In an age of soaring client expectations, providing prompt customer service can be a struggle for carriers and other logistics service providers. But what if artificial intelligence (AI) technology could ease the load—say, by answering routine customer questions such as “What’s the rate from A to B?” or “Where is my shipment?”

That’s the premise behind “Rippey,” a “response bot” developed by San Jose, California-based tech firm RPA Labs. Using a proprietary combination of machine learning (ML) and natural language processing along with conversational AI (artificial intelligence), Rippey can answer customer and vendor queries instantly through emails, chatbots, text messages, and social media, the company says. The bot, which is designed specifically for logistics and supply chain services companies, comes with its own language library of logistics terminology, RPA adds.

Rippey’s advantages include reducing staff time spent answering online inquiries (the bot can cut a company’s email load by up to 80%, according to the developer) and—perhaps more importantly—speeding up the interaction between a company and its customers. “Response time is one of the most important factors in customer service,” RPA Labs CEO Matt Motsick said in a release. “Many shippers need information instantly, and they don’t want to log into several portals. Email is still the most common communication platform to interact with customers—we are … speeding up the response process with Rippey.”

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in our May 2020 issue under the headline “One less bell to answer.”