Pirelli and Campus launch Ayrton: intelligent virtual assistant for customer service

One of the pillars of Pirelli in its more than 150 years of existence is to have the customer at the center of its business. No wonder, the company remains a reference in the tire industry, especially when it comes to innovation and technology. Thinking of further optimizing direct contact with the customer, Pirelli, in partnership with Campus, a network of stores of the Pirelli Group, presents Ayrton, its new intelligent virtual assistant.

“The use of Artificial Intelligence as a communication enhancement tool is a trend worldwide, and Pirelli could not be left out. We are known, since the foundation, as a company that is at the forefront of technology, so this launch follows a very present feature in our centenary DNA. To get an idea, in the last five months Ayrton was responsible for approximately one third of the indirect sales of the Contact Center”, says Marco D’, CIO of Pirelli Latin America.

Embedded technology

Although the IXIA platform chooses not to employ traditional Machine Learning models, it incorporates Symbolic Cognitive Processing, Contextual Semantic Analysis and Multimodal Deterministic Engines technologies that enable a deep understanding of user intentions in real time. This architecture avoids the dependence of large volumes of historical data and statistical models, while delivering comparable or superior performance to machine learning-based approaches, especially in critical applications such as customer service and voice sales.

Among the embedded technological components, we highlight:

• Speech recognition with real-time semantic interpretation, adapted to regional accents and Brazilian linguistic variations;
• Logical and contextual inference engine, which allows to identify intentions even when not expressed directly;
• Automated decision orchestration framework, which integrates natively with CRMs, ERPs and inventory systems, and can even customize offers in real time based on context and customer profile;
• Security and full traceability, with interpretable and auditable logs & critical factor in regulated environments or high commercial sensitivity;
• Immediate response capability with no latency time for training, enabling instant updates of business policies or sales scripts, with full governance.

This combination makes the IXIA platform a competitive differentiator for the retail sector, where response time, automated empathy and the ability to interpret human nuances make a difference in sales conversion even over the phone.Ayrton, applied to the tire call center, represents a new era of cognitive agents truly prepared to interact as humans, but with the speed and accuracy of machines.

How it works?

The system works mainly in the sense of making communication as assertive as possible. The contact is made by WhatsApp with open questions and a friendly experience of A. I. Through Ayrton, the customer can ask technical questions about the tires, such as the appropriate application and aspects of technology and performance. After choosing the tire, the consumer can book the product and receive a budget number, which will be used later in a physical store to finalize the purchase.

Ayrton brings to the virtual universe a series of services present on site in the Pirelli Group's network of stores, such as alignment, balancing among others. Through a very inviting system, it is possible, for example, to talk to the I.A. through text and audios by WhatsApp, detailing specific questions.If the customer does not know which tire is ideal for the exchange in his vehicle, he can also send a photo of the car, so that the I.A. detects the model and makes the best suggestion. The virtual assistant has the entire line tires for Pirelli cart, duly illustrated with photos.

“We believe that nothing replaces human contact, but we are also attentive to technological developments.We understand that the I.A. can serve as a great support to our consumer, especially considering that not every person can go to a store to solve problems that need immediate solutions, or that require service outside business hours. Thus, we have created a way to shorten this contact and facilitate the life of the customer”.

Recently, Pirelli launched an innovative Augmented Reality app, also the result of a national 100% development, with which the user can learn about the entire range of tires of the brand, both for motorcycles and for cars. It is possible to see the tires in a 3D image, move them, learn about the technologies applied through interactive animations and draw comparisons. The virtual assistant Ayrton is another step of Pirelli within a strategy of approaching the customer in parallel to the development of new technologies.