SEAN FALCONER: Hi, everyone.
I'm Sean Falconer, Developer Relations Lead
at Google Business Communications.
KISHOR AHER: And I am Kishor Aher,
Product Manager for Google Cloud's Contact Center AI.
It's so great to be with you here today.
SEAN FALCONER: I've worked at the intersection of business
development, AI, and messaging since I joined Google in 2018.
So I'm excited to be sharing how all these come together
through Google's Business Messages.
KISHOR AHER: I couldn't agree more, Sean.
Today we'll be taking a deep dive into Business Messages
and how you can use these features
to drive results for your business.
Let's get started.
SEAN FALCONER: Today more than ever,
people want to use messaging to connect with businesses.
We've seen a big uptick in people
spending more time on messaging services because
of the pandemic.
In fact, 89% of customers want to connect with businesses
via messaging, whether that's to know a store's opening
hours, book an appointment, or change a subscription plan.
Customers today expect speed simplicity and convenience,
but that's not always what they get.
Unfortunately, it's hard for businesses
to deliver a seamless experience and be there for customers
whenever they need.
But if they don't, they risk jeopardizing their relationship
with their customer and hurting bottom line results.
Let me share a recent example.
Earlier this year I was on the hunt for a new pair of hiking
shoes for camping trip.
I started my search by reading ratings and reviews online.
Then I found the closest store so I could try them on.
But when I went to the store, the pair I wanted
was out of stock.
So I called up a different store, and I was in luck--
they had my shoes.
I visited their site to check the delivery and returns
policy before ordering the pair online.
A few days later, I emailed the customer service team
to check on the arrival time since my trip was quickly
approaching and I really needed those shoes,
when I found out they hadn't even shipped my order yet.
I tried calling the customer service team
to request an express delivery, but it was the weekend
so they were off duty.
I checked the website FAQ, but I couldn't find any answers
there.
With the customer service center closed all weekend,
I had to wait until the new week to get in touch with them.
As a consumer, the whole process was very exhausting.
The business wasn't there for me when I needed them.
I was left disappointed, and it made
me question whether I'd buy from them again.
But what if things were different?
What if your consumers can message you
wherever they are in the moment they need you
in one conversation, even when your stores are closed
or your live agents aren't available?
Our teams at Google are thinking about precisely this.
With Google's Business Messages, your business
can stay open for business whenever and wherever
customers need you.
You can stay open for conversations, for connections,
for chit chat, for interactions, for business.
With Google's Business Messages, consumers
can reach a business wherever they are in their journey,
say search, maps, on their Android devices--
all of this in the moment they need you.
With more than 5.5 billion searches every day,
people look to Google when they want
to know something, buy something, or get
help doing something.
In fact, 93% of online experiences
begin with a Search Engine.
With AI-powered Business Messages,
customers could chat with lifelike virtual agents that
understand, interact, and talk in natural ways.
Meanwhile, you have the option to distribute
existing real-life agents to customers at scale.
With people already searching on Google,
Business Messages gives you the opportunity
to meet your customers in the places
where they're already searching, no matter where
they are in the purchase and support lifecycle,
at the moment they need you.
Businesses can deliver helpful, timely, and engaging
experiences in the customer's moment in need in the places
they're looking for answers--
across Google Search, Google Maps,
and any brand in the channel.
Together, we're able to combine the power of reach
and intense signals.
At Google, we know how important it
is for interactions with the brand
to feel personal, meaningful, and easy.
That's why we've blended smart automation
with human connection to create always-on customer engagement.
No matter where your customers are or what time it is,
they can chat with lifelike virtual agents that understand,
interact, and talk in natural ways.
Meanwhile, you also have the option
to distribute existing real-life agents
to other customers at scale.
We've seen a lot of brands benefiting from Google's
Business Messages.
From offering customers a personalized experience
to increasing convergence and improving ROI,
brands have been able to drive business impact.
