Touring, a roadside assistance provider, launched the TourAssist project to improve customer service and efficiency in its call centers through human-AI collaboration. By leveraging AI-driven automation, the project enhances call operators’ ability to focus on client needs while reducing time spent on administrative tasks. This innovative approach optimizes call resolution efficiency while ensuring that customers receive the reassurance they need during stressful situations.

Motivation and Challenges

The company’s call center experiences seasonal workload fluctuations, with operators handling a high volume of roadside assistance calls—often from abroad and at all hours. A significant portion of operators' time is spent verifying coverage  details, leaving limited opportunity to reassure customers who are sometimes in distress The challenge lies in balancing administrative efficiency with empathetic customer service, especially during peak demand periods when rapid onboarding of new staff is required. In addition, onboarding new staff during the peak seasons requires significant resources, especially from senior staff.

The Solution

TourAssist introduces an agentic AI system with a chatbot interface that assists call operators by retrieving relevant coverage information quickly. This allows operators to dedicate more attention to addressing clients’ concerns while also reducing overall call resolution time.

Additionally, the AI system eases the onboarding process for new staff by reducing reliance on senior employees during peak seasons. The system also serves as a centralized knowledge base, where staff can contribute valuable information, mitigating the risk of knowledge loss and improving long-term operational efficiency.

Project Impact and Future Opportunities

TourAssist represents a transformative shift in call center operations, enabling AI to handle bureaucratic tasks while human operators focus on customer service, empathy, and problem resolution. The result is a more efficient and client-centric experience, with a reduction in time and resources required to process calls.

By managing a dynamic knowledge base, the system enhances training processes and ensures seamless knowledge transfer, ultimately improving service quality. Future enhancements may include expanding AI capabilities to provide real-time sentiment analysis and further optimizing customer interactions through advanced language processing.

TourAssist exemplifies how AI can complement human expertise in high-pressure environments, leading to improved service quality, reduced operational strain, and a better overall customer experience.