Industry Solutions: Retail and Hospitality
Retail and Hospitality is about connecting with the customer, creating positive shopping experiences, and keeping overhead low to boost margins. Speech technology is a great way to accomplish all three. With retailers facing tight IT budgets and fewer shoppers, Microsoft Speech Server can help leverage existing Microsoft-based investments to streamline operations, further improve customer experience, simplify purchasing, and lower costs.
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Data Sheet
Retail and Hospitality Data Sheet
Retail and hospitality is about connecting with the customer, creating positive shopping experiences, and keeping overhead low to boost margins. Speech technology is a great way to accomplish all three. With retailers facing tight IT budgets and fewer shoppers, Microsoft Speech Server can help leverage existing Microsoft-based investments to streamline operations, further improve customer experience, simplify purchasing, and lower costs.
Case Studies
O.C. Tanner Company Develops a New Call Center Solution with IT Partner Gold Systems and Microsoft Speech Server R2
The O.C. Tanner Company needed to solve call volume and call containment issues. With call center calls reaching 30,000 per day and many customers opting for live support, O.C. Tanner needed a powerful voice response solution to bring the situation under control – and they needed it fast.
Women's Retailer Rings Up New Voice-Enabled Solution for Customer Gift Cards
Using the expertise of Intervoice Inc. and the power of Microsoft Speech Server 2004, Talbots created a new voice-enabled gift card balance application.
Auto Parts Retailer Moves Linux-based IVR System to More Scalable Windows
Pull-A-Part sells discounted used auto parts from more than 2,000 automobiles in each of the five yards that the company maintains in the southeastern United States. Pull-A-Part deployed Microsoft Speech Server 2004 on Windows Server 2003. As a result, the company increased its IVR system's uptime to 99 percent from 85 percent, doubled its capacity to receive calls, added enhanced voice recognition and callback features, and implemented a technology infrastructure that grows with the business.
Retail and Hospitality Partners
Retail and Hospitality Partners
Microsoft has partnered with leading speech industry companies to deliver Microsoft Speech Server applications to enterprise retail and hospitality. Take look at our partner capabilities in the retail and hospitality industry and experience some of their specific demo applications built on Microsoft Speech Server.
Demos
The following recorded audio demonstrations simulate a variety of Speech Server-based application transactions typical for retail and hospitality organizations. They also demonstrate several best-practices for the design of effective voice user interfaces (VUI).
Store Locator
Customer requests for store hours, product availability, or the location of a local branch are common telephone transactions that can be easily automated using speech, freeing up employees to engage in more high-value or greater revenue generating customer interactions either via phone or in-person. The customer is asked for her zip code in order to retrieve the branch location, then a fax number is captured to which to send the driving directions via an outbound telephone call placed by the application.
Order Delivery Scheduling
Some retailers are required to deliver their goods directly to customers via specialized or local transport services. In this scenario, a furniture store uses a speech system to place an outbound telephone call to schedule home delivery of a dining room suite. Note how the application intelligently handles the beginning of the call, waiting to proceed until the customer, rather than her young son, has come to the phone.
Video Ordering Service
Automating the ordering of goods or services via the telephone can give retailers an opportunity to enhance their relationship with their customers by using a speech application that reinforces their brand, image, or messaging with a carefully crafted application persona and dialogue style. This scenario showcases a progressive style of user interface that incorporates persona, sound effects, and a unique dialogue design that's highly suitable for this entertainment oriented video programming provider.
Articles
How Retailers Can Improve Customer Satisfaction and Reduce Costs
Find out how technology is changing the way people shop and the way people communicate with retail stores by offering customers 24 X 7 access to shopping, order status information, and account information.
Speech Server in the News
Microsoft Aims to Transform Lodging, Dining Experiences with Smarter Hospitality
A new solutions framework from Microsoft is helping the hospitality industry check into a new generation of convenient, personalized services for its customers.
(December 20, 2004)
Microsoft Brings Speech Technology Business Value to the Retail Industry
At the National Retail Federation Annual Convention and EXPO in New York City today, Microsoft Corp. demonstrated the investments it has made over the past year to bring the benefits of speech technologies to the world's retail organizations.
(January 17, 2005)