Google Cloud provides relief for surge in customer support demand

Google Cloud is streamlining setup of its artificial intelligence-based customer service platform.

Retailers running their enterprise on the Google Cloud web services platform can now more quickly get up and running with the Google Contact Center AI artificial intelligence solution. Google is rolling out the Rapid Response Virtual Agent program, designed to provide fast launch of a 24/7 virtual chat or voice customer service agent.

The program includes documentation on how to integrate the Google Cloud Dialogflow Messenger tool, which provides a customizable chat dialog for an agent that can be embedded in a retailer’s website so they can easily deploy a chatbot on the web with rich user interface support.

Rapid Response Virtual Agent is also designed to ease adding COVID-19 content to a virtual agent with the ability to integrate open-source templates from organizations that have already launched similar initiatives. The program is available around the world in any of the 23 languages supported by Dialogflow. Google is working with partners including Avaya, Cisco, Vonage, Accenture, Deloitte, Infosys, KPMG, and Wipro.

“As COVID-19 has spread globally, people are turning to governments, healthcare organizations, and other businesses with questions about their health and wellness, finances, and more,” said Antony Passemard, head of product for conversational AI, Google Cloud, in a corporate blog post. “This sudden, unprecedented demand is putting strain on customer support resources, and many organizations are telling us that they’re struggling to respond to customers effectively during this critical time.”