EV charging network automates 70% of customer queries

As ChargEV expanded, the demand for customer service increased. Agents needed to respond to customers swiftly on questions about membership issues, charger troubleshooting, payment issues, and the status of individual charging stations.

The team needed a way to maintain ChargEV’s commitment to accessible service without increasing the cost of live agents. The solution also needed to integrate with Zendesk, and offer service over channels like WhatsApp in local languages like Malay and Maglish (a mix of English and Malay).

Manual processing of shared screenshots and photos

One of the most pressing pain points for chargEV’s support system was the constant influx of screenshots and photos from users seeking assistance. These screenshots often contained a variety of issues, ranging from error messages displayed on the app to glitches in the user interface. While the visual nature of these inquiries was helpful for identifying specific problems, it also created a backlog for the customer support team. Each screenshot had to be manually examined, and agents would often have to follow up with users to request more details or troubleshoot the issue.

Proto collaborated with the ChargEV team to identify the common questions that could be easily automated, and trained their chatbot to provide AI-enabled conversational chat.

The team also integrated Proto’s AICX Platform with Zendesk to ensure a single source of truth for customer information. The chatbot was integrated with ChargEV’s charging stations and connected to ChargEV’s WhatsApp account so customers could easily ask questions from their mobile phones at charging stations.

To address image recognition challenges, we implemented a solution powered by OpenAI Vision. This integration enabled the bot to quickly recognize and extract key information from the image, allowing it to interpret the problem and provide an immediate, relevant response to the user. The bot could automatically guide users through common troubleshooting steps or point them to the appropriate resources, such as knowledge articles, FAQs, or video tutorials. In cases where the bot could not resolve the issue, it would escalate the ticket to a human support agent, ensuring that only the more complex cases required direct human intervention.

ChargEV’s chatbot was deployed on Zendesk and WhatsApp, offering instant customer support in English and Malay. The solution automated 64% of customer inquiries after just two months, answering questions about accounts, payments, and how to use charging stations.

Customers on the road can use the chatbot to find the nearest charging station and get instant updates on whether chargers are available and functional, so they know exactly where to go for their next charge. With integrated access to the knowledge base, the chatbot can also update customers on pricing changes and promotion details to boost customer lifetime value.

The integration of OpenAI Vision into chargEV’s customer support system significantly improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. By automating the interpretation and resolution of visual inquiries, the system was able to offer instant support for common issues, drastically reducing the response time for users. This immediate support helped users resolve their problems without having to wait for a human agent to review and interpret their screenshots.

The key benefits of this solution included:

• Faster Response Times: OpenAI Vision enabled quick processing of screenshots, allowing users to receive instant assistance with common problems.
• Reduced Workload for Support Agents: Automation of repetitive inquiries freed up support agents to focus on more complex cases, improving their efficiency and job satisfaction.
• Improved User Satisfaction: With quicker resolutions and accurate, AI-driven responses, users experienced less frustration and had a more seamless experience with the support team.
• Scalability: The AI solution enabled chargEV to handle a growing number of users without needing to proportionally increase the number of support staff, providing a scalable solution as the business expanded.
• Operational Efficiency: The solution helped optimize the support workflow, enabling the support team to work more efficiently and reducing the operational overhead required to manage the increasing number of customer inquiries.

The strong customer engagement ChargEV saw after deploying the chatbot was a testament to its value for customers looking for quick answers. With data-driven insights and ongoing training, ChargEV will be able to continue to tailor the chatbot to customer needs to increase customer satisfaction and maintain fast, accessible service while reducing the cost of live support.

Proto is the leading generative AICX platform for local languages. Its inclusive chatbots excel at usecases for customer experience, consumer protection, employee experience, and indoor navigation. Powering the Proto AICX Platform is the proprietary ProtoAI™ engine for exceptional text and voice accuracy in underserved languages and large language models, such as ChatGPT. Proto's enterprise-level capabilities include data privacy options such as hybrid and on-premise hosting, customised CX analytics, and a 24/7 prompt engineering service.