Online Chatbot Reduce Telephone Calls

Online chatbot cuts telephone enquiries by 25%, allowing Redbridge Council staff to focus on more important calls from residents.

09:48 17 February 2019

Redbridge Council has announced plans to use robots in other services after the chatbot they release in December 2018 was able to cut telephone enquiries by 25per cent.  

 

The artificial intelligence (AI) bot was designed to provide answers to frequently asked questions about changes to Christmas and New Year waste and recycling collections. According to the council’s data, the number of calls made to its customer centre over a three-week period fell from 2,145 in 2017-2018 to 1,595 in 2018/2019.

 

Councillor Helen Coomb said: “We’re really keen to find new ways to engage with our residents and improve the customer experience.

 

“It’s clear the chatbot has proved a real hit with our residents, who have benefited from a simple, quick and clear route to the information they need.

 

“Importantly, the reduction in the volume of calls to our contact centre following the launch of the bot has enabled customer service staff to concentrate on the more complex enquiries raised with us.

 

“The project’s success has reinforced our belief that digital technology can improve the services we offer and we will now be looking to explore the potential of chatbots to help with our engagement.”