Customer Experience Update: What we’ve done so far and next steps

Some straightforward procedures should be tackled with no hassle involved. We know that, you know that. That’s why we’ve been thinking of ways to improve your user experience in different areas and implementing changes, paying attention to the needs you expressed. Actions speak louder than words – you can expect further updates.
We’ve already automated the username change process in mid-2020, streamlined the refund process by implementing a dedicated refund form, making it easier for our staff to process the requests in April last year. And now, we’re working on a solution to make your general experience smoother!
In September last year, we started testing a modern, autonomous chatbot system called Zowie, in hopes of improving your Customer Support experience. Since we’re currently in an advanced stage of evaluating the software, let us shed more light on the reasoning behind its implementation and our next steps.
We’re continuously checking your feedback, and know the bot is sometimes off the mark - we’re aware of that and regularly work on bettering the software. As an AI-based system, it’s constantly learning and its accuracy will improve over time - we hope you will see the results of that soon.
The idea behind supplementing our Support Team with a chatbot stemmed from two main considerations:
  • Providing you with shorter wait times. This of course refers to problem types that don't require involving a Staff member (for example redirecting to the refund form, relevant settings on the website and offering useful guidelines). Since a bot works at full capacity 24/7, 365 days a year, and never works off a backlog of tickets, it’s an immense help for our Support Staff and allows us to focus on more complex queries. Furthermore, it helps to significantly improve delays in replies during high-traffic events such as promos.
  • Improving indirect communication. The chatbot collects all the necessary details required for our Support Representatives to accurately address your inquiries and potential issues, improving their ticket-solving effectiveness by proxy.
    • Our chatbot evaluating process should last until mid-2022 and your input is a vital part of it.
    Zowie’s chatbot is yet another step towards upgrading GOG’s self-service features in our continuous efforts of improving your Customer Support experience, and we already have preliminary data to prove it - depending on the spread of problem types at the time, out of all the requests we receive from you, roughly 40% are successfully addressed by the chatbot, whereas the remaining inquiries are automatically directed to one of our Support Staff by creating a ticket.
    While there’s still plenty of time left until the end of the evaluation stage, rest assured that you - our community - will remain an important part of the decision-making process. After all, the Customer Support features we’re implementing are designed with you in mind, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
    Therefore, we welcome your constructive feedback, and at the same time would like to ask you to give our new bot a chance.
    FAQ
    Does the chatbot implementation mean you will no longer provide Customer Support by your Staff?
    No, the bot is intended to supplement, not replace our Support Team.
    Our goal is for the bot to swiftly assist you with easier topics, saving you the wait time before a human could respond. Thanks to that, our Staff will be able to direct their focus on more complex inquiries (or any that don't have self-service features implemented yet), and not be as swamped during big events like promos.
    The chatbot completely missed the mark and didn’t answer my question.
    We are aware the bot may sometimes be off the mark, which is why we continuously work on improving the software. Our Support Team is regularly using the bot’s backend systems to actively help it learn, as well as regularly adding new automations and improving existing ones.
    As an AI-based system, it’s constantly learning and its accuracy will improve over time – we hope you will see the results of that soon! If the bot is unable to help you, it will create a support ticket so that our Support Team can offer you further assistance. We will also be able to review what went wrong and incorporate necessary improvements into the bot's software.
    I don’t want to jump through hoops in order to have my request resolved. I feel like the chatbot unnecessarily extends the process.
    The chatbot was implemented to actually speed up this process, as it allows for indirect communication improvements. It collects all the necessary details required (e.g. order ID, payment details, operating system information etc.) for our Support Representatives to later accurately address your query in a timely manner.
    You mention that the evaluation process will last until mid-2022, what then?
    We will either continue using the bot and invest more time in its further development, or close the project and look for other ways to provide you with better customer service.
    Do you consider a scenario in which the chatbot implementation is unsuccessful?
    Yes, we are regularly looking at the numbers and performance statistics, as well as your feedback, and are taking such a scenario into consideration (see above).
    How is my data handled by the chatbot?
    All information regarding processing of your personal data is provided in our Privacy Policy. Zowie and its chatbot have been checked cybersecurity-wise and legally – this also applies to every external tool and software we use.
    You may object to processing of your personal data by our chatbot by sending us a message at privacy@gog.com. You may also use the same address to ask anything about processing your personal data by GOG and exercising your rights.
    How can I provide feedback about the chatbot?
    You can share your feedback by filling out this form.
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