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Just as a mobile device from 2005 is outdated, so, too, is the definition from that era of the term customer engagement.
Back then, consumers used their flip phones to talk (really, you can look it up in the history books) and to triple-tap to send a 160-character-at-most text message. And engagement was all about one-way communication and mostly unsatisfying one-to-many messages rather than anything that remotely resembled personalization.
Today, the technology evolution from text message to rich message to conversations is creating unprecedented opportunities for businesses to reimagine ways to engage with customers.
Most have just scratched the surface.
But it doesn’t have to remain that way.
Here’s how to look at it.
RCS and WhatsApp Business and other new channels are conversational by nature – people will engage with your brand, reply and ask questions. Brands need tech to harness this potential, to be able to engage with customers individually on a one-to-one personalized basis.
What kind of tech?
The kind that can allow enterprises to engage with customers through messaging, voice and video.
This is our mission at Sinch.
Our latest enhancement comes through the acquisition of Chatlayer.ai, a cloud-based software platform that lets businesses create chatbots and voicebots in 100+ languages using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU). The benefits are many.
The platform enables intelligent two-way conversations between businesses and their customers across multiple communications channels like mobile messaging, voice, and web chat. AI and NLU enables enterprises to understand what a user wants to say and achieve, and then formulate a response. What’s most promising is that it works on any channel.
For instance, via our WhatsApp API, the leading global communication channel, businesses can post both proactive and reactive messages and capture phone numbers for follow-up.
Our new colleagues from Chatlayer have helped Belfius, a tier 1 bank in Belgium with 3.5 million, become more more conversational and omnichannel Bbot assists Belfius Banking clients with all their questions related to daily banking. It is particulary knowledgeable on topics related to payments where it answers questions like: how to transfer money abroad, fees involved, etc. Clients have no long waiting queues at customer contact but instead receive direct information wherever they are when they are in need of it.
From scripted dialogue...
...to conversational AI
We welcome those from Chatlayer.ai and look forward to teaming with them to meet an increasing demand from enterprises for innovative, omnichannel messaging solutions which are truly transforming customer journeys and delivering business value through the mobile channel.
You can read the press release here.
