Synthetix launched a smartAgent for the London 2012 Olympic website in early 2009. Visitors to the website can click on "? Ask a question" and are greeted by one of several virtual staff who are there to answer queries twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The smartAgent has been implemented to improve the customer experience and reduce the number of routine inbound enquiries via telephone and e-mail.
The smartAgent technology allows site visitors to ask natural language questions whilst also navigating them around the website. The smartAgent has a diverse set of knowledge that is growing by the day, users can ask "How can I get tickets?","How can I get a job with you?","What does your logo represent", "I want to be a volunteer" or even "What sports will take place in the main stadium?".
The Synthetix.info service is being used to analyse visitors' wants and needs by looking at the questions they ask. The use of the conversational logs and analysis allow customers to better served both online and offline. The conversation logs also ensure that the knowledge contained within the smartAgent is always up to date.