scholarly journals Self­-service for public transport payments: A business case for conversational artificial intelligence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Charlotte Gavey
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Customer Demand ◽  
Perceived Effort ◽  
Service Offering ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Service Channels ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

<p>Although self-service (i.e. mobile top-ups) is at the heart of Snapper’s customer service offering, customers have a disjointed experience managing their public transport payment cards across a range of customer service touchpoints, including more traditional support channels such as helpdesks and in-person support centres. Customer feedback indicates that some Snapper users perceive the process of resolving support issues through these traditional support channels to be inconvenient and time-consuming. Activity through these traditional channels still forms a large proportion of Snapper’s customer service, despite Snapper’s ongoing investment in their self-service channels; including mobile applications, the website, the MySnapper desktop application, and kiosks.  Just as Snapper innovated to meet customer demand for self-service through a mobile app (Snapper Services Ltd., 2017a), the evolution of conversational artificial intelligence (AI), or chatbot technology, presents an opportunity for Snapper to lead the way in meeting customer demand for a faster, more accessible way to resolve common support issues. The successful development of such a solution will further position Snapper as a market-leader in customer-centric innovation.  In order to understand the commercial potential of such an automated customer service offering, the research aims to understand customer use and perceptions of Snapper’s support channels; to identify barriers to the adoption of self-service, and understand how these can be addressed; and to understand customer attitudes towards automated customer service. Using a mixed methods approach, research began with analysis of secondary data accessed from Snapper’s internal customer service reporting. Findings validated customer demand for additional self-service options, as well as the repetitive nature of Snapper’s customer service queries, indicating that these are ripe for automation. In-depth interviews were conducted with Snapper cardholders, giving further insight into how they select and interact with Snapper’s customer service channels. The avoidance of perceived effort was identified as a key theme when explaining how customers navigate service channels, supporting the role of “ease of use” in explaining customer adoption of self-service technologies (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989). Types of perceived effort were identified as social, cognitive and logistical effort. These categories are proposed as an extension to the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis et al., 1989), giving additional insight into what constitutes “ease of use”. Following the in-depth interviews, market analysis and discussions with AI and chatbot service providers explored best practice in automated customer service, to understand the adoption of conversational AI technology in the New Zealand context, as well as how other companies have successfully implemented a chatbot product.  The project report concludes with a stand-alone business case for applying conversational AI technology to Snapper’s customer service offering. The business case summarises the business model and delivery methodologies recommended for the project development (see Section 6.1), including LEAN startup methods. The market validation phase (Section 6.2) then addresses the strategic business case, assessing the case for change and incorporating key findings from the customer and market research conducted earlier in the research. Building on the opportunities identified in the PESTEL analysis, the product validation phase (Section 6.3) utilises a SWOT analysis, before providing clear recommendations around the required feature-set of the proposed solution, and a possible roadmap for implementing these features. Finally, the economic, financial and commercial cases are addressed; including a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed solution, a recommended development methodology, and high-level resources and requirements required for implementation. By validating that delivering such an enhanced self-service offering is commercially viable, the project aims to deliver a more delightful experience to Snapper users, driving better uptake of Snapper’s self-service channels.</p>

scholarly journals Self­-service for public transport payments: A business case for conversational artificial intelligence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Charlotte Gavey
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Customer Demand ◽  
Perceived Effort ◽  
Service Offering ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Service Channels ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

<p>Although self-service (i.e. mobile top-ups) is at the heart of Snapper’s customer service offering, customers have a disjointed experience managing their public transport payment cards across a range of customer service touchpoints, including more traditional support channels such as helpdesks and in-person support centres. Customer feedback indicates that some Snapper users perceive the process of resolving support issues through these traditional support channels to be inconvenient and time-consuming. Activity through these traditional channels still forms a large proportion of Snapper’s customer service, despite Snapper’s ongoing investment in their self-service channels; including mobile applications, the website, the MySnapper desktop application, and kiosks.  Just as Snapper innovated to meet customer demand for self-service through a mobile app (Snapper Services Ltd., 2017a), the evolution of conversational artificial intelligence (AI), or chatbot technology, presents an opportunity for Snapper to lead the way in meeting customer demand for a faster, more accessible way to resolve common support issues. The successful development of such a solution will further position Snapper as a market-leader in customer-centric innovation.  In order to understand the commercial potential of such an automated customer service offering, the research aims to understand customer use and perceptions of Snapper’s support channels; to identify barriers to the adoption of self-service, and understand how these can be addressed; and to understand customer attitudes towards automated customer service. Using a mixed methods approach, research began with analysis of secondary data accessed from Snapper’s internal customer service reporting. Findings validated customer demand for additional self-service options, as well as the repetitive nature of Snapper’s customer service queries, indicating that these are ripe for automation. In-depth interviews were conducted with Snapper cardholders, giving further insight into how they select and interact with Snapper’s customer service channels. The avoidance of perceived effort was identified as a key theme when explaining how customers navigate service channels, supporting the role of “ease of use” in explaining customer adoption of self-service technologies (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989). Types of perceived effort were identified as social, cognitive and logistical effort. These categories are proposed as an extension to the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis et al., 1989), giving additional insight into what constitutes “ease of use”. Following the in-depth interviews, market analysis and discussions with AI and chatbot service providers explored best practice in automated customer service, to understand the adoption of conversational AI technology in the New Zealand context, as well as how other companies have successfully implemented a chatbot product.  The project report concludes with a stand-alone business case for applying conversational AI technology to Snapper’s customer service offering. The business case summarises the business model and delivery methodologies recommended for the project development (see Section 6.1), including LEAN startup methods. The market validation phase (Section 6.2) then addresses the strategic business case, assessing the case for change and incorporating key findings from the customer and market research conducted earlier in the research. Building on the opportunities identified in the PESTEL analysis, the product validation phase (Section 6.3) utilises a SWOT analysis, before providing clear recommendations around the required feature-set of the proposed solution, and a possible roadmap for implementing these features. Finally, the economic, financial and commercial cases are addressed; including a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed solution, a recommended development methodology, and high-level resources and requirements required for implementation. By validating that delivering such an enhanced self-service offering is commercially viable, the project aims to deliver a more delightful experience to Snapper users, driving better uptake of Snapper’s self-service channels.</p>

