see. Automated customer service is not constrained by time zones or public holidays. Clive and Emma will be able to meet the needs of today’s customers, who are becoming more tech savvy, and give them the best response possible at any time, wherever they are.”
“Keeping our sights on customer-focused strategies with a differentiation, our customers can soon have their digital needs met with always available AI service.
The Virtual Agent service with a personalised touch for our customers is one of the many initiatives that reflect Celcom’s relentless drive to improve customer experience,” he said.
K. Raman, Managing Director, Microsoft Malaysia added, “We believe that the AI building blocks that Microsoft is developing, such as computer vision, speech, and knowledge recognition, should be made available to all so that they can create their own AI-based solutions. Our partnership with Celcom stems from this shared interest and vision. The Intelligent Virtual Agents – Clive and Emma, are developed by leveraging Microsoft’s cutting-edge AI and Machine Learning technology, and we are excited about their potential in transforming customer experience.”
René Werner, Chief Customer Service and Experience Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, said “Clive and Emma are an exciting new way for us to serve & interact with our consumers around the clock in the channels they prefer – Online Care Web and soon, Social Media. Clive and Emma will not only be available around the clock, they can also respond to requests immediately. We have chosen Microsoft as a partner with the most advanced technology to give our customers the best possible experience in the market. This is, for us, a first stepping stone – we will be adding more functionality, more channels and new interfaces in the coming months based on this platform.”
