The ‘next generation of customer service’ is coming to Transport for London (TfL) passengers.
The transport agency has launched an innovative travel assistant called ‘TravelBot’, which utilises Facebook’s Messenger app to chat to customers.
Currently TfL deals with a number of queries through its dedicated Facebook pages but the new system – which is powered by artificial intelligence – promises to make queries easier than ever to answer.
TravelBot will enable customers to:
- Check the arrival time of their bus
- Check for service updates for the Tube, TfL Rail, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and London Trams
- View Tube, Night Tube and rail maps
- Message dedicated customer service personnel.
TfL said that the more a person uses the service, the smarter and more precise it will become.
TfL’s director of customer experience Shashi Verma said: “Millions of people already use our journey planner and social media channels to help them get around London, and we are constantly seeking new ways to make the process even easier.
“This TravelBot will make it simpler for people using Messenger to get the information they need as they move around the city.
“We think that this initial version will be a major step forward in how we provide travel information to our customers and we look forward to their feedback to help us improve the product over time.”
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