Get A Virtual Assistant To Book Your Tickets?
In a U.S. airline first, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air introduced a virtual assistant named “Jenn” at alaskaair.com. When customers type questions in Jenn’s chat window, she responds verbally, asks follow-up questions when needed, provides a written response and related Web links, and displays the site’s most relevant page.
“With nearly half of our tickets purchased at alaskaair.com, our Web site has become the single most popular way customers interact with us before traveling,” said Ann Ardizzone, Alaska’s managing director of customer experience. “Jenn offers customers a more personalized, engaging experience online, while quickly connecting them with the site’s most relevant information.”
While Jenn is able to answer direct questions rather well, not all questions work. For instance, my question “Do I get an insurance cover when I travel by Alaska Air?” got me the response, “Good question. I’m not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.” Typos too stump Jenn.
While the technology is definitely becoming better, virtual assistants still have a long way to go before they can compare with a human at the other end.
Filed under: Ideas & Innovations