Continental Airlines Revolutionizes Customer Support With Online Virtual Expert
July 30 2009 - 1:08PM
PR Newswire (US)
First network carrier to utilize online human emulation technology
HOUSTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines
(NYSE: CAL) today launched Virtual Expert technology, a new feature
at continental.com, offering customers 24-hour support on the Web
for all their travel needs. "Alex," the airline's Virtual Expert,
interacts with customers to easily and effectively interpret
requests and provide accurate answers to travel needs. Continental
is the first network carrier to offer human emulation technology.
From booking a flight, to helping customers understand visa
requirements for international travel, Alex allows Continental to
provide the same high-touch service available within the call
center environment, for customers on the Web. "Continental.com is
our one-stop shop for travel planning and information and Alex
quickly and accurately guides our customers to the answers they're
looking for," said Mark Bergsrud, senior vice president of
marketing programs and distribution at Continental Airlines. "We
are constantly looking for ways to improve our ability to deliver
the best customer experience, and Alex will be an invaluable
resource to our customers." Developed by Next IT, the new
technology emulates not only the look and voice of a human, but
also the ability to understand the intent of phrases and dialog,
guiding customers to information and making continental.com a
one-stop shop for travel planning and information. Customers
visiting continental.com can click the Alex icon to open a chat
window where they can enter a question. Alex responds with both a
written and spoken response. The customer is then automatically
navigated to the specific place on continental.com that answers the
question and provides other helpful links in the chat window. Prior
to launching the technology, Continental tested the product with
3,000 of the airline's most frequent flyers and with reservations
agents at Continental's call center in Salt Lake City. Reservations
agents at Continental are using the Virtual Expert technology to
answer customer questions and improve the customer experience
during calls. The Virtual Expert helps agents locate information
quickly. Continental's Virtual Expert is one of the many services
that the airline has introduced to improve the overall customer
travel experience. Continental was one of the first carriers to
offer customer-driven technology that allows passengers to take
control of the check-in process through kiosk self check-in. As a
result, Continental customers enjoy one of the shortest line waits
of any major airline and employees are better equipped to offer
more personalized service. Continental's paperless boarding pass
program allows travelers to receive boarding passes electronically
on cell phones or PDAs when traveling from more than a dozen
airports throughout its system, its EliteAccess program provides
qualified customers priority check-in, security screening, boarding
and baggage handling, and its corps of more than 300 specially
selected and trained concierges provide individualized pre-and
post-flight services for its BusinessFirst customers worldwide.
Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline.
Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental
Connection, has more than 2,750 daily departures throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 133 domestic and 132
international destinations. More than 750 additional points are
served via current alliance partners. With more than 43,000
employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston,
Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners,
carries approximately 63 million passengers per year. Celebrating
its 75th anniversary this year, Continental consistently earns
awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its
corporate culture. For the sixth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine
named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its
2009 list of World's Most Admired Companies. For more company
information, go to continental.com. DATASOURCE: Continental
Airlines CONTACT: Corporate Communications of Continental Airlines,
+1-713-324-5080, Web Site: http://www.continental.com/
http://www.continental.com/company/news
Copyright