Customers ask Optus virtual agent over one million questions
After less than six months on the job, Olivia, Optus’ virtual agent, has today reached a significant milestone – over one million questions received. As Optus’ youngest customer service agent, Olivia is available 24/7 for time-poor customers to ask simple questions about their account or service.
Just ask us a question
Launched in May, Olivia can be found at optus.com.au/contactus. Her role is to answer hundreds of the most commonly asked customer questions and direct them to the right place on the Optus website. Customers can also see the top trending topics on the same webpage, including other customer questions such as “I forgot my password” and “I need help setting up my home broadband”. Using artificial intelligence, Olivia accurately answers around 90% of customer questions on first contact.
What about the other 10%?
If customers have more complex questions that Olivia can’t solve, they can click on Live Chat to speak to a customer service agent online or they can call Optus customer care. For Live Chat, a transcript of the conversation is sent to a customer service agent to ease the transition and save customers recapping all the details.
Chris Smith, Head of Online, Optus, said, “At Optus, we want to make things better and easier for our customers. Olivia is the drive-through of the online world – convenient, open all the time and able to help with simple requests. We’re seeing more and more customers jump online with traffic to both our website and mobile site increasing.”
Customers want to self-serve
According to Forrester research, customers want multiple options when communicating with companies. In the past three years, Forrester has seen an 18% rise in online web self-service usage, while the use of virtual agents has seen a 28% increase from 0% in the same time period.*
“Optus customers want instant and accurate answers to their questions, and they want to do it on their own terms. Ultimately, Olivia benefits all customers as she manages simpler queries, freeing up agents in other areas like web chat and the call centre to handle more complex questions,” Smith said.
Ask us even MORE questions
Later this year Olivia will expand from the contact area to the support area of the Optus website, where she will continue to encourage and help consumer and small business customers self-serve online.
Media contact:
Claire Wong
Optus Corporate Affairs
(02) 8082 7850
* Navigate The Future Of Customer Service, Forrester, February 2013
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