Page 29 - EngineerIT December 2022

TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

business process and human capability. ensuring your virtual agent effectively resolves significant query volumes unassisted,
They assure the client of key service in a consistent and compliant way, handing this problem over to a specialist partner
outcomes while they worry about makes sense.
delivering these outcomes - the noise of By outsourcing the build, deployment and ongoing management of your virtual agent,
hiring, training, managing, re-training, you can be assured that more of your customer queries will get effectively resolved via
coaching, and quality assuring huge any digital channel at a lower cost than your current unassisted and assisted channels.
numbers of human agents across You don’t need to worry about which software they use, or what version it is on,
multiple locations. or how to keep it up-to-date across multiple channels when rules keep changing. Your
The same applies to digital self- specialist partner takes care of that. You just focus on your business.
service. Not only do you require As more and more companies realise the severe limitations of their ‘cheap-as-chips’
specialised technologies (not simple chatbot technology, and are forced to acknowledge that automating complex, regulated
extensions off CX platforms), you also queries is a lot more complicated than initially thought, they may increasingly look to
require specialised skills. Given the partner with specialists who can assure them of their desired service outcome without
shortage of senior AI skills, something them having to experience the pain required to deliver it. n
which is a particularly big problem in
South Africa, plus the complexity of *www.clevva.com

APPOINTMENTS

Serial tech-preneur strengthens mental health support app through strategic innovation experience
Panda appoints tech-preneur Dave Blakey as chief technology officer.
Dave is a serial entrepreneur who has previously launched Opteq International, a global hardware networking
company, and Snapt, a Gartner-recognised software ADC company servicing over 10,000 clients in 50 countries.
Having received his A+ computer technician certification at age 11, Dave was then the youngest candidate certified
globally. He is a well-known and seasoned growth CTO, with deep domain expertise in building and scaling tech start-ups.
He has a deep passion for advocating the advancement of South Africa’s start-up ecosystem and expanding the global
presence of the country’s tech hub.
The Panda app offers unique in-app features guided to aid all South Africans on their mental health journey.
It includes a wide range of assessments, live interaction sessions with leading experts, and access to a growing network of mental health
professionals for in-person consultation. To get more information email business@joinpanda.com

Maikoo named head of TransUnion GCC Africa
TransUnion’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) Africa has named Shobana Maikoo as new head of the GCC as it consolidates
its astonishing growth since opening its doors for business in March 2021.
Maikoo, the former head of operations at the GCC, will take over responsibility from Avesh Singh, who has taken on a
global role that includes oversight of the Lithuania Shared Services Centre and GCC business in Latin America and Africa.
Maikoo’s appointment means that the GCC’s entire executive leadership team is now female, along with more
than 70% of its employees. Since its launch, GCC Africa has created an average of one job a day, with a current staff
complement of more than 600.
Maikoo has more than 20 years of experience in operations management across the recruitment and staffing
industries, and previously held senior management positions at some of the top BPOs in the country. She has completed a senior management
development programme from the University of Stellenbosch Business School USB, a post graduate diploma in business management from Henley
Business School South Africa and a management advancement programme from Wits Business School.

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