As top wireless carriers continue to improve their customer service capabilities with automated self-service functionalities, Sprint is taking their support offering to the next level with the introduction of Sprint Smart Messaging, an artificial intelligence-powered text messaging system that enables customers to communicate with the provider even if their initial call to a Sprint store goes unanswered.
The solution is powered by NumberAI and can respond to a variety of inquiries from customers, including not only basics like business hours and product availability, but also more complex requests, such as setting up an in-store appointment or reporting a lost phone. The overall goal for implementing the solution, according to Sprint, is to give support agents more time to tackle truly complex questions and troubleshooting needs.
“Sprint currently serves over 5 million business phone numbers that will now have immediate access to Sprint’s Smart Messaging AI-powered platform,” Sasha Gorman, vice president of development for Sprint, said in a company statement. “Our business customers can run their operations more efficiently by responding to messaging requests in parallel and in real time.”
One of the unique features of Sprint Smart Messaging is "Call Rescue." According to Sprint, 62 percent of calls to small business are left unanswered, but thanks to this capability, if customers call a Sprint store and their call doesn't get answered, they automatically receive a text message back offering support. With Sprint Smart Messaging, Sprint stores can re-engage customers that reach out, offering them support and leveraging opportunities to provide them with additional services via a channel that’s familiar to most customers.
Sprint’s move underscores a general shift in the industry towards more chat communications. "Voice is an inefficient way to communicate with customers. We are moving toward a 'WeChat'-like world where consumers and business interact and conduct commerce over messaging," Number AI CEO Tasso Roumeliotis said in a company statement.