AI-powered bots can improve customer experiences

“Build for Change” is a phrase that truly defines Pegasystems India Managing Director Suman reddy. A technology leader with experience of more than two decades, he is a core member of the company’s global corporate strategy team, and has been able to redefine how Indian business leaders are driving change in MNCs by influencing corporate goal setting, strategic planning, and building software products. In an interview with Anusha Ashwin, he talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the telecom sector, the use of AI by telcos, and how technology can help meet the changing customer needs. Excerpts:

- Anusha Ashwin

How will you describe the empathy aspect of artificial intelligence (AI) in telcos, especially during the pandemic? Why is this important?

In the super-competitive telecommunication industry, providing a positive customer experience is critical as it is tied directly to customer retention and future business growth. This has led to the rapid adoption of AI-powered bots to improve customer experiences with better service speed and quality.

While AI brings established benefits for the industry such as detecting and fixing network anomalies, it can also add value to other less well-known areas, such as providing higher customer satisfaction, greater user engagement, and cost-savings. Providing superior customer service while improving retention and operational efficiency can be a tricky balance to achieve, especially in a pandemic. This requires a data-driven approach that can help forge better customer relationships and reduce churn. This could be achieved with AI by using it to anticipate and address evolving expectations, understand changing needs, and shifts in customer behaviour while respecting customer privacy. It is also pertinent to resolve concerns with empathy while also responding with agility. Imagine the success rate of self-service channels which can understand customer sentiments or intent and transfer this context as conversations move between channels.

So, where does Pegasystems fit in this scenario? How are you helping the telcos deliver better customer satisfaction?