- True Corporation has launched the third generation of Mari, a virtual service agent using generative AI to provide natural, conversational customer service via chat, phone, and humanoid robot.
- Mari is continually evolving to meet a wider range of customer needs, handling nearly 2 million contacts per month with high accuracy and satisfaction rates.
- As Mari integrates further into True’s services, the company is committed to maintaining ethical AI practices and exploring new roles for Mari, including potential in-store assistance.
True Corporation has unveiled the third generation of Mari, a virtual service agent revolutionising customer service through chat, phone, and humanoid robot interactions. Powered by generative artificial intelligence, Mari excels in providing natural, conversational language service, rapidly evolving to reach more customers and handle a broader range of tasks.
A future of natural conversations
During a recent demo, Mari showcased her ability to converse naturally. A customer seeking to change mobile packages engaged in a seamless chat with Mari, exploring options and quickly subscribing to a new plan. This effortless interaction exemplifies the transformation Mari brings to customer service, moving beyond clunky interfaces and limited menus to a future of natural conversations.
Mari plays a vital role at True Corporation, assisting customers daily with a high degree of accuracy. The virtual agent not only embodies the brand’s personality but also adjusts her tone based on the customer, knowing when to transfer cases to human agents. “Mari is uniquely tailored to the different channels by which customers can reach customer service,” explained Kiattisak Srimadee, Head of True Voice Department.
Mari is uniquely tailored to the different channels by which customers can reach customer service.
Kiattisak Srimadee, Head of True Voice Department
The right tone and voice
The True Voice team developed Mari’s natural language processing engine, with the call centre fine-tuning her responses. Thanachai Chuklin, head of the call centre’s Strategy, Resourcing & Transformation Department, emphasised the importance of the right tone and voice: “Getting the right tone and voice is very important in call centres. We’re quite happy with what we’ve achieved now but we’re still looking to improve.”
Napong Valaisathien, Head of the Digital Platform & Experience Department, highlighted the adaptability required for different customer needs: “With COVID, we saw more and more people pushed to digital channels and they’ve grown increasingly comfortable with and accustomed to getting service online as opposed to visiting a shop or speaking to a human call centre agent. But that doesn’t mean they are ready for Generative AI. We have to carefully assess their intent when they reach out to Mari. Very simple requests are best handled by click-through menus. If their needs are more complex, we can point them towards a generative AI.”
A growing preference for AI-powered virtual agents
Mari’s capabilities are continually expanding. During the “AI Gets Real” event, a survey revealed a growing preference for AI-powered virtual agents, with 26% of respondents favouring online chats with virtual agents. Thanyalak Suthijindawong, Senior Leader, of Digital Platform, stated, “We are constantly improving Mari’s chat capabilities. We start from the customer and then we brainstorm what we can improve from their perspective. We work very quickly, in two-week sprints, to bring out new features in collaboration with system analysts, developers, business analysts and quality control.”
With COVID, we saw more and more people pushed to digital channels and they’ve grown increasingly comfortable with and accustomed to getting service online as opposed to visiting a shop or speaking to a human call centre agent. But that doesn’t mean they are ready for Generative AI. We have to carefully assess their intent when they reach out to Mari. Very simple requests are best handled by click-through menus. If their needs are more complex, we can point them towards a generative AI.
Napong Valaisathien, Head of the Digital Platform & Experience Department
Mari chatbot handles nearly 2 million contacts per month, with an impressive accuracy of 90-95%, surpassing global benchmarks for customer satisfaction. The chatbot resolves technical faults, compares devices, and assists in changing plans. Meanwhile, the voice version of Mari, using a different engine, handles similar tasks with tailored timelines.
The ethical responsibility in AI deployment
Mr. Kiattisak emphasised the ethical responsibility in AI deployment: “Gen AI is a real challenge. From an ethical standpoint, we need to make sure everyone gets treated fairly. AI mistakes, or what’s known as ‘hallucinations,’ aren’t acceptable.”
Looking ahead, Mari’s presence may expand into physical shops. Veerasak Pongtanyavichai, Head of the Innovation Centre Department, has developed a humanoid robot version of Mari. “For now, we plan for the Mari humanoid to be mainly a showcase of what’s possible. She can act as an ambassador for True at major events. But in the future, she could act as an assistant for salespeople in shops. Just like the chat and voice versions of Mari, her goal is to be helpful for everyone,” he said.
True Corporation continues to innovate, driven by the goal of enhancing customer service through advanced AI technologies, with Mari at the forefront of this transformation.
About True
True Corporation stands at the forefront of telecommunications and digital services in Thailand, driving innovation and excellence in connectivity, content, and solutions. As a leading player in the industry, True Corporation offers a comprehensive range of services, including mobile, broadband, digital TV, and enterprise solutions, designed to meet the diverse needs of consumers and businesses alike. With a commitment to transforming the digital landscape, True Corporation continuously invests in cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure, ensuring superior performance and customer satisfaction. Our dedication to pioneering advancements and delivering exceptional value cements True Corporation’s position as a trusted and dynamic leader in the digital era.
