TELUS Heightens Customer Experience and Support with AI-Powered Asynchronous Messaging
TELUS International announced it is rebranding to TELUS Digital Experience by the end of the third quarter of 2024. The Canadian technology company plans to revolutionize customer support and experiences with its cutting-edge TELUS Expert Messaging service. Integrated into the My TELUS app, the innovative tool offers 24/7 customer support through asynchronous messaging, allowing customers to start, pause, and resume conversations at their convenience. By eliminating the wait times associated with traditional phone and live chat services, TELUS Expert Messaging intends to enhance customer satisfaction and streamline service delivery while often resolving queries in a single message.
“To succeed on a sustainable basis in today’s competitive market, brands constantly need to find new ways to meet both their customers’ and their business’ needs. Generative AI-fueled solutions are key to making this possible by enhancing first contact resolution, reducing handling times driving operational efficiencies, and adding or improving customer channels,” said Tobias Dengel, President of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. “Asynchronous messaging, with its always-on, self-serve functionality and the high-quality, personalized resolutions it engenders from agents, drives customer satisfaction while lowering cost to serve.”
The AI solution is part of TELUS International’s commitment to blending AI efficiency with personalized human support. Leveraging the GenAI engine, Engage by Local Measure, and Amazon Connect, TELUS Expert Messaging enables seamless, secure, efficient omnichannel interactions. The platform is designed with robust data privacy measures, ensuring customer information remains protected while delivering high-quality, personalized service.
Learn more about TELUS’ CX solutions here.
Subway Awards $625,000 with Fresh Start Scholarship Program
Submarine sandwich chain Subway announced that it has distributed $625,000 through the Subway Fresh Start Scholarship. The funds will be divided between 250 sandwich artists across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia. The scholarship is funded by the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation in memory of the Subway co-founder, with Scholarship America administering the program. Subway has awarded more than $4.3 million in scholarships since its inception, funding college tuition for nearly 1,750 Subway employees.
“Providing opportunities for growth is a major focus of The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and the Subway Cares Foundation™,” Michele DiNello, Subway Cares Foundation Executive Director, stated in a press release. “Tuition assistance is one of the three pillars of our mission. Providing that assistance allows us to fuel the potential of these outstanding students and future leaders. The Fresh Start Scholarship also helps Subway Franchisees attract and retain great talent in their restaurants.”
The first Subway was opened in August 1965 by DeLuca when he was 17 years old. He had just graduated from high school and wanted to raise funds for college. Dr. Peter Buck, a family friend, gave DeLuca a $1,000 loan. DeLuca and Buck opened a sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which began the Subway enterprise. As of September 2024, 37,000 Subway restaurants operate in more than 100 countries.
Learn more about The Subway Cares Foundation and Fresh Start Scholarships here.
IKEA Promotes Customer Engagement with “Ready for College” Bus Tour
IKEA is introducing its first-ever IKEA “Ready for College” bus tour across 30 U.S. college campuses. The tour, which continues through early fall, features a specially designed and branded school bus that has been turned into an IKEA showroom with products made for college dorms, allowing students to browse products for campus life. The bus tour offers interactive displays, a planting station complete with plant giveaways, a FRAKTA Bag Bar, and more.
IKEA has already engaged younger audiences this year with its Co-Worker Game virtual store experience on Roblox, which launched on June 24. The experience integrated real-world career opportunities with digital entertainment, paying players to work while playing video games.
Both of IKEA’s experiences are part of an innovative approach to foster career development while engaging younger consumers.
View some of the dorm-ready merch on IKEA’s bus tour here.
Read More on Trends, Updates, and Industry Leaders
Original Article Links:
GenAI-Powered Asynchronous Messaging, Available 24 x 7, Caters to Modern Customer Expectations While Reducing Operational Costs
Subway awards $625K in scholarships
IKEA Begins ‘Ready for College’ Bus Tour Across the US