Levi's was not only able to surpass 85% customer
satisfaction scores, they found Business Messages
drove 30 times more store-related questions
than Web Chat.
They noted that 31% of the conversations
were product-related, indicating that shoppers
preferred target engagement to unstructured browsing.
Woolworths in Australia uses Business Messages
to empower customers with real-life information,
including stock availability and aisle details.
Albertsons Companies is another example of the possibilities
created by Business Messages.
The organization is using automated messaging to
quickly and accurately inform people where, when,
and how they can get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The new system frees up resources for the pharmacies
to focus on administering the vaccine
and taking care of patients.
It's been exciting to see how businesses of all kinds
have been using Business Messages to drive results.
And with that, I'm going to hand things off to Kishor.
KISHOR AHER: Thanks, Sean.
Leveraging AI is good because it saves users time and saves
businesses money.
However, we also know that sometimes it's
difficult to get started with AI.
So that's why we decided to leverage existing Google AI
tools like Dialogflow to create Bot-in-a-Box.
With Bot-in-a-Box, businesses can get started with Business
Messages and AI automation almost immediately.
It can be as simple as using existing customer fact
documentation you already have, whether it's
from a web page or a document, and turning that
into an automated Business Messaging solution.
Within minutes you could launch a lifelike virtual agent
on Business Messages that provides relevant responses
to most common questions your businesses
receives from customers.
To those of you unfamiliar with Dialogflow,
Dialogflow is a natural language-understanding tool
that's a solution within Google Cloud's Contact Center AI
Product Suite.
It processes user input, maps it to known intents,
and responds with appropriate replies.
It's a conversational AI.
What if you are a Dialogflow customer already?
By using Bot-in-a-Box, you enable Business Messages
and can expand your reach and capabilities to Search
and Maps.
If you are a Business Messages customer already,
then you now have a turnkey solution with Bot-in-a-Box
to incorporate AI and automation into your business.
Bot-in-a-Box also supports other critical journeys,
like custom intents.
Using the Dialogflow console UI, businesses
can create custom intents to fully automate Business
Messages customer user journeys without writing any code.
That means your bot can find the information your customers need
by using machine learning capabilities
to understand what customers are asking,
no matter how they say it.
Hey, Sean, can you share a specific example
of Bot-in-a-Box?
SEAN FALCONER: Definitely.
Let's take a look at how Tango Technology found success with
Bot-in-a-Box.
When the pandemic hit, Wake County courthouses
struggled to keep up with their call demand
from the public and attorneys regarding
things like court hearings, schedules, and new protocols.
In an effort to drive down call volume and increase
the efficiency of clerks, Tango Technology used Bot-in-a-Box
to set up and customize Business Messages for over 130
courthouses in North Carolina.
Using Bot-in-a-Box as a foundation for their solution,
they were able to launch AI-powered virtual agents that
were able to answer questions and guide users to relevant
information within a matter of days.
By transforming courthouse inquiries into AI-powered chat
conversations, Wake County courthouses
saw over 35% decrease in call volume
and courthouse clerks were able to increase efficiency
and focus on other tasks.
It's exciting to see how Wake County courthouses were
able to take advantage of stating our technology so
quickly, and how we're seeing all different types
of businesses leverage Business Messages to drive results.
As I begin to wrap up, I want to reiterate
that Google's Business Messages is open--
open for conversations, for connections, for chit chat,
for commerce, for care--
open for business to help you engage with your customers
and help advance them through the purchase funnel.
It's about enabling businesses to welcome their customers
and open a conversation where and when they
need it as naturally as when they enter a store.
KISHOR AHER: We are still in the early stages,
and we look forward to exploring the possibilities
for your brand and helping businesses
of all sizes leverage AI.
Our vision is to offer you the technology so
that you can add your creativity and build
wonderful new helpful experiences that
drive bottom line results.
SEAN FALCONER: To get started with Business Messages today,
visit g.co/BusinessMessages.
Thank you so much for listening, and we look forward
to chatting with you soon.