A service designed for you: using messaging to personalize user experience

Think about the last time you had to go out of your way to get a service or get information from a company. That time you had to call to track your order. That other time some company asked you to download an app to get something you needed. What if you didn’t need to adapt to a service, but instead the service adapts to you?

We can create services designed for you. Trends and technologies are merging now to enable services designed for specific needs. These services  will find you wherever you are. They will be available when you need them, and adapted to suit your lifestyle. 

Available where you are

Smartphones have put the Internet in the hands of the people. Not only is the smartphone an irreplaceable device. It’s also the only one for many people in developing countries. So, what do people do on their smartphones? The next time you are in an elevator, look at what people do. In that brief moment where they check their phones. Their screens  showing memes and chat bubbles: they are messaging. 

People love messaging. Since the first chat forums came into being in the 90s, and their love for messaging has only increased. People are now spending 85% of their smartphone time messaging. Studies have shown that people love the connection they have with their chats. When you get a message from a friend or a relative, that message is only for you. When you are in a group chat, you are part of a tribe. 

Messaging today is the connection that people share. So if you want to create a service that’s available where everyone is, use messaging. If you bring the service into messaging apps, you are creating the connection where the user already is. No forceful downloads or websites.

Available when you need it

Most digital services are already available 24/7, but customer service is only available during “business hours”. For almost everyone, during those hours you are busy and can’t call or visit. To make things worse, phone lines will likely keep you waiting a while before a company rep picks up. 

A service for you is available when you need it. 24/7, weekends and holidays included. No need to wait or call later. Technology is enabling a better service through the application of machine learning technologies. 

Artificial intelligence-powered assistants can respond  to 90% of business queries. Plus, they can work every day all day. The API revolution opening the way for AI assistants to be quicker than a human. AI structures the conversation correctly and is connects to real-time services. It can be much quicker than a human who needs to look up for the information.

Adapted for you

In order for a business to personalize an experience, first it has to know the user. Businesses ask people to fill feedback forms. Yet these forms have less than a 10% filling rate, showing that people do not want to work for businesses. What if there is a way to know customers and talk to them, in the same way that they talk to their friends? 

Businesses with messaging as a primary contact channel have seen 10x more engagement. We’ve seen that people reach out. Users send a digital assistant 500 messages in one month. Companies can collect the thoughts of their customers - in their own words. They can compile information about what users are doing: their activities and behavior. 

Using this data, businesses collect the information needed to personalize their service. Through the channel they can take action and add value through messaging. 

The journey looks like this: 

1. First, businesses look at what users are  asking for and design conversations accordingly. 
2. Then, tailor to up the very words,  and change the way the assistant interacts depending on who is taking.
3. Finally, businesses  design experiences depending on the entire context. 
   

Soon, we will have the chance to design each conversation.

This is the future we are designing at Yalo. Enable the design of 1-1 conversations, in scale. This is already happening in Asia on platforms like WeChat. It is also happening here in Mexico through the number one messaging platform. We’ve designed experiences that allow users to check-in for their flight, open a bank account or get recommendations. All in WhatsApp.