UK online bank Cahoot has introduced a virtual interactive assistant or 'lingubot' from Creative Virtual to deal with customer queries over the Web.
Cahoot is using its lingubot, called 'any questions', to help visitors find product information on the Web and as a guide to online form-filling. The idea is to reduce call centre traffic and provide customers with a user-friendly interface to the Web bank.
Creative Virtual says its team of lingubots are programmed to recognise the context of questions, rather than keywords, and so are capable of holding conversations with users.
Nationwide also uses a Creative Virtual financial advisor known as Beth, who currently resides within the 'Windows on the Future' facility on the building society's intranet, and is designed to showcase new technologies.