Cisco’s AI agents for Webex aim to improve customer service

Cisco is adding new features to its Webex collaboration tool as it expands its adoption of agentic AI.

The latest tools include an AI Agent and an updated AI Assistant for the company’s Webex Contact Center, a collaborative tool that helps companies handle customer service calls. The AI tools are designed to bolster customer service experiences.

The announcements came on the opening day of the Enterprise Connect show in Orlando, FL.

The Webex AI Agent, slated to be available at the end of this month, should make customer service calls smoother by using AI alongside human agents. The goal is to reduce wait times and use intelligent ways to resolve issues.

According to Cisco, the Agent will allow companies to tackle complex real-time customer service queries by handling more dynamic conversations. The tool can also run scripted agents with preconfigured responses, Cisco said.

One use case highlighted by Cisco, for example, could help airline customers change flights in real-time by querying timing preferences, providing a range of flight options, and completing the call by making the booking. The agent uses AI technology to connect corporate information systems to customer queries.

The company also added new Cisco AI Assistant features to its Webex Contact Centers. That tool is an assistant for customer service agents that can make recommendations for answering customer queries.

The agent, originally rolled out in February, uses a number of tools to understand customer intent and then provides appropriate recommendations. The goal is to help human agents provide better responses.

For example, one new tool can allow accurate transcription of calls, making it easier to understand speakers with accents or unusual speech patterns. It can also provide context for complex discussions, along with real-time recommendations on actions or responses, Cisco said.

Some of the previously added tools can provide summaries on dropped calls or interactions with virtual agents before calls are transferred to human agents. Still other tools can measure customer satisfaction or pull information from past calls and topics to improve customer service experiences.

Cisco also announced it has integrated Apple’s AirPlay on Cisco Devices for Microsoft Teams Rooms, which enables “instant wireless content sharing from iPhone, iPad or Mac to Cisco Devices.”