AirAsia winds down call centres as chatbot takes on customer care

AirAsia said its customer support hotlines would cease operations by the end of the year, as the carrier places its chatbot at the forefront of customer queries. Since its launch earlier this year, AVA or AirAsia Virtual Allstar, handles some 50,000 messages daily, said Adam Geneave, head of AirAsia's Customer Happiness group. As of August, only 2 of AirAsia's original 10 call centres remain, 1 in Thailand and another in India, he said. Even before AVA's debut, voice call inquiries have decreased "significantly" over the years, he said. The carrier also plans to add more members to its 600-strong customer support staff, Geneave said, which includes the live chat team that handles AVA's unresolved queries. <br/>