How to Turn Your Partner Program Into a Revenue Generator

Partners are an extension of your company, they add value to your offerings, and empower your brand. Providing them with 24x7 world-class service is equally as important as supporting your customers. 

Take a few minutes to see how one Virtual Agent created for your brand can be leveraged by all partners in your ecosystem.  Learn how one company in the medical field transformed a customer support Virtual Agent into a $5 Million return. 

Click Here to view the SlideShare Presentation: How to Turn Your Partner Program Into a Revenue Generator.

Self-Service for The Affordable Care Act

On Tuesday, October 1, 2013 the health exchanges opened for the first time. The White House expects 7 million uninsured people to sign up during the six-month enrollment period. According to a recent Yahoo News article (Healthcare Exchanges Open Tuesday: What You Need to Know), 45% of people polled by Kaiser said they had heard “nothing at all” about the health insurance marketplaces mandated by the law. News all over the nation encouraged participants to “call” and ask questions. The news casters reassured the public that call centers were ready to take their calls. And of course, callers to the federal call center reported long hold times.

https://www.healthcare.gov/

Typical Questions – but this is just the beginning

§  What is the health insurance exchange?

§  Do I have to buy health insurance on the exchange?

§  How much does it cost?

§  How do people enroll?

§  Can the insurance prices change?

§  Will the enrollment website work?

The high level pieces of information found in the media or on websites are challenging to interpret. The public, as well as businesses, are affected in different ways. For example, rates and regulations vary by state; rates can change; and when more information is necessary individuals can read the full law for more details. The general public will be forced to call.

Why Self-Service?

The White House expects 7 million uninsured to sign up during a 6 month enrollment period. This does not include the addition of millions of people who just want information about the law and visit the site for research purposes. It also does not include the frequent return visits to the site for clarification on what is covered.

Virtual Agents have long been used to reduce the load and cost of the typical call center by encouraging end users to help themselves. During peak seasons, new releases, and in times of the unknown, consumers ask questions that can often be resolved online. Since Virtual Agents have become more popular,  the public is more comfortable with using such technologies not only as personal assistants, but to find quick solutions for customer service, support, and shopping.

Benefits of a Virtual Agent/Self-Service

Health service providers, insurance carriers, and pharmaceutical companies are now empowered to leverage Virtual Agents to answer questions related to the new Affordable Care Act. Virtual Agents help these businesses and non-profit groups to:

§  Be ready for the call spikes, and questions related to the Affordable Care Act

§  Respond to questions that could have Legal implications if answered incorrectly.

§  Respond 24x7. Knowledge about healthcare is mandatory, and we need it right now; especially when it involves small children, the elderly, or those with pre-existing medical conditions.

§  Communicate in multiple languages. Although English is the native tongue in the United States, Spanish and Asian among other dialects account for a large majority of your audience.

§  Understand what the public wants to know. Leverage built in metrics to analyze the most Frequently Asked Questions, identify areas for growth, and take advantage of opportunities to learn more about your audience.

§  Adapt rapidly. Not only can Virtual Agents learn from conversations, but by implementing VAs on a website, changes can be made quickly. No need to wait for website publishing cycles - a secure login to the VA provides the opportunity to make instant updates easily.             

Trusted brands across various industries have implemented Virtual Agents to reduce call center costs, increase Customer Satisfaction, and capture actionable intelligence. In a recent survey, 88% of respondents agreed that self-service tools had a major impact on resolving issues, and would likely recommend self-service such as a Virtual Agent to others.

https://twitter.com/HealthCareGov

When live chat is unavailable, when the phone queue is too long, or for quick information and guided help, Virtual Agents are ready.

About noHold Inc.

noHold is a privately held company established in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, CA, USA (Silicon Valley). noHold is the acknowledged leader in Virtual Agent solutions with a mission to deliver real answers to real questions - real fast. Simple to use, easy to implement and as close to human as you can get; noHold turns automated customer support into cognitive customer interaction. noHold customers include Cisco, Lenovo, Dell and a host of industry leaders.

Website:  www.nohold.com

Blog: http://noholdinc.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/noHoldAI

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noHold

Helpful Resources:

§  For more information about the Affordable Care Act visit US Department of Health & Human Services

§  Obamacare Enrollment: How do I sign up?http://finance.yahoo.com/news/obamacare-enrollment-sign-044100416.html

http://news.yahoo.com/health-care-exchanges-open-tuesday--what-you-need-to-know-221738118.html

© Copyright noHold Inc. 2013 All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners. This document is an independent publication and should be used for research purposes only. noHold is not affiliated with The US Government, The Affordable Care Act, or any other entity mentioned herein.

