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Next IT's ActiveAgent for Live Chat Lets Call Centers Scrap Costly Web ChatSPOKANE, Wash. --(Business Wire)-- Next IT, whose online virtual agents answer more than 100,000 questions daily for customers in need, is launching the first virtual assistant software that will replace the delays and inefficiencies of live chat. Its newest ActiveAgent for Live Chat solution combines the best of virtual agent intelligence with the liveliness, helpfulness and personality of a company's best employees. Online conversations with these avatars are like talking with a person who really understands the business; they're fast, accurate and conversational. And most of the time: zero human contact. "Customers want the best of both worlds: fast, accurate service that still has a personal touch," said Fred A. Brown, CEO of Next IT. "But live chat - now about 15 years old - has difficulty keeping up in both worlds. Live chat agents are often managing four or five conversations at once, which can lead to inaccurate and slow responses. And it doesn't scale - because it still depends on humans to hit the right buttons." ActiveAgent for Live Chat handles hundreds, thousands or millions of requests with the same speed - making it ideal for companies with unpredctable demand and seasonal volume increases, like airlines, retailers, financial service, telecoms and insurance companies, among others. Early Success Some of the country's largest organizations rely on Next IT online customer service for intimate, accurate and cost-effective customer care. Alaska Airlines has completely eliminated its online chat investment, just eight months after rolling out Jenn, its best-in-class virtual assistant from Next IT. The U.S. Army has reduced its use of live chat by more than 90%, with its own 'perfect' virtual guide to Army life, Sergeant Star. "People expect to get their questions answered on our [goarmy.com] website, live chat usage kept increasing, as did the cost," said Gary Bishop, former deputy director for advertising and marketing, U.S. Army Strategic Outreach. "We used focus groups and found that users preferred the speed, availability and accuracy of Sergeant Star." Market Data: More Than Half of Chats Unsuccessful Traditional online chat is a mainstay on retail sites, but increasing demand is poised to break the bank. The model isn't suitable to high volumes, because reps manage multiple conversations at a time, creating log-jams, and irritating users who expect instantaneous responses. In fact, 'time-saving' calls actually take twice as long as a phone call, according to ContactBabel (News - Alert). A recent study conducted by Next IT confirmed this stat: an analysis of a sample of live chats offered across a variety of industries found that an average chat takes 18.5 minutes, with less than half of the conversations resolving customer concerns. What's more, customers can expect to wait an average of five-and-a-half minutes for an initial response from a live chat agent that will only be accurate about 60 percent of the time. At an average cost of $5 plus per chat, according to Forrester (News - Alert) Research, not only is chat frustrating to customers, but it also is not nearly as cost effective as more automated solutions. Up and Running in 90 Days Next IT is rolling out a new chat replacement Take-the-Cost-Out-Of-Chat program that will have a virtual employee up and running in just 90 days. It also comes fully equipped with an operator-assisted live chat interface, for seamless secondary escalation, to supplement call center staff. About Next IT Next IT helps companies deliver the perfect online customer experience. Its virtual agents combine the intimacy of 1-to-1 service that customers love, with the speed and accuracy of automated self-service that scales cost-effectively. Some of the world's largest organizations rely on Next IT for conversational customer care that boosts satisfaction, loyalty and revenue including Aetna, Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, Merrill Lynch and the U.S. Army. Visit www.NextIT.com to learn more. |
