How do we prepare voicebots for work?

Before a candidate for an employee of a service department starts working effectively, he or she goes through the onboarding process, participates in various training sessions preparing for the tasks to be performed. Later, as he gains experience, he receives ongoing feedback, information about his performance, constantly updates his knowledge and develops his skills. Does a bot also receive training? How is it done? In this article we would like to share how we prepare our voicebot for work.

Primebot is a voicebot and chatbot technology that uses artificial intelligence to conduct non-linear dialogues.  We make sure to update our knowledge and technology in line with global trends and research on artificial intelligence and accompanying solutions in the field. However, our goal is not to provide only technology. We want to make Primebot more human and able to empathize with customer service. – this is what Piotr Kempa, Head of AI Division at Voice Contact Center, says about his own solution.

It is worth to stop for a moment with the statement “more human”. Do we want the bot to be more human than humans? Absolutely not! We are of the opinion that a bot should not pretend to be a human. Our bot wants to be more human than other bots, which should be expressed in understanding free and natural human speech, recognizing human intentions (in order to offer appropriate help or solution) and also in conducting a dialogue. The question arises how to arouse a human in a robot? Several elements are required for this.

1. Dialogue flow

After establishing a range of information needed to launch a campaign and researching the needs, knowing the business goals and the outcomes to be achieved, the Primebot team gets down to business. Before Primebot can begin training, a detailed plan and the right learning environment must be created. For this purpose so called dialogue flow is arranged. At this stage we verify the assumptions and adjust the appropriate solutions to achieve the desired results.

2. Training sentences

The next stage is the preparation of training sentences. These are sentences that Primebot will learn to understand the words and intentions of the person with whom it will talk in the future. In the meantime we program the exchange of data with the client’s systems, so that the actions performed by the bot will be compatible with the information in the client’s systems.

3. Training

With the dialogue flow, training sentences, and technical issues prepared, we can invite our Primebot for training. Like a human, it needs time to learn everything, but like a robot, it learns quickly and takes much less time to learn than humans.

4. Tests

After we finish learning a subject in school or college, after we finish courses or training, we usually face one last challenge – an exam, a test or some other form of verification of the acquired knowledge and skills. Primebot will also be checked if it understood everything and if it learned everything. However, unlike a human, it does not feel stressed. Who is testing the bot and how? We have created a team of testers consisting of the most experienced consultants and leaders who deal with customer service on a daily basis and have spent many hours talking to customers, and trainers who have extensive experience in customer service, passing on knowledge to others, and auditing skills, explains Piotr Kempa. The team tests Primebot by having a natural conversation with it and then reports the results – adds Piotr.

5. Analysis and improvements

The Primebot team goes on to analyze the tests. At this stage they also verify how the theoretical assumptions from the beginning of the process were realized in practice. Corrections and improvements are introduced and solutions are optimized. The bot undergoes training again, after which what it has learned is also verified. If everything is fine-tuned, Primebot starts working, and it works hard! It conducts several conversations/chats at the same time, and on top of that it doesn’t take vacations or get sick.

Service department employees need to update their knowledge, acquire new skills, and what happens to the bot?  The bot is also evolving. Depending on the needs of our clients, we can teach it new things, update or introduce new procedures that it should follow. There are many possibilities. And let’s not forget about the constantly developing technologies that create new perspectives for Primebot.

Primebot connects bot and human not only at work but also in preparation for tasks. Just like a human, it needs training, time to learn, verification of actions, and possible additional training and knowledge updates. However, just like any robot, it needs to be supported by appropriate technology, have access to relevant databases and knowledge. More about our savy voicebot and chatbot can be found here.

Katarzyna Skrzypiec