42Chat: Redefining Customer Service with AI-based Chatbots

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Robert Caldwell, Founding Partner & CRO

A few years back, having a smart personal assistant like Iron Man’s AI-bot J.A.R.V.I.S seemed like a far-fetched reality. However, with AI and machine learning developing at a breakneck pace, the real and virtual worlds are increasingly coalescing through the emergence of chatbots. Today, every person carries AI-based chatbots like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, which can be summoned through a click or a voice command to perform different tasks. While these automated systems improve response time and results, they are also revolutionizing the customer experience.

In light of this, several companies are building chatbots to respond to customer service queries quickly, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction in the process. A trailblazer among the leading chatbot providers is Utah-based 42Chat. In an interview with CIO Applications, Robert Caldwell, founding partner and CRO of 42Chat, shares insights into how his company is using natural language processing (NLP) to develop and deliver chatbots that improve the overall customer experience of an organization while addressing their crucial business challenges.

Give us an overview of 42Chat.

42Chat develops AI chatbots that deliver deep and engaging customer conversations over multiple communication channels such as SMS, Messenger, Facebook, WeChat, and Twitter. Because we have delivered hundreds of custom AI Chatbots, our systems are able to leverage an incredible knowledge base. The net result is that customers can get their questions answers in seconds, using the channel they want—all with more than 95 percent correct response rate.

Could you provide us with an overview of who your clients are and how 42Chat’s AI chatbots help in delivering an enriched experience to their customers?

While we deliver bots to numerous industries, including healthcare and education, we have gotten a great deal of traction in the event industry. Interestingly, we have built bots for meetings as small as a dozen executives to massive trades shows of more than 100,000 attendees. Of course, we have built bots for events ranging from tradeshows, expos, fundraisers, sporting events, concerts, festivals, and business conferences. The real power of our bots at these events is that they can deliver the answers to thousands of concurrent, disparate questions. That saves organizers a great deal of time and money. Because each user is quickly getting their questions answered, they have a much better customer service experience.

While most bot traffic is ‘pulled’ by the user asking questions, our clients can also ‘push’ messages to attendees about program changes or even emergency announcements. Remember—SMS has a 98 percent open rate, so our clients know the message is being received. To date, the company has delivered hundreds of custom EventBots. In the healthcare industry, we leverage the power of chatbots to help patients choose the right plan, doctor, and hospital to fit their needs. And in the sports industry, we have built chatbots to improve fan engagement.

While these automated systems are reducing the need for human intervention, they are also revolutionizing the customer experience

What are some of the features that make your offerings stand out among other AI-based chatbots?

Building a bot is easy. Building a bot that works well is really, really hard. This is where 42Chat distinguishes itself, by focusing on specific ‘Jobs To Be Done in a deep, conversational bot.’ 42Chat chatbots are driven by scope (how many questions will the bot answer) and scale (the number of people, the amount of time, and the channels it can support simultaneously). What further makes us different is our ability to use SMS as the starting channel to deliver really rich content (text, audio, or video).

Another aspect that sets us apart is the speed at which we develop and deploy our solutions. 42Chat typically creates and delivers even the most complex chatbots within four to six weeks. However, for bots used in one-day events, we offer self-service, code-free chatbot solutions that can be populated and deployed in less than an hour.

To bring out the story, please share a case study that highlights 42Chat’s role in helping its client create real and measurable customer value?

A leading event management agency, responsible for designing, planning, and conducting a luxury car drive event, approached us to help them build a chatbot solution that would enhance the communication between the luxury car brand and their existing/potential high-value customers attending the drive.

Our team began working with the event management company approximately five weeks prior to the event and helped them build a DriveBot. The DriveBot worked 24/7, responding to participant requests and could answer everything from information about the car they were to drive to where to find the lost and found. At the end of the event, DriveBot had a 95.1 percent correct response rate in responding to the participant queries and our client had a complete written record of every conversation to allow them to follow up with the promising opportunities.

What are some of the significant milestones achieved by the company over the years? What does the future hold for 42Chat?

We have been humbled by over 14 industry awards in the past two years. 42Chat won the 2017 #IMEXpitch, an event that showcases the most innovative technologies that are used to enhance an event experience. 42Chat was also named 2017’s IBTM World Tech Watch Award, 2018’s WEC Tech Showcase winner, and 2018’s National Sports Forum Tech Tank winner. Importantly, we have forged significant partnerships with companies such as Aventri, Shepard Exposition Services, and Connect Meetings. These partnerships enable us to provide technology solutions that help companies organizing an event to meet their participants’ needs.

In the months ahead, we will expand our product offering with new innovative AI-based bots for a variety of different markets including concert and theme park venues, weddings, team sports, and universities. Since our founding, we have been using AI Chatbots to solve our client’s real world business problems on our ongoing mission to bring low-cost, low-friction customer support to businesses everywhere.