What we think

Using Alexa to gather customer feedback

If you are working with Alexa Skills, it’s inevitable you start to think for possible executions, use cases and looking around at what other people have implemented. One of the most immediate and natural implementations is customer service. Consider allowing your customers to provide feedback through voice, as it allows you to get a deeper understanding and (I think) more potential for more detailed in-the-moment feedback.

Before I knew it Sarah, one of our Account Directors, pointed me in the direction of Rant & Rave and a webinar that had lined up presenting just this implementation!

The webinar included a couple of use-cases of customer feedback that are clear demonstrations on how the devices could be used in common place industries. The first was an example of using the Alexa device in the hotel industry. A short video showed Wynn hotels in Las Vegas, with over 4000 rooms all connected and integrated with Alexa, you can get her to open the curtains, switch on the TV, change the room temperature and more, you get the idea. But, the extra element that Rant & Rave have developed is to allow the customer to give feedback and connect this live to the hotel staff.

In the example given, a couple had checked into their room and noticed the bathroom had been missed in the cleaning rota, not a great start to a stay, but as they gave feedback about the room to Alexa, they didn’t need to go to reception to give immediate feedback. The hotel staff then responded and had the room sorted asap.

Rant & Rave have developed a sentiment engine that can automatically monitor if the spoken feedback from the customer had highlighted any negative comments deemed critical straight to the manager, allowing them to immediately look to resolving the issues before things get out of hand. This immediate customer service can make or break these kind of industries as they can often lead to bad reviews on Trip Adviser or similar, so turning a bad moment into a positive one is essential.

Another example was someone in a retail clothing outlet not being able to find their size, and without a store representative around to help, they left and on the way out gave the feedback as to why. Whilst that customer may have been lost, it means the store can identify that they need a better presence on the shop floor and can improve customer service within the business moving forward.

It’s still early days with Alexa and the voice assistants but these kind of use-cases are very interesting to see and the uptake will show how technology can help connect and improve customer experiences.

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