1. AI in Customer Service
Cisco National Supply Chain Case Competition
Throughput, Next
Georgia Tech
April 1, 2019
Jorge Cruz Serrallés
Conner Reinhardt
Akash Dalal
4. Chuck on AI
Some companies will decide that AI is
a business for them. For us, it is an
enabler of every piece of technology
that we build.”
Chuck Robbins, Cisco CEO
Why AI?
7. Why AI?
Has Tool? Example ReasonsInquiry Type
Types of Inquiries
Return Item (CCW Returns Tool)
Change / Cancel Order (Change Order Tool)
Assistance
Request
Order Status (CCW)
Invoice Info (Invoice Tool)
Information
Request
Expedites / Shipment Forwarding
Short / Incorrect Shipments
Insurance Claims
Assistance
Required
8. A Two-Pronged Approach
Lorem
ipsum
With Internal System Improvements
Prevent service requests by using AI to
eliminate the causes that create them.
Proactive
● AI disruption management system
● (Computer vision in warehouses for detecting
damaged and short shipped loads)
With Customer Service 2.0
Improve service experience by augmenting
existing teams with “Cisco Cora” AI.
Reactive
● Cora Phone answers and directs calls
● Cora Email re-routes emails correctly
Why AI?
9. Competitive Landscape
Why AI?
85%
AI bots will power 85% of customer service
interactions by 2020 (Gartner)
32%
32% of major companies already use AI to augment
their customer service (Tata Consultancy Services)
13. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
14. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
15. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
16. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
17. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
18. Cora Receives Call
Menu-less Experience
Zero Hold Time
Faster routing
Cora Provides Help
Points Caller to
Specific Online Tool
(Where Applicable)
Ask Questions to
Gather Relevant
Case Info
Cora Informs Agent
Seamless Handoff to
Qualified Agent
(If Human Required)
Info Passed to Agent
for Faster Response
Cisco Cora Phone
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves
Customer
Information
Diagnoses Issue
19. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
20. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
21. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
22. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
23. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
24. Cora Receives Email
Immediate Case
Creation
Instant Customer
Tracking of Case
Cora Defines Issue
Retrieves and
Populates
Customer Data
Diagnoses and
Categorizes Issue
From Initial Email
Cora Provides Help
Personalized Link to
Online Tool (Where
Applicable)
Personalized
Follow-Up (With
Questions)
Cora Informs Agent
Priority Assignment
to Specific Agent
Optimized Allocation
for Improved Service
Experience
Cisco Cora Email
Recommendations
25. Recommendations
Decreased
Customer Service
Costs
Cora could be leveraged
to reduce payroll costs
by up to 29%, and reduce
costs in sales. (McKinsey)
Increased
Revenue
Higher quality
customer service will
increase revenue by
6% (Bain).
Marketable
Service
Cisco Cora could be
marketed to Comcast,
General Electric, and
other customers that
have large customer
service departments.
03
01 02
Financial Benefits
26. Recommendations
Decreased
Customer Service
Costs
Cora could be leveraged
to reduce payroll costs
by up to 29%, and reduce
costs in sales. (McKinsey)
Increased
Revenue
Higher quality
customer service will
increase revenue by
6% (Bain).
Marketable
Service
Cisco Cora could be
marketed to Comcast,
General Electric, and
other customers that
have large customer
service departments.
03
01 02
Financial Benefits
27. Recommendations
Decreased
Customer Service
Costs
Cora could be leveraged
to reduce payroll costs
by up to 29%, and reduce
costs in sales. (McKinsey)
Increased
Revenue
Higher quality
customer service will
increase revenue by
6% (Bain).
Marketable
Service
Cisco Cora could be
marketed to Comcast,
General Electric, and
other customers that
have large customer
service departments.
03
01 02
Financial Benefits
28. Recommendations
Decreased
Customer Service
Costs
Cora could be leveraged
to reduce payroll costs
by up to 29%, and reduce
costs in sales. (McKinsey)
Increased
Revenue
Higher quality
customer service will
increase revenue by
6% (Bain).
Marketable
Service
Cisco Cora could be
marketed to Comcast,
General Electric, and
other customers that
have large customer
service departments.
03
01 02
Financial Benefits
30. Benefits of Cora
Increase in first
call completion
25%
Decrease in
customer call wait
time
3x
Increase potential
customer retention
52%
Recommendations
(Cisco Customer Representatives) (Estimates) (Salesforce)
31. Costs of Cora
Initial R&D Cost
$5M
Development Time
Frame (using Cisco
Cortex teams)
4 months
Recommendations
(according to industry averages) (according to industry averages)
37. Main Takeaways
Takeaways
Yes! Invest in AI for
Customer Service1
● 32% of major companies already use AI
● 85% of customer service will be powered by AI by 2020
● Predict and prevent
Develop Cisco Cora
Phone and Email2
● 25% increase in first call completion
● 3x decrease in customer call wait time
● 52% increase in potential customer retention
3
● Turn Cora into a marketable SaaS
○ 15% of companies using AI for customer service
● Leverage AI in disruption management
What Comes Next?
39. ● Source on IT Statistics:
○ https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-10-17-gartner-says-global-it-
spending-to-grow-3-2-percent-in-2019
● Marketing Statistics Source:
○ https://www.emarketer.com/content/emarketer-total-media-ad-spending-worldwide-will-
rise-7-4-in-2018
● McKinsey Report on Workplace Automation
○ https://www.marutitech.com/artificial-intelligence-for-customer-service-2/
● Chatbot Statistics and Expectations
○ https://www.inc.com/rebecca-hinds/by-2020-youre-more-likely-to-have-a-conversation-
with-this-than-with-your-spouse.html
● Statistics and Information on Customer Experience
○ https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2018/08/customer-experience-personalization-state-ma
rketing-report.html
Appendix
40. ● Cost for Cora R&D
○ https://azati.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-chatbot/
● Timeline for Cora R&D
○ https://chatbotslife.com/5-must-haves-for-selecting-an-enterprise-ai-chatbot-platform-a
06187e3d3fd
● End User Experience Survey:
○ Three Support Specialists (Jose, Luis and Alex)
● Maruti AI in Customer Service Report
○ https://www.marutitech.com/artificial-intelligence-for-customer-service-2/
● Gartner Report on CRM
○ https://www.gartner.com/doc/3875220/magic-quadrant-crm-customer-engagement
● DHL paper on logistics and AI
○ https://www.logistics.dhl/content/dam/dhl/global/core/documents/pdf/glo-ai-in-logistics-white-pap
er.pdf
● Information on IBM Watson and Customer Service
○ https://www.ibm.com/watson/ai-customer-service?cm_mmc=OSocial_Blog-_-Watson%20
Core_Watson%20Core%20-%20Conversation-_-WW_WW-_-10%20reasons%20why%20Blog%
202%2010%202&cm_mmca1=000027BD&cm_mmca2=10004432&
Appendix