The latest enhancements to Pega’s chat, messaging, and IVR solutions provide cutting-edge experiences while simplifying service for your customers. Here are some new features to take advantage of in Pega Customer Service ™ version 8.6:

The new messaging widget empowers customers to start their conversation in their preferred digital channel. Customers who begin a conversation in chat (web messaging) can also switch to the messaging channel of their choice.

Messaging widget: the one-stop channel shop

Customers now have the freedom to start their inquiry using their preferred digital channel—right from your website. Using an easy-to-deploy messaging widget, customers can select from WhatsApp, Facebook, Apple Business Chat, SMS, or web messaging (chat) and take their conversation on the go, enabling the time-saving convenience of asynchronous service.

Web messaging: not your (grand)father’s chat

Web messaging, the latest evolution of Pega’s web chat, delivers easier, better, faster service that is highly reliable and highly scalable. With an easily-configured modern UI and out-of-the-box functionality, web messaging simplifies the launch of your chat service. For more information, see Web messaging bot.

Change the channel

Better still, web messaging simplifies your customer experience through its channel-switching capabilities. All too often customers need to step away from their computer and end their conversation before reaching a resolution. With web messaging, customers can transfer to the messaging app of their choice - WhatsApp, Facebook, Apple Business Chat, or SMS. After the transfer is complete, the agent still retains access to the full conversation and webpage context details. For more information, see Channel switching.

What is the main benefit of channel switching? The customer avoids the frustrating process of restarting the conversation from scratch—boosting first contact resolution rates, eliminating dropped chats, and improving CSAT scores.

Supercharge your IVR and power self-service

Pega’s Personalized IVR API now offers enhanced functionality which can supercharge your existing IVR and turn it into a self-service channel. Recognizing the customer’s state in the IVR, the Personalized IVR API supplies the appropriate service case, empowering the customer to self-serve and resolve their inquiry without contacting an agent. For example, a customer can use the IVR to check the amount they owe on a bill, and then make a payment directly from within the IVR. This functionality benefits your customers as well as your contact center: simplifying your customer experience while reducing call volumes. For more information, see IVR-IVA API.