Throwback Thursday: Now and Then: Lenovo's eLounge vs. Disney's "Avatar Land"

Some might say I am a Disney fanatic, so I am really excited to share some interesting news… Walt Disney World in Florida is working on a new land to add to the Animal Kingdom called Pandora. It is a replica of the world of Pandora from the 2009 movie Avatar. They are creating this "Avatar Land" to be as interactive as possible, just like being inside a virtual world. It is as though the land is a living organism that responds to contact.  

With an abundant supply of technology and resources, I am sure the creators of Avatar and Disney are going to work together and create a memorable, interactive experience that their guest will be amazed by.

In 2009, Lenovo thought of a concept similar to the avatar land which they namedeLounge. This eLounge allows you to create your personal 3-D shopping experience online. You can create your own personal avatar, browse and interact with there virtual products, walk around and share your experience with customers from around the globe, and get support from virtual product specialists. Since eCommerce has sky rocketed in the past few years, having a virtual world that is interactive and collaborative will help complete the circle of the customer experience journey.

What I found interesting was the virtual avatar product specialist that is placed in the virtual shop. Implementing a virtual agent as a product specialist, will eliminate the need for human specialists to respond to every question. After all, a virtual world should have virtual agents, right?

Do you like the idea of online shopping, simulating an actual store? Would you like to communicate with other shoppers for advice and support? 

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Behind the Scenes: Creating an Avatar

Preface: I’m sitting down today with Stephany Ventura, Graphic Designer at noHold,Inc. for about 2 years now.  Besides creating websites, marketing collateral, etc., she also crafts avatars for some of our Virtual Agents! Before getting inside knowledge on how avatars are built, let us know a little bit about you.

Q: How did you get into Graphic Designing?

A: I always enjoyed art and I wanted to use my creative abilities to make money. I saw Graphic Design as an opportunity to love what I do every day.

Q: What is your favorite project to work on?

A: I would have to say creating poster are my favorite projects. They are not as technical and more engaging. There is more of a freedom to have fun, for example, I just created a Knowledge Management Superhero poster which was tons of fun to execute!

Q: Okay, let’s get into the juicy details that go into creating an avatar. First things first, what software do you use?

A: Personally, I use Adobe Creative Suite. I really like using Adobe Creative Suite because it includes multiple programs that are the best in the market.

Q: Where does the process of making an avatar take place?

A: Anywhere I can take my laptop really… my cube, Starbucks, in a field of wild dandelions.

--The only thing is, I can’t be in the water...

Q: Since you’ve been with noHold, how many avatars have you created in the past?

A: Too many to count… Ha-ha.

But really, since creating avatars is not my main focus, I have probably made a total of 7 avatars.

                                                               

 

These are a couple of the avatars I have created for clients. I designed an avatar with human features, that resembles a nurse (described on the right) and an avatar that takes on more of a robot feel (described on the left.) The robot avatar (on the left) is the latest noHold avatar I have created that is going to take part in a new charitable initiative we are participating in. Stay tuned for more information about the new initiative soon!

Q: From your experience, how long does it take you to complete one?

A:  Depends— developing the concept of an avatar is usually what takes time. Sometimes brainstorming multiple ideas is necessary and I have to find one that sticks out more than others. Other times I come up with a concept instantly and can start the technical aspects immediately.

Q: Speaking of concepts, how do you come up with the concept for the avatar?

A: The concepts for the avatars I create come from a lot of research. One of the first steps I take when starting this process, is to identify what company I am making an avatar for. I check out their company profile to get a feel for their branding, what message they are trying to convey and the overall imaging.

I am currently in the midst of birthing an avatar for a company in the medical field. I came up with the design to have an avatar that resembles a nurse. I then pull the colors from the company website and the rest just falls into place. (See above for example.)

Q: Is there anyone/anything that inspires you to come up with the ideas?

A: One of my inspirations for creating avatars is the movie Avatar. I just pop that DVD in and my juices start flowing. Ha-ha.

Just kidding, like I said earlier, my number one inspiration would have to be the customer. I can come up with a bunch of ideas, but if it does not mirror the company’s image it will look awkward on their site and end users might get confused. Branding is an important aspect of creating an avatar for a specific company.

Q: Everyone knows about writers block, but do you every get designer’s block and if so where do you go for ideas?

A: When I feel like I am stuck I typically go to my colleagues for input. Really just talk about design suggestions and bouncing ideas off each other really helps me get back in the creative zone. Feedback is super valuable because when you work on something for so long, it is good to get a fresh perspective.

