Virtual agent
A virtual agent is a software that is usually capable of learning and takes over certain predefined tasks independently. In doing so, it gradually adapts to the user’s needs via a “learning-by-doing” process and sooner or later realizes an excellent success rate. A virtual agent can be used in a wide variety of areas.
Applications for virtual agents
A virtual agent is the right choice whenever automated processing of electronic tasks is required, where it is important that the software learns and acts interactively. Virtual agents can adapt independently to the requirements placed on them. Software agents are used, among other things, to find, filter, compare and evaluate information on the Internet. Typical examples are the crawlers of search engines. Various personalized services also make use of such adaptive software. However, a virtual agent also plays a particularly important role in the field of e-commerce, where it can take over parts of the customer service.
Virtual agent in e-commerce
In the field of e-commerce, a virtual agent is used to automate customer service processes. They appear there visible to the user as a virtual purchase advisor or service employee, who is often even given a name for better identification with the user. The user of a website can ask the virtual advisor a question, for example about the amount of shipping costs. The agent searches through his information database and at the same time checks what answer has already been given to similar questions. The answer that seems most appropriate is output. Most questions are asked in the same way over and over again and can be answered quite easily by standardized answers. In e-commerce, a virtual agent is very similar to the classic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), except that the content and answers can be retrieved dynamically.
Advantages of virtual agents
In e-commerce, a virtual agent can greatly reduce staffing costs in the area of customer inquiries. Some of the questions from customers can be answered satisfactorily and conclusively in advance without having to bother a company employee. Another advantage is that the agent builds up a dynamic knowledge database that can also be used by service staff to answer questions on the phone or by e-mail. In addition, a virtual agent can process information and locate the required answer at a speed that hardly any service employee could work.
