UK: Train operator Northern says its entirely AI-operated Whatsapp enquiry service has received 8 000 messages from customers in the first year of operation, which has freed-up 1 277 h of employee time.
People can ask for live train times, service updates and disruption information, as well as onward connections such as with local taxi companies.
The service can also advise people how to request assistance, enquire about lost property, report a problem, submit a delay repay claim or make a complaint.
The concept and design was completed in-house, and then a technology partner was commissioned to complete the technical build.
‘By answering thousands of basic questions for us in the blink of an eye, it frees-up time that our customer experience centre can instead dedicate to the more in-depth, complex enquiries we receive’, said Commercial & Customer Director Mark Powles on July 16.
‘We hope to develop the service this year so that users can ask any question you can find the answer to on our website via Whatsapp instead.’
