Safaricom’s Chat bot, Zuri helping to ease tedious processes

It has been approximately a year since Safaricom developed and launched its AI chatbot assistant, named fondly as Zuri. With the advent of AI taking precedence in a world that is fast becoming digitally adept, it is no mystery to the ways in which AI can assist. By ensuring a low error rate, incredible precision, accuracy and speed and pairing that with the ability to operate tirelessly. Safaricom boarded the AI bandwagon knowing that their chatbot has the potential to open up a whole new avenue of services that could be offered.

The chat bot was predominantly created to ease up the processes of; checking balance, accessing charge-able SMS services, managing bills, how to services such as getting PUK, unlocking your Mpesa account and accessing M-shwari or KCB loans. Apart from easing up the process, it has a very engaging persona, further allowing the customer to just select the preferred options, and have the results pop up on the screen.

Admittedly, Zuri is basic. But not to the core. It has astronomical potential to develop into an all rounded AI, that serves not just as an assistant, but as the preliminary agent to queries and questions the Safaricom customers may have.

Zuri needs an active internet connection, but it would not use up much of your data, as the response speed and service delivery is fast. With clickable menu buttons an option, the user does not need to type out their request, but instead just click one of the options. Making the entire process faster.

Additionally, as fraud is an ever impeding problem on digital platforms, Zuri has an extra layer of protection. Before the process of buying bundles, the owner of the account will have to confirm by entering their Mpesa pin. Though, this can become increasingly frustrating, as the user has to enter their pin every time they want to buy a bundle.

Often a recurring mistake within the Mpesa ecosystem, is sending money to the wrong person. The process of reversing the transaction can keep you on the edge of your seat. Now, the process has been streamlined over the years, and Zuri offers a quick response.

To reverse an M-Pesa transaction using Zuri chatbot, all you need to do is type the M-Pesa transaction code or just copy and paste the entire M-Pesa SMS message and hit send and that’s it.

Zuri bot is available through Telegram and Facebook Messenger. Further alluding to the notion that, since it is on social networking sites, the youth are at the liberty to utilise it more. The youth are also behind the digital revolution on the verge of slowly encompassing the country.