An Investigation of Consumers' Acceptance of Mobile Banking in Bangladesh

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Majedul Islam ◽  
Md. Enayet Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Mobile Network ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Self Service

This study attempts to explore the effects of different key factors influencing the consumer acceptance of mobile banking, particularly those that affect the consumer's attitudes towards, and intention to use, this self-service banking technology in Bangladesh. The demographic, attitudinal, and behavioural characteristics of mobile bank users were examined. Consumer survey on 292 mobile bank users of different mobile network operators was undertaken where respondents completed questionnaire about their perceptions of mobile banking's ease of use, Infrastructural facility, self-control, social influence, perceived risk, perceived usefulness, and customer service with their lifestyle, and need for interaction with personnel. Correlation and One Sample t-test were used to determine whether these factors influence consumers' attitude and intention to use mobile banking. By addressing the concerns of and benefits sought by the consumers, marketers can create positive attractions and policy makers can set regulations for the expansion of mobile banking services in Bangladesh. This study offers an insight into mobile banking in Bangladesh focusing influencing factors, which has not previously been investigated.

scholarly journals Enhancing Nigerian Telecommunication Customer Service Channels Using Self-Service Software Model

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Adamu Abubakar ◽  
◽  
Hyacinth C. Inyiama ◽  
Olayemi Mikail Olaniyi ◽  
Muhammad Bashir Abdullahi
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Software Model ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Service Channels

Young Adults’ Contextualization of Environmental and Sustainability Issues: A Critical Issue for Environmental Education Intervention

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony KOLA-OLUSANYA
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

As soon as decision makers are expected to make differences towards sustainable future, young adults’ ability to make informed and sound decisions is considered essential towards securing our planet. This study provides an insight into young adults’ knowledge of key environment and sustainability issues. To answer the key research questions, data were obtained using a qualitative phenomenographic research approach and collected through 18 face-to-face in-depth interviews with research participants. The findings of this study suggest that young adults lived experiences that play a huge role in their level of awareness of topical environmental and sustainability issues critical to humanity’s future on earth. 

Low-Wage Women’s Experiences of Workplace Incivilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110147
Author(s):  
Katherine Tindell ◽  
Irene Padavic
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Bank Teller ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Service Representative ◽  
Research And Policy

Workplace incivility, also called bullying, mobbing, and harassment, is pervasive and takes a high toll on employees. This study draws on 18 in-depth interviews with women in the precarious, low-wage, service sector in jobs such as customer service representative, retail sales, food service, pharmacy technician, and bank teller. Women service workers are a particularly vulnerable group, and yet most research on workplace problems of this type focus on professional women’s experience. We find that in this sample, most incivilities came from supervisors, followed by customers and then coworkers. Among supervisors, women were the most common perpetrators, while customer and coworker perpetrators were largely men. The type of incivility varied depending on role: Disparagement was common on the part of supervisors and customers, while coworkers were far more likely to engage in sexual harassment, which was virtually nonexistent among supervisors. Consequences for targets of these incivilities included anxiety, which most had experienced, and income loss. We offer suggestions for future research and policy.

