KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is taking the next step in using artificial intelligence (AI) within its social media service. KLM worked with AI frontrunner, DigitalGenius, to add automated answers to general repetitive questions from customers without the intervention of a human service agent. This gives KLM agents more time to focus on questions in conversations with customers that require a human approach. KLM is the first airline to offer a combination of human agents and artificial intelligence in a single conversation on Twitter, Messenger and WhatsApp.
KLM receives over 130.000 mentions via social media per week. This number has grown since the introduction of WhatsApp as a service channel. A dedicated team of 250 social media service agents personally engages in 30,000 conversations each week. On average, conversations consist of five or six questions and answers between KLM and its customers. Questions that can be answered automatically with the use of artificial intelligence usually come at the beginning of the conversation.
By using artificial intelligence, KLM makes conversations with our customers even more timely, correct, and personal,” said Pieter Groeneveld, Senior Vice President Digital Air France-KLM. “This is what characterises KLM. Heavy snowfall in the Netherlands last week, caused a significant increase of the number of questions on social media. Passengers obviously expect a timely answer. With the use of AI we support our service agents with technology and should be able to answer many more questions in a shorter period of time. This is exactly what the customer needs.”
KLM has been using AI provided by DigitalGenius, which now supports over 50% of all inquiries, for a year and-a-half. When agents need to answer questions, AI provides them with a possible answer. The AI system learns from the service agent’s actions and gets smarter over time. Until now, the agents had to decide if the proposed answer suits the question, adjust the answer if necessary and send it to the appropriate social media channel. With the high volumes of customer questions that the AI system has handled, KLM is now able to automate the answers to the most common questions on any subject without the interference of a human service agent. With the help of this next step in social media, KLM service agents have more time to focus on questions that require a human approach.
Once again, KLM has achieved an industry-first – the ability to provide hybrid “Human+AI” conversations to support their customers,” said Mikhail Naumov, Co-founder & President DigitalGenius. “They are a stellar example of a company that uses technology to unlock human time and potential – all in service of their respected brand and their customers.”
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