How to meet customer demand on the move

Three distinct problems in transport today

Just as many transport companies have evolved into a web of outsourced functions, with partners and subcontractors involved in everything from warehousing to delivery, customers are demanding those separate parts operate as a seamless whole. 

When they start a conversation with a chatbot then continue it with a human, they want that human agent to know what they said to the machine, without repeating information. And for logistics operators, it’s no longer enough to give them a delivery date; they want up-to-the-minute alerts on where their parcel is and at what hour it’ll arrive. 

Changing customer expectations, the way different stakeholders handle information, and how a service interaction must connect across channels are three key challenges in the transport and logistics industry. Mobile messaging technologies can unify disparate departments and present the same friendly and knowledgeable face to the customer—however that customer chooses to contact you.

What technology needs to do to provide that integrated experience to the customer, and do it across all channels—from chatbots and phone calls to text messages and mobile apps like WhatsApp.

Starting with AI chatbots…

One such is AI. When a customer starts tapping in the chatbot window, the ideal experience isn’t being referred to a web page or given a general answer. It’s a response that directly addresses his/her concerns – like knowing the real reason a package is late or why a vehicle isn’t available. 

… handling the handover to a human …

But AI isn’t everything, so solutions must include human customer service agents and other job roles too. Here, it’s about making information available to that agent in one place: a customer’s call history, outstanding trouble tickets, what’s been done before. After all, when a customer phones in, it’s a “Moment of Truth”: a critical touchpoint where the relationship can be won or lost.

… and connecting them without dropping the mic

And third, any solution needs to work across channels, connecting inputs and outputs from different apps and media into a single conversation. It’s not a short list. It covers SMS, but the applications within SMS too, like two-way messaging, and how all that data gets shared and transferred between channels. 

That’s transport today: a complex landscape of interacting organisations, coping with ever more extreme customer expectations, and delivering services whose outcomes depend on effective use of data. These challenges are huge—but we like to think they’re solvable. based on the number of companies enjoying success with our Conversational AI Cloud and Communications Platform. 

Ready for more? Download our “How to meet multi-channel customer demand guide” here and see what unified messaging and intelligent chatbots can add to your transport business.