KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) today announced the highway industry's first-ever chatbot to facilitate customer service and enhance user interaction.
Its chief technology and innovation officer Shamsul Izhan Abdul Majid said the chatbot, known as PLUS Texting Realtime Interface (PUTRI), is an example of technology which has become much more prevalent amid the new norms of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A chatbot is a computer programme designed to simulate conversation with humans.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated our lives to become more digitally dependent and tech-savvy.
"The increase of bandwidth usage in the country and the world over is a sure sign that we are embracing the use of more gadgets. The communication experience today is more robust.
"Hence, PUTRI will provide real-time interface to thousands of enquiries on information on the highway," he said in the statement today.
He added that PUTRI will handle up to 70 per cent of the estimated 1,500 calls the concessionaire receives daily, mostly for standard highway traffic information.
"With PUTRI's help, our staff at the PLUS Traffic Monitoring Centre (TMC) will be able to focus on emergency calls to provide smoother coordination in helping customers who face problems on the highway.
"PUTRI will be more accessible and user-friendly because it is designed to give faster response and cut waiting time," he said.
PLUS said with the PUTRI chatbot, highway users can now access multiple data about its services simultaneously. This includes toll rates, latest traffic updates and other promotions.
Customers can interact with PUTRI's Beta Version throughout a pilot phase on the PLUS website www.plus.com.my and the PLUSMiles portal www.plusmiles.com.my.
The PLUS Mobile App will soon be available on social media platforms and WhatsApp applications with its bilingual capability. The chatbot is expected to be fully functional by the third quarter of this year.