The practice of envelope journalism in the Republic of the Congo

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-126
Author(s):  
Cleves Nkie Mongo
Keyword(s):  
Journalism Ethics ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Congo Brazzaville ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

This article provides insight into the “brown envelope journalism” in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). Through in-depth interviews with journalists from four major Congolese news outlets, this research reveals how financial difficulties result in reporters justifying their violations of journalism ethics and standards. While two news outlets accept bribes to compensate for their precarious financial situation, two other news organizations pretend that they oppose envelope journalism although this research shows that their reporters also secretly accept bribes.

scholarly journals Armed, Prohibited and Violent at Home: Implementation and Enforcement of Restrictions on Gun Possession by Domestic Violence Offenders in Four U.S. Localities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Frattaroli ◽  
April M. Zeoli ◽  
Daniel W. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Protective Orders ◽  
Implementation Models ◽  
Domestic Violence Prevention ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractFirearms increase the risk of lethality in violent intimate relationships. Policies that restrict access to firearms by respondents to civil domestic violence protective orders (DVROs) are associated with reductions in intimate partner homicide, yet there is scant literature about how such prohibitions are implemented. We document how four localities are implementing gun possession prohibitions that result from civil and criminal restraining orders and domestic violence misdemeanor convictions; and assess the findings in the context of Kingdon’s agenda setting framework. We identified four jurisdictions where gun dispossession of prohibited domestic violence offenders was underway and collected data through in-depth interviews, site visits, and documents. We coded the data, identified explanatory themes, and compared the findings to Kingdon’s framework. The four jurisdictions have policies ranging from no state laws restricting domestic violence offenders’ access to guns to comprehensive state laws. We describe implementation initiatives to dispossess prohibited people of their guns in the four jurisdictions, two distinct implementation models through which gun dispossession occurs, and an expanded application of Kingdon’s model. In each jurisdiction, we identified one or more individuals who championed implementation. Policies that prohibit domestic violence offenders from possessing guns are promising, and possible in diverse settings and jurisdictions. Here we provide insight into implementation efforts in four jurisdictions, emphasize the role of individuals in prioritizing implementation, and highlight the potential to realize these restrictions across states with different laws. Focusing on implementation is a much-needed paradigm shift that complements the traditional focus on passing domestic violence prevention laws.

scholarly journals Investigating the user experience of customer service chatbot interaction: a framework for qualitative analysis of chatbot dialogues

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asbjørn Følstad ◽  
Cameron Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Interaction Patterns ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractThe uptake of chatbots for customer service depends on the user experience. For such chatbots, user experience in particular concerns whether the user is provided relevant answers to their queries and the chatbot interaction brings them closer to resolving their problem. Dialogue data from interactions between users and chatbots represents a potentially valuable source of insight into user experience. However, there is a need for knowledge of how to make use of these data. Motivated by this, we present a framework for qualitative analysis of chatbot dialogues in the customer service domain. The framework has been developed across several studies involving two chatbots for customer service, in collaboration with the chatbot hosts. We present the framework and illustrate its application with insights from three case examples. Through the case findings, we show how the framework may provide insight into key drivers of user experience, including response relevance and dialogue helpfulness (Case 1), insight to drive chatbot improvement in practice (Case 2), and insight of theoretical and practical relevance for understanding chatbot user types and interaction patterns (Case 3). On the basis of the findings, we discuss the strengths and limitations of the framework, its theoretical and practical implications, and directions for future work.

Crowdsourcing the Evaluation of Design Concepts With Empathic Priming

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Pang ◽  
Carolyn C. Seepersad
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scales ◽  
Pairwise Comparison ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Similar Evaluation ◽  
Insight Into

The evaluation of design concepts is a time consuming and resource intensive process. Crowdsourcing evaluations has been examined in previous work as a means to reduce the need for expert raters, while achieving similar evaluation results. This paper examines the impact of empathically priming novice raters on their evaluation of alternative design concepts. The rating system is based on a pairwise comparison method that requires minimal training of novice raters. In a pilot study the pairwise method for crowdsourcing evaluations is compared with crowdsourced evaluations using non-pairwise rating scales and with the evaluations of expert raters. The primary study incorporates written and empathic priming strategies to determine their impact on novice raters’ evaluation of concepts. Raters are asked to consider several criteria, including novelty, feasibility, clarity (of the concept), usefulness, ease of use, and overall worthiness of further development. Results offer insight into the criteria that are most relevant to novice raters and whether empathic priming has a significant effect on those evaluations.

Black-white mixed race young people in Ireland and their lived experiences of racialised exclusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 079160352110684
Author(s):  
Patti O’Malley
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Mixed Race ◽  
Regular Feature ◽  
Black African ◽  
Academic Scholarship ◽  
Irish Context ◽  
Irish Identity ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

The multiracial family and the existence of mixed race children have come to be a regular feature of Irish familial life. Yet, nation-building discourses have promulgated notions of ethnic and religious homogeneity with Irish identity being racialised exclusively as white. Moreover, to date, there has been a dearth of academic scholarship related to racial mixedness in the Irish context. Through in-depth interviews, this paper sets out, therefore, to provide empirical insight into the lives of fifteen black (African) – white (Irish) mixed race young people (aged 4 to 18) with a particular focus on their experiences of racialised exclusion. Indeed, findings suggest that, as in other majority white national contexts, the black-white mixed race young people are racialised as black in the Irish public domain and as such, are positioned as ‘racialised outsiders’. In fact, their narrative accounts shed light on everyday encounters saturated by ‘us-them’ racial constructs based on phenotype. Thus, these young people, who are not fully recognised as mixed race Irish citizens, are effectively deprived of a space in which to articulate their belonging within the existing statist (i.e. inside/outside) framework.

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