Integrated Problem Resolution for Business Communications

AT&T has undertaken a concerted effort to improve customer service at the National Service Assistance Center (NSAC). The benefits have been realized through the use of advanced technologies for assistance in problem diagnosis and information retrieval, tightly coupled with automated customer information access and on-line text and graphic documentation facilities. This paper describes the Trouble Shooter component of the Expert Solutions Platform. The applicatiou is a unique approach to developing large case bases; utilizing a templating process which allows a non-technical means of reviewing the large case bases in an enviroument integrated with a fully functional text and graphic retrieval system. The Trouble Shooter compotient utilizes Case-Based Reasoning technology to resolve problems and provide information to the AT&T customer support agents for business coImnunications systems. This component has been tightly integrated with the other modules of thle ESP system to make the overall platform more user friendly, effkient and provide consistent diagnostic information to resolve the customer’s problem. This enhanced system functionality enables a significant streamlining of the customer assistance process. The Trouble Shooter is currently b&g used by 150 associates, with deployment underway to additional users. The AT&T Global Business Communications Systems (GBCS) manufactures and markets business telephone systems. It offers multiple product lines with a full-service customer service center to provide assistance for their product lines. Merlin, Partner and Spirit are three of the product lines supported by the National Service Assistance Center (NSAC), and are typically used for small business offices. The primary mission of the NSAC is to respond to and resolve customer requests and problems. The Merlin and Partner/Spirit support groups are available to their customers 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The ESP project is the result of a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project which identified the need to transition from the mainframe to PCs on the user’s desktop, employing a client-server architecture. The project is intended to enhance service to the customer in terms of speed, accuracy, consistency and depth of Inference Corporation 550 N. Continental Boulevard El Segundo, CA 90245 information, while gathering customer contact data not previously available through their mainframe application. A major goal of the ESP is to provide the customer support agents with a seamless desktop environment with an ability to perform problem resolution, retrieve on-line documentation and improved call management. Leveraging the best that each technology can bring, common off-the-shelf software tools were required and selected with a desire to minimize customization of each of the products selected. The ESP project is plamled for deployment to the Merlin and Partner/Spirit product line support groups by February, 1994, with 150 users currently. ESP is also intended to be deployed to the remainder of the NSAC, and possibly to the Technical Service Center, which supports other product lines, by the end of 1995. The Expert Solutions Platform was specifically designed to address the following strategic business objectives: 0 Implement state-of-the-art systems which provide GBCS with a distinctive, competitive advantage in the product maintenance market. * Provide tools that enable GBCS associates to t‘ake actions and make decisions that completely satis@ customer needs. e Expand the scope and utility of customer and product information as a corporate asset. Q Enhance the ability of GBCS to support new products and improve overall customer service quality while concurrently controlling operating expenses. The majority of the calls received by the AT&T Account Service Representatives (ASR) can be separated into two major areas: 1. Problems associated with their phone system 2. Irzfirmntion requests on existing or new products The problem calls are from users who are experiencing the problem, but may not know what equipment they have or what is causing the problem. The description of the problem provided by a customer varies considerably. For example, a phone which is not working could be described Hislop 63 From: IAAI-94 Proceedings. Copyright © 1994, AAAI (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. 3 3 From: IAAI-94 Proceedings. Copyright © 1994, AAAI (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. by the inability to call out, or to be called. The symptoms may also be related to hearing, dialing, or ringing, or the customer may describe the problem as having no lights on the phone. The ASRs must ask procedural diagnostic questions to identify: 0 Replaceable components; e.g. handset, phone, line module or cord, etc. e Quick fixes to eliminate the problem or correct a system configuration a Rapid identification of situations which require Field Service dispatch The calls related to information requests include questions on how to install a FAX machine to their phone system, the best way to expand their existing system as their company grows, or a request for knowledge on how to use a specific feature available on their phone. The Trouble Shooter component of the ESP must satisfjl both types of calls in an easy to access shared repository of problem resolution knowledge, while supporting each of the business objectives. Trouble Shooter Objectives There are four primary objectives of the Trouble Shooter component of the ESP: 1. Minimize call times and reduce the number of repeat calls with advanced diagnostics, improving the consistency and accuracy in the response provided by the agents. 2. Reduce the number of replacement parts that are unnecessarily sent to customers because of inadequate or improper diagnostics performed by the agents. 3. Reduce field service dispatches and reduce costs by providing more detailed information regarding diagnostic steps taken by the ASRs before dispatching the technician. 4. Reduce ASR formal training costs for new associates and part-time employees and reduce training for new products and features. As a component of the ESP system, it is desired to meet each of these objectives using a commercially available software package, with minimal modifications, and provide an environment that is easy to maintain and extend. Application Description