POOLE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WDS, A Xerox (NYSE: XRX) Company, and leader in transformational customer care technology, has introduced an intelligent, virtual customer care agent that can understand, diagnose and solve customer queries in the same way a human agent would.
Drawing on artificial intelligence research from PARC, A Xerox Company, and the Xerox Research Centre Europe (XRCE), the virtual agent technology represents a leap forward in how machines learn and how they understand and react to natural language.
The new WDS Virtual Agent manages customer care interactions by analyzing data and learning from its human colleagues. Silently listening, it detects how human agents diagnose customer problems and offer solutions. In doing this it quickly develops the intelligence it needs to understand and solve customer queries itself, without having to be programmed.
“Because many first-generation virtual agents rely on basic keyword searches, they aren’t able to understand the context of a customer’s question like a human agent can,” explains WDS’ Nick Gyles, Chief Technology Officer. “The WDS Virtual Agent has the confidence to solve problems itself because it learns just like we do, through experience. The more care data it’s exposed to, the more effective it becomes in delivering relevant and proven responses.”
A Breakthrough in Understanding the Customer
Uniquely, the WDS Virtual Agent provides a way for organizations to tap into the terabytes of data that exist in contact centers. Customer sentiment, described symptoms, problem types, root causes and the techniques agents use to resolve customer problems; it’s all data that has long been waiting to be put to use.
“We’ve found a way for organizations to unlock that data potential to deliver benefit across their wider care channels,” Gyles said. “No other virtual agent technology is able to deliver this consistency and connect intelligence from multiple sources to ensure that the digital experience is as reliable and authentic as a human one.”
Coupled with Xerox’s existing expertise in the delivery of outsourced customer care solutions, comprising more than 160 global sites and over 50,000 agents, the launch of WDS Virtual Agent positions the company at the forefront of customer care innovation with an ability to help its clients manage the increasing flow of customer care traffic and data across multiple channels.
“Our technology helps overcome one of the key barriers brands face in trying to deliver a truly omni-channel care experience; the ability to be consistent. Digital care tools often lag behind the intelligence that resides in the contact center, with outdated content or no awareness of new problems. Our research in artificial intelligence is changing this,” explains Jean-Michel Renders, Senior Scientist, XRCE. “With our machine learning technology, the WDS Virtual Agent has the ability to learn how to solve new problems as they arise across a company’s wider care channels.”
Delivered as a cloud-based solution, WDS Virtual Agent can be adapted to suit a brand by adjusting not only the avatar but also the response tone and manner. This gives an automated machine a personality that an organization’s customers will recognize and trust.
WDS Virtual Agent will be available in the fourth-quarter of 2014. To learn more please visit www.wds.co/VA.
About WDS
WDS, A Xerox Company, is a global leader in the delivery of transformational customer care solutions. Built around a cognitive technology platform that continually learns from the customer care transactions that pass through it, WDS help clients to leverage their existing data assets to increase efficiency across the care-mix; from improved agent performance to self-care automation and personalization. Quite simply, WDS enable customers to find the answers they need and ensure that every customer care experience is better than the last. To find out more, please visit www.wds.co.
About Xerox
Xerox is a global business services, technology and document management company helping organizations transform the way they manage their business processes and information. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., we have more than 140,000 Xerox employees and do business in more than 180 countries. Together, we provide business process services, printing equipment, hardware and software technology for managing information -- from data to documents. Learn more at www.xerox.com.
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WDS, A Xerox Company, is the trading name of Wireless Data Services Ltd registered in England and Wales with company number 01714719. Registered address - Wireless Data Services Limited, 160 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4AN. VAT number GB 911330278. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information in this document is correct, WDS cannot accept (and hereby disclaims) any responsibility for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions. All rights reserved.
