Air India has revolutionized its customer service by introducing ‘Maharaja’, a generative AI virtual assistant powered by Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service. This innovative solution has significantly enhanced passenger experience, setting a new standard in the aviation industry.
In today’s fast-paced world, travelers expect prompt and accurate responses to their inquiries. Recognizing this, Air India aimed to upgrade its customer support operations to meet these evolving demands. The challenge was to provide efficient, multilingual support without escalating operational costs.
In March 2023, Air India launched ‘Maharaja’, an AI-driven virtual assistant designed to handle a wide range of customer inquiries. Powered by Azure OpenAI Service, ‘Maharaja’ offers support in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, French, and German.
Key Features and Capabilities
- Extensive Query Handling: ‘Maharaja’ manages over 1,300 types of customer queries, such as flight status, baggage allowances, check-in procedures, and frequent flyer awards.
- Multilingual Support: The virtual assistant operates in four languages, catering to a diverse customer base.
- High Efficiency: ‘Maharaja’ successfully addresses over 80% of daily inquiries within seconds. For more complex queries, it seamlessly transfers customers to human agents.
Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.
– Eddie Rickenbacker
Since its deployment, ‘Maharaja’ has handled over half a million customer queries, managing more than 6,000 inquiries daily. This implementation has led to significant improvements in customer satisfaction by providing timely and accurate information. Additionally, automating routine inquiries has resulted in substantial cost savings, reducing the need for extensive human intervention in customer support.
Building on the success of ‘Maharaja’, Air India plans to introduce additional AI-driven features, including deep personalization and support for more Indian languages. These enhancements aim to further elevate the customer experience and reinforce the airline’s position as an innovator in the aviation industry.
Air India’s deployment of the ‘Maharaja’ virtual assistant exemplifies the transformative potential of generative AI in customer service. By integrating advanced AI solutions, the airline has not only enhanced its customer engagement but also set a precedent for the aviation industry. This case study serves as a testament to the strategic advantage that AI can offer in delivering superior customer experiences and operational excellence.
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