Q: So, noHold develops Virtual Agent software for customer support and sales, but Virtual Agents don’t NEED to have avatars for them to function. Why does your company create avatars for the Virtual Agents?

A: Well you are right; having an avatar to represent the Virtual Agent is only for aesthetic value. But I think it is an important because it gives the Virtual Agent a personality. We try to not only make the Virtual Agent visually appealing, but we also add character to how the Virtual Agent can answer. For example, in our old noHold Virtual Agent, Holmes, he was able to output funny remarks when given the right context. We have to think about who is using the Virtual Agent…end users. Having an avatar present produces a more interactive, engaging, and memorable experience for them. Here is an example of an avatar enhancing the Virtual Agent. The avatar makes it feel like you are talk to a person.

Q: And I have to know, do clients typically have preferences, such as male or female avatars?

A: The media showcases females as being friendly and helpful. I know it sounds silly since it is essentially a cartoon character, but studies have shown that a female’s face is perceived as warm; and is reminiscent of warm cookies and milk from Grandma. One example that comes to mind is from another vendor in our space – recently, one of their clients changed the avatar to a female version.

Thanks for taking the time to sit down and give us the skinny on avatars, Stephany. If anyone has any questions about creating avatars, feel free to leave a comment below and we will get back to you within 24 hours.  

Throwback Thursday: ASIMO re-invents himself!

I was doing some research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) this week and came acrossASIMO, the humanoid robot created by Honda in October of 2000. ASIMO is an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovation MObility. It was designed to be a multi-functional mobile assistant. If you want to check out ASIMO live, take a quick trip to Disneyland where you can find ASIMO inside Innoventions located in Tomorrowland. 

In 2011, Honda re-introduced a new version of ASIMO that displayed significant advancements. Honda wanted to move ASIMO from an "automatic machine" to an "autonomous machine." Before they could do that, they had to identify factors that were mandatory for ASIMO to be an autonomous machine. "...1) high-level postural balancing capability which enables the robot to maintain its posture by putting out its leg in an instant, 2) external recognition capability which enables the robot to integrate information, such as movements from people around it, from multiple sensors and estimate the changes that are taking place, and 3) the capability to generate autonomous behavior which enables the robot to make predictions from gathered information and autonomously determine the next behavior without being controlled by an operator."

Honda robotics is not the only company doing research on robotic technology and Artificial Intelligence(AI). The US Army, IBM, MIT, etc. all are still making great strides in the AI space. It is great to still see research and developments being done continuously because intelligent machines are something that can always be improved upon. AI is only as good as the brain that makes it function. 

SICURA(TM) is noHold's latest knowledge management(KM) platform. We have enhanced our platform to provide our clients with multiple tools and applications that will in turn benefit their consumers. This platform coupled with a Virtual Agent gives companies the ability to deliver answers to the questions they have.

 KM is part of a bigger picture and can benefit from utilizing Artificial Intelligence. Each year, AI is making significant advancements. IBM's Watson was able to compete and win in the game show Jeopardy, beating out 2 other humans. (This was back in 2011 as well.) 

Have you seen ASIMO in action? Do you think Virtual Assistants will soon employ factors mandatory to be classified as an autonomous machine such as external recognition capability, or capability to make intelligent predictions? 

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Mayday!!!

     This year, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD tablets came in at number 8 on the best tablets of 2013 from techradar.com. With the success of Kindle tablets, just recently Amazon introduced the Kindle Fire HDX. Among many other unique features, one of the most intriguing is the customer support option provided by clicking on the "Mayday" button. Once you push the button, a live support representative will pop up on your screen in the form of video chat. You can see the representative, but the representative cannot see you. However, the customer support agent does have the ability to see your screen, control your tablet, and draw arrows or lines on your screen to point you in the right direction. Though this seems like a great idea, it might run into a few problems with consumers and also with the company, Amazon.  

     Are people going to feel comfortable allowing a live person access into their tablet and having the ability to make changes? Privacy is at the top of everyone's list when dealing with personal devices and data security. Employees using the Mayday button at work allow support representatives access into company networks and data, which increases the potential of security breaches.

     Another factor to address...is it cost effective? How much will it cost the company per video chat for a live person to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer support questions... or to answer prank calls? Having an automated support representative to answer customer questions decreases the cost of support, while increasing customer satisfaction. 

     What do you think about Kindle's new Mayday feature? Do you think the benefits of a live support agent outweigh the cost? 

Throwback Thursday: The Future of Search...a Virtual Agent?

