China’s Guangzhou Price Control Bureau Revamps Hotline System
Guangzhou Price Control Bureau has implemented a 24×7 hotline system to provide the public with a more convenient and quicker way to look for information on fees for medical and educational services, public utilities, real estate and fee standards and policies. The system also allows them to file complaints about related issues.
The system, powered by InfoTalk's advanced conversational speech understanding engine, e-t@lk, not only supports the dialects Putonghua and Cantonese, but also delivers excellent recognition of Putonghua that is infused with different regional accents, catering to the unique dialect characteristics of Guangzhou residents.
Callers can reach the Guangzhou Price Control Bureau Information Hotline via any cellular or fixed line telephones. They can simply speak to the system in a natural conversational tone to automatically retrieve the relevant information. Alternatively, the information can be distributed by fax based on the caller's preference.
Under the old system, which consisted of telephones tended by operators who transferred the calls or spoke with callers directly or by a touch-tone method, the hotline could only provide limited and standard price information. In addition, callers often encountered problems with lines that were engaged or were put on hold for a while. These were problems for a rapidly developing economic center because it faces the pressing challenge of monitoring fluctuations in prices and maintaining order in the economy.
The new solution not only simplifies the calling process, and saves time per call, but also enhances customer satisfaction by presenting and handling information access request in a humanized way.
Before implementing the system, Suntek Technology, who was responsible for constructing the integrated operating platform for the Guangzhou Price Information Hotline, conducted an in-depth analysis of users' needs based on detailed surveys and broad data collection.
According to its deputy manager for South China, Post and Telecommunications Industry Department, Chen Mao-jiang, commercial application of speech understanding technology in China is entering a mature stage, as elements of humanization and simplicity that were not possible in traditional call center systems are realized by speech technology.
