IntelligentResponse from mplsystems supports blending of automated and assisted responses – enabling 60% of messages to be handled automatically

mplsystems, the UK-based multi-channel customer contact technology specialist, has launched intelligentResponse – the first automated response solution to help financial services firms’ contact centres handle the anticipated flood of incoming text messages caused by the growth in mobile apps, social media, web chat and email channels. intelligentResponse lets financial services firms deliver enhanced levels of customer service quality without increasing their core contact centre staff levels.

intelligentResponse allows financial services firms to blend both automated response and assisted response activities, taking advantage of the latest text analytics technologies to filter out standard, higher volume customer requests (such as product information requests, balance enquiries, bill payments, password reset and initial quotes) for automated response. At the same time, more complex enquiries can still be routed to contact centre agents with the most appropriate skills for resolution. mplsystems anticipates that a typical intelligentResponse deployment would enable financial services firms to handle around 60% of their incoming messages automatically – resulting in massive savings in their customer engagement costs.

With over 50% of calls into UK contact centres now coming from mobiles, and Generation Y consumers poised to outspend baby boomers within the next two years, many financial services firms increasingly concerned about how to handle the widely projected growth in customer messaging.

A typical intelligentResponse deployment would enable financial services firms to handle around 60% of their incoming customer messages automatically

“Until now financial services firms have been reluctant to open themselves up to direct messaging from channels such as mobile apps, social media and instant messaging because they’ve found it hard enough to keep up with handling emails from their customers. Research from ContactBabel, for example, clearly shows that while text-based channels such as email, web chat and social media now account for approaching 10% of inbound interactions, their growth has been inhibited by a lack or responsiveness and a disproportionately high cost of processing,” commented Paul White, CEO at mplsystems. “With the introduction of intelligentResponse we’re providing a solution to this problem – removing the productivity and cost barriers that, until now, have held back the growth of text-based channels within the financial services sector.”

intelligentResponse from mplsystems directly addresses these productivity concerns, taking advantage of the latest text analytics technology to enable financial sector firms – for the first time – to not only automate their response to text channels but also process these requests through appropriate workflow actions. intelligentResponse is particularly easy to set-up, with customer service teams able to provide automated responses to their high volume emails and messages within just a few hours. The new mplsystems solution also features an accessible editing tool that lets financial services customer contact teams modify automated responses, and fine tune workflow actions for effective and compliant assisted service.

“Financial services firms clearly acknowledge that a large proportion of their customer interactions are already concerned with relatively routine requests. With intelligentResponse we can help them automate the processing of around six out of ten of these standard text-based interactions, whether they’re requests for further product or service details, balance enquiries, issues with account passwords or login details, bill payments or requests for quotations,” added Paul White. “Many customers would far prefer conducting these type of interactions by email, web chat or SMS – rather that navigate through a self-service IVR or queue for an agent. intelligentResponse will prove instrumental in helping banks, building societies and other financial firms to provide their customers with a more cost-effective and responsive contact choice.”

Available either as a standalone solution or as an added value service for existing customers of mplsystems’ intelligentContact multi-channel contact centre technology, intelligentResponse offers a number of clear benefits. Customer contact teams will be able to handle a greater volume of customer enquiries without increasing staffing levels, and agents will have more time to spend on responding to complex customer enquiries. Customers will also enjoy a more immediate and interactive service, with immediate response to a significant volume of their text-based communications.

The launch of the new intelligentResponse automated response solution for text-based service channels is based on innovative research conducted by mplsystems following the award of a grant from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board. The grant was awarded to encourage mplsystems’ important work on the application of the latest multi-channel textual analytics technology to support the development of the connected digital economy within the UK.