Arvato relies on hybrid live Chatbot solution in Customer Service

"Live chats are usually operated as separate tools in the market. As a result, the greatest reason for customer frustration is when a chatbot cannot offer a case-closing solution and the customer must explain their concern to the real agent once again from the beginning,” explains Christina Frank, Vice President Customer Service at Arvato Supply Chain Solutions. "We are convinced that the interaction between virtual and human agents is crucial for a unique service experience, which is why we have chosen a hybrid solution with which we can manage the transition seamlessly and without any information loss." Together with the software company BSI and the chat provider and AI company Enterprise Bot, Arvato has designed a solution that combines integrated technology and existing data in a comprehensive way, setting a new standard in the market.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, the chatbot is able to start partially and fully automated processes in the BSI system, direct relevant questions to the customer, and provide necessary answers. The chatbot can hand over the chat with the customer to an agent in customer service seamlessly at any time. The decision to hand over is made either through the process itself, or via a "sentiment analysis" or mood recognition, which includes the risk of escalation, among other factors. If customer service from Arvato Supply Chain Solutions takes over, thanks to the integration of the chatbot in BSI, the agent can use the same user interface for all input channels and initiate further processes direct in the CRM system. Additionally, the entire previous communication flow is visible, including between bot and customer, so that the agent always has a 360-degree view on previous interactions with the customer.

This view is much more complete than the one a traditional provider of customer service would have; as an end-to-end provider, Arvato is responsible for the complete process along the supply chain. This gives the company access to all data collected for the online order including the complete customer communication as well as all logistics, order, tracking and financial data. Christina Frank: "This wealth of information enables our customer service agents to create unique, personalized service experiences for customers, and the chatbot can also use it as part of further service automation."

The new system also supports Arvato’s strategy of placing the end customer at the center of all processes when implementing client specific solutions. "We focus the use of chatbots on only a few contact reasons, specifically those which make up a sizable portion of the volume," explains Christina Frank. "We invest in automated services for these simple issues. As a result, agents have more time for the interactions with customers who have more complex problems needing more assistance. The agent can then transport the brand image or service promise of the fashion, beauty and lifestyle company more intensively, and contribute to a better customer experience and higher customer loyalty."

The introduction of the hybrid live chatbot solution, scheduled to start operationally at the beginning of 2022, is also a crucial step for Arvato Supply Chain Solutions in making customer service future-proof. Bernhard Egger, Retail Community Manager at BSI: "Customer communication is increasing shifting from email to chat – a development clearly recognizable in the USA and Asia already. In Europe, we expect a shift of volume from 20 to 30 percent in e-commerce in the next two to three years." To counter this change, the chatbot solution is currently being integrated into the BSI Customer Suite and the six main European languages are being incorporated – always with a view to the specific communication behaviour of customers in the respective country. This means that the approximately four hundred agents Arvato employs at several international locations who service customers in eleven languages and cover the entire European economic area will be well equipped for future challenges in customer service.