NZ Post has deployed its first digital employee, a smart chatbot named Koa, using Ambit’s conversational AI platform. The chatbot allows small or home-based business customers in the My NZ Post Business portal to receive an immediate response, at any time of day, to commonly asked questions, freeing up the Customer Care team to solve more complex queries.
Koa answers questions like “When will my parcel be delivered?” or “When will my package be picked up?”. NZ Post identified that many relatively simple questions from its small business customers could be easily answered by a digital employee, resulting in a faster response and reducing pressure on its contact centre.
“In a 24/7 web based economy, customers increasingly want self-service and online support options available around the clock. We are delighted to see Koa playing an important role in the way customers interact with NZ Post,” says Tim Warren, Ambit’s co-founder and CEO.
Initially deployed as a pilot to support SMBs, Koa’s role may be expanded as the chatbot’s conversational AI learns and understands a broader range of questions.
“Our Voice of the Customer research shows that small business owners are time poor and value an immediate answer, which in most cases can be automated. As Koa learns more about NZ Post’s operations and customers, we can introduce this technology to other parts of our business,” says Liza Gunn, GM Customer Service, NZ Post.
Koa’s design was informed by feedback from customers and customer service team members. The chatbot’s persona is designed to be reliable, empathetic, and friendly, and provide customers with greater confidence and control over their experience.
