IBM supports Lenovo Data Center Group with blockchain-powered customer service

IBM and Lenovo Data Center Group have signed a multi-year agreement to implement blockchain and cognitive field service solutions.

According to IBM research, more than 50% of the 265 billion customer service calls each year are not resolved. With more than $1 trillion spent on customer investment, the lack of resolution is costing businesses even more.

Lenovo Data Center Group will now leverage IBM's blockchain and cognitive services to improve its customer care.

"Data can have an unprecedented impact on the enterprise, and artificial intelligence can take customer service to a whole new level of personalisation," says IBM general manager of Technology Support and Services, Vivek Mahajan.

"This global collaboration with Lenovo further strengthens our long-standing relationship and will help to empower technicians in every corner of the globe to help deliver service excellence using the power of Blockchain and Cognitive Computing."

IBM's services are designed to improve the customer experience by leveraging global coverage and capacity of IBM's Customer Engagement Centers field service solutions, as well as parts and logistics services around the world.

The company explains the process: "When a customer connects with an agent for Lenovo's server, storage, or networking services, IBM's Virtual Assistant for Technical Support uses its natural language capabilities and contextual recognition to personalise the conversation. It is designed to ask targeted questions about service issues and obtain solution advice. It will also access key customer information, aligning to Lenovo's focus on driving a fast, effortless, and proactive customer support experience.

Lenovo Data Center Group vice president and general manager Laura Laltrello explains that today's enterprise is equipped with many new technology solutions to offer high levels of customer support.

"We are looking forward to working with IBM to take the next step with our customers to deliver a personalised and seamless experience that ensures we continue to deliver industry leading customer satisfaction in data center support."

The agreement includes:

• Blockchain to help create a more secure and transparent environment to process and monitor the purchase and distribution of critical hardware and software equipment for Lenovo's data centers.
• Virtual Assistant for Technical Support to use customer history and preferences, product manuals, technical documentation, and any other available information including FAQs, all within fingertip reach for call centre agents.
• Client Insight Portal to provide data analytics and trend analysis with enhanced personalisation, on screen alerting to identify troubled areas, and automated root cause logic.
• Augmented Reality to enable more than 19,000 field agents to help deliver a consistent client experience around the globe by allowing customers and technicians to share real-time video of machines requiring repair with fellow IBM professionals to help diagnose problems and illustrate the best practices to solve them.