The Infocomm Media Development Authority's SMEs Go Digital platform offers grants covering up to 50 per cent of costs to help companies overcome internal skill deficits. Utilizing this initiative, Yong Kang TCM Clinic introduced a generative AI chatbot across its 19 regional outlets to relieve its overwhelmed call centre. Internal personnel directly trained the system on traditional Chinese medicine terminology, clinic offerings, and active promotions prior to deployment. The implementation allowed front-line workers to build knowledge-management skills while freeing time to handle sensitive inquiries and in-clinic visitors.
Key points
Government subsidies of up to 50 per cent provide smaller enterprises viable avenues to t…: Government subsidies of up to 50 per cent provide smaller enterprises viable avenues to test and deploy digital tools.
Automating basic customer interactions boosted inquiry traffic by 60 per cent and increas…: Automating basic customer interactions boosted inquiry traffic by 60 per cent and increased appointment bookings by 20 per cent.
Adopting artificial intelligence solutions created opportunities for existing personnel t…: Adopting artificial intelligence solutions created opportunities for existing personnel to learn knowledge-base maintenance and focus on complex customer needs.
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When traditional Chinese medicine provider Yong Kang TCM Clinic faced growing pressure on its customer service team, artificial intelligence (AI) offered a practical way forward.
Part of Refresh Group, Yong Kang TCM Clinic and its sister brands operate 19 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As the business grew, its centralised call centre became a bottleneck, especially during peak periods when customers needed help with appointments, treatments or outlet information.
“Some after-hours enquiries went unanswered until the next working day, which meant that we were likely losing customers who wanted an immediate answer and went elsewhere instead,” said Dr Elson Lee, who holds a PhD and is the managing director and founder of Refresh Group.
A digital solution could help, but adopting one was not a simple plug-and-play decision. Yong Kang TCM Clinic had to weigh cost, staff readiness and the need for accurate responses.
Its experience reflects a broader challenge for the growing number of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) trying to make sense of AI as they digitalise.
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