Verizon has rolled out VIKI, an AI-based hybrid bot, and search engine to assist 50,000 frontline agents across the USA, enhancing customer satisfaction and transaction efficiency.
Verizon has introduced VIKI (Verizon Interactive Knowledge Interface), a multilingual AI-based hybrid bot and search engine designed to assist approximately 50,000 frontline agents in retail, telesales, and indirect stores across the USA. The nationwide rollout was completed in December 2023, taking four months for telesales, three months for retail, and another three months for indirect stores.
VIKI addresses the traditional challenges faced by retail store agents, such as lengthy manual processes for providing product information, assisting with customer queries, and troubleshooting. By integrating Conversational and Generative AI capabilities, VIKI provides real-time insights and in-depth knowledge to enhance customer experience, reduce store transaction times, and improve customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores (NPS).
Key features of VIKI include:
– Hybrid and Touchless Solutions: Enabled during the pandemic to maintain safety and efficiency.
– Multilingual Support: Facilitates interactions in up to 15 languages, broadening access for non-English speaking customers.
– Interactive Product Discovery: Helps agents instantly match customer needs with suitable product offerings.
– Generative AI Capabilities: Automated quote generation in significantly less time.
– Multimodal and Video Assist: Customers can interact via text and receive video-based assistance.
– Automation: Provides proactive, intelligent assistance to agents.
– Personalized Recommendations: Tailored suggestions based on customer journey and past interactions.
– Integration with Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Enhances process automation.
– Internal Store Collaboration Tools Integration: Facilitates seamless agent communication and real-time information sharing.
VIKI, built with advanced deep learning neural network algorithms for speech recognition, is utilized by 95% of Verizon’s retail agents daily, demonstrating its effectiveness. The interface’s capabilities have led to decreased store transaction times, enhanced personalized assistance, and improved automation efficiency.
