Vodafone has unveiled its ambitious new virtual assistant, SuperTOBi, powered by Generative AI (GenAI) and hosted on Microsoft Azure OpenAI. With an investment of £120 million, this advanced chatbot aims to enhance customer service experience across Europe.
After a successful trial in Italy and Portugal, SuperTOBi will now extend its services to Germany and Turkey, with additional countries expected to be added by the end of the year. This new virtual assistant is an upgrade to the existing chatbot, TOBi, which already supports customers in 13 countries across Europe and Africa, understanding 11 languages.
Supported by a €140 million investment this financial year, SuperTOBi is part of Vodafone’s broader strategy to enhance customer interactions. Unlike traditional chatbots reliant on keyword recognition, SuperTOBi understands full sentences and phrases, facilitating more natural and personalized conversations. For complex inquiries, it seamlessly transfers clients to human agents.
In its press release, Vodafone reported significant improvements in customer service metrics since implementing SuperTOBi. The first-time resolution rate has surged from 15% to 60%, while the online net promoter score (NPS) has climbed 14 points to 64. SuperTOBi also aims to handle more intricate matters, including billing inquiries.
Additionally, Vodafone has launched SuperAgent and SuperSearch. SuperAgent serves as a bot assistant for customer care employees, drawing on Microsoft Azure OpenAI’s Agent Copilot solution. It’s designed to help agents respond to complex issues more readily. In Ireland, it summarizes online conversations for agents, reducing repetition for customers. SuperSearch aims to streamline the search function for customer-facing websites, ensuring faster access to information.
Vodafone’s move to utilize advanced AI technologies exemplifies the growing trend in telecommunications towards smarter, more efficient customer service solutions. Such innovations underscore the shift from traditional methods to more sophisticated, AI-driven approaches, promising enhanced user satisfaction and operational efficiency.
