CONNECTIONS
16
NOVEMBER 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
SHE’SONLY3YEARSOLD,
but she already has
anextensivevocabularyandengages in30,000
conversations a day. She works 24/7 and is at
her busiest on Mondays and Fridays. “She”
is Alex, an avatar that appears on United’s
website (united.com) and provides a real,
human voice for users who might otherwise
hear only keyboard clicking when searching
for information.
The most common questions that Alex
fields deal with changing reservations and
with MileagePlus. Given the complexity of
thequeries, a teamofUnitedemployees uses a
sophisticated so ware programto listen inon
Alex’s chats daily, looking for questions that
stumped the avatar or answers that didn’t
quite hit the mark. Then the team finds the
correct answer and adjusts the database that
serves upAlex’s responses. That way, the next
time someone asks a similar question, the
answer will be right at her virtual fingertips.
With response accuracy at nearly 90 per-
cent, Alex is more than just a pre y face. But
no avatar is complete without a personality
and a sense of humor. For instance, whileAlex
can tell you about extra-legroom Economy
Plus seating and how to joinMileagePlus, she
is also happy to tell youwhether she’s always
been a brune e.
So the next time youhave a question about
United (or if you just want to know our ava-
tar’s favorite song), go ahead: Ask Alex.
ASKTHE PILOT
With Captain Mike Bowers
FACE TIME
A team
of United employees
helps make sure that
united.com’s Ask Alex
avatar serves up the right
answers for customers
Meet the (Virtual)
Face of United
Our resident avatar, Alex, lives to offer great service
to customers online
Q: What’s the best
way to prepare young
children for a first-
time flight?
A:
Before traveling,
you might want to take
your youngster to the
pediatrician to check
for ear infections or
blockages to ensure
that pressurization
changes won’t cause
discomfort. If your child
requires certain foods or
medications, make sure
to have enough to cover
unexpected delays. For
the trip itself, get to the
airport early, as moving
through the terminal
with kids takes a little
longer. Bring activities,
electronic and non-
electronic, for your child
to do in the terminal and
on the plane.
Most of all, demon-
strate that flying is fun.
Routine events such as
checking a bag, going
through security and
walking down the jetway
will be new to your
child—make them excit-
ing. And if there’s time
during boarding, ask if
your youngster can have
a brief visit to the flight
deck. Most children
enjoy the experience.
Do you have a question for
Captain Bowers? Write him
at askthepilot@united.com.
