Are YOU Ready to Build a Virtual Team?

Let's face it, the buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI) is getting louder by the day. From self-driving cars to robots that can whip up a perfect cappuccino, AI is everywhere. But how can you, yes YOU, harness this technological marvel for your business in a practical, impactful way? Well, buckle up because we’re about to take a thrilling ride into the world of virtual teams and AI workers.

Meet Your Virtual Receptionist

Imagine this: you run a fiber internet company, and your customers are constantly bombarding you with questions about service plans, technical issues, and billing inquiries. Managing these queries can be overwhelming, right? Enter the AI Receptionist, your new best friend in customer service.

Our AI Receptionist is not just a pretty face (or a pretty piece of code). It's a diligent, efficient, and tireless worker, designed to streamline customer interactions by accurately routing their inquiries to the right department. Whether a customer wants to know about service costs, has a billing question, or is experiencing slow internet speeds, our AI Receptionist knows exactly where to send them.

The Power of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

The secret sauce behind our AI Receptionist’s efficiency lies in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Think of SOPs as the ultimate cheat sheets for our AI workers. We provide them with detailed manuals that outline exactly how to handle various customer inquiries. Let’s take a peek into the simplified SOPs for our virtual team:

Simplified Receptionist Procedure Manual

Purpose: Guide the receptionist to direct customers efficiently using a standard response.

Scope: Determine the nature of the inquiry and direct customers to Sales, Technical Support, or Customer Service using a single word response: 'Sales', 'Support', or 'Customer'.

Guidelines for the Receptionist:

• Sales: For inquiries about service sign-ups, plans, pricing, or promotions.
• Technical Support: For issues with connectivity, equipment, or performance.
• Customer Service: For billing inquiries, account management, or general questions.

Key Points to Remember:

• Assess quickly.
• Use the standard response.
• Understand the context.

Sales, Technical Support, and Customer Service SOPs

Each department has its own SOP, ensuring that once the inquiry is directed to the right place, the customer gets a thorough and helpful response. Here’s how it works:

Sales: Provide comprehensive information about service plans, pricing, availability, and promotions in a single response.

Technical Support: Diagnose and solve connectivity issues, equipment problems, service disruptions, and performance concerns efficiently.

Customer Service: Address billing inquiries, account updates, service call follow-ups, and general questions with professionalism and courtesy.

Real-Life Examples (with Screenshots!)

To illustrate how seamlessly this works, let’s look at a few examples:

• Customer Inquiry: "How much does your service cost?"

• Customer Inquiry: "Why was my last bill so high?"

• Customer Inquiry: "Why is my download speed so slow?"

The Tech Behind the Magic

Our AI Receptionist isn’t just smart; it’s powered by some cutting-edge technology. We used Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel to give our AI workers a memory of the SOPs, so they only need to be trained once. Then we tested various Language Learning Models (LLMs) using OpenAI (super fast!) and Ollama with models like llama3 and Phi3.

Why Ollama? It’s cost-effective because we don’t have to pay per token like with OpenAI. Plus, Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel integrates seamlessly with both Ollama and OpenAI, making it versatile and powerful.

Tech Stack: We built our application using ASP .NET 8.0 and Blazor, ensuring a robust and responsive system that can handle the demands of a busy customer service environment.

Why This Matters

We’re at the dawn of a new era in business automation. AI isn’t just a futuristic concept; it’s a practical tool that can revolutionize how we work. By using AI workers like our virtual receptionist, businesses can streamline operations, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.

Final Thoughts

The journey of integrating AI into your business might seem daunting, but the benefits are enormous. It’s exciting, a bit scary, but absolutely necessary. Start thinking about how you can apply AI in practical ways to enhance your business processes. Trust me, your competitors are already doing it.

For more insights on leveraging AI for your business, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. At this point I am convinced that if you can write a standard operating procedure well then you can create AI workers that can do just about any mental task. It's quite interesting and I hope this article has got you thinking about how AI is going to impact all of us. Don't be afraid, just be aware.