With the recent announcements of Google's Hummingbird as well as Facebook's Graph Search, it seems fitting to discuss the new role of Search. According to an article,  Amit Singhal, Google's VP of Search said, "Remember what it was like to search in 1998? You'd sit down and boot up your bulky computer, dial up on your squawky modem, type in some keywords, and get 10 blue links to websites that had those words, the world has changed so much since then: billions of people have come online, the Web has grown exponentially, and now you can ask any question on the powerful little device in your pocket."

Wikipedia states, "To celebrate their 15th birthday, Google launched a new 'Hummingbird' algorithm, claiming that Google search can be a more human way to interact with users and provide a more direct answer."

Since the role of a Virtual Agent is to create a more 'human way of interacting with users,' let's discuss Virtual Agents that have the added benefit of searching across clouds. For this weeks Throwback Thursday I want to re-introduce Search ++, code named 'Smart Search.' This series of algorithms was introduced to the world only a year ago in 2012, making it still fairly new. Search ++ is an enhancement to search engines and works collaboratively with Virtual Agents to provide more accurate rank results. 

One interesting component of Search ++ is the Federated Search ++ feature. This component allows results from multiple data sources to be pulled into the Virtual Agent and delivered to the end users. The latest version of Federated Search ++ not only pulls results from various data sources, but it can rank all results as a whole instead of separately ranking from each data source. 

Another advantage to Search ++ is its ability to preempt end users to find solutions before submitting a support case to any given business. Sometimes consumers have a hard time finding the solution to their problem and submitting an email or case to the vendor seems like the easiest way to get answers. This is not true though. Submitting cases can be time consuming, you might have to wait hours before getting in contact with a support agent. With Search ++ preemption forms, before you submit your question, Search ++ technology will analyze what you have written in the case form and supply you with relevant articles that could lead you to immediate solutions. This decreases the amount of emails or cases submitted to your company's contact center and in turn, increases ROI and customer satisfaction. 

As search engines aim to be more 'human-like', and our Smartphones come prepackaged with Virtual Assistants (equipped with personalities and names), what do you think about the future of search? Will we use Virtual Assistants for virtually everything? Do the lines between search and Virtual Assistants continue to blur?

Happy #TBT

Throwback Thursday: Tablets Taking Over the Industry!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

With the holidays fast approaching, I’m seeing a bunch of articles talking about how Tablets are going to out sell PCs for the first time.  This got me thinking about when the first tablet was introduced to the world of technology and when did they start to gain popularity.

Photo Credit: EdibleApple

I think the most commonly known tablet is the iPad, but did you know Apple had created a tablet before that in 1979! It was called a Graphics Tablet. The main feature of this tablet was to be able to draw a design with a stylus and be able to transfer that image to your computer; this was before Photoshop was around of course.  Original asking price? $650!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

iPaq was also a trendy device in the early 2000’s. This personal “pocket PC” was created by Compaq until Hewlett-Packard acquired them. This tablet used a Windows Mobile interface. Check out the photo of the personal digital assistants (PDA) on the right.

How many people remember the Palm Pilot? Before Smartphone’s were around, people needed a way to manage and store information such as phone numbers, addresses, to-do lists, calendars, etc. The Palm Pilot was capable of all those things, but had the convenience of being compacted into portable device.

Photo Credit: Home Toys

Another popular device that received a lot of attention before the tablets of 2010 was the convertible laptop to tablet. The screen of the laptop could swivel around and convert into a tablet.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Tablets that are popular today (i.e. iPad) have not been on the market for too long. The first iPad was introduced in 2010, only 3 years ago. They have gained popularity quickly and the demand for tablets to growing. Employees are starting to bring their tablets to work, instead of working from a PC. And some schools are providing tablet use for the students in their libraries.(BYOD phenomenon!) Today, there are tons of top companies that produce tablets. Apple has the iPad, but shortly after the release of the iPad came the Samsung Galaxy Note, Google Nexus, Sony Xperia, and more. 

Photo Credit: Digitaltrends

With so many developers of tablets, consumers are sending in thousands of questions wanting to know what tablet bests suits them or ask technical support questions. Having a Virtual Agent to answer your customers questions will increase sales and customer satisfaction, while lowering costs.

Adding QR codes to the tablet packaging which will bring up a Virtual Agent on your phone will enhance the customer experience and encourage customers to purchase the device that fits his or her needs confidently. This will also give you a step up on competitors. To find out more about QR codes and Virtual Agents, view "How to Increase Sales by Providing a Great Customer Experience That is Easy To Socialize."

What's your favorite tablet? How do you get shopping advice and support on your device? Have a great week!

Photo Credit: memecenter