AI-Powered Customer Support Transformation for a Global Tech Leader
Client Overview
Industry: Consumer Technology (Fortune 500)\
Size: $70+ Billion Annual Revenue | 100+ Million Active Customers Globally
Regions Served: North America, EMEA, APAC
Engagement Model: Digital Transformation + Multilingual Support + AI Integration
IBU’s Role: Strategy, AI Implementation, Global Support Desk Architecture
- The Challenge: Declining Customer Satisfaction in a Hyper-Growth Environment
In 2021, a Fortune 500 consumer technology company found itself at a critical junction. Despite skyrocketing product adoption across global markets, their customer support operations were stretched thin.
Their support model had failed to scale with demand, especially in non-English speaking markets where wait times, poor localization, and lack of real-time support had resulted in a noticeable decline in user experience.
The brand’s promise of “seamless, connected customer experience” was beginning to falter.
Pain Points:
- Limited multilingual support capabilities
- Legacy ticket-based systems with low automation
- Rising average handle time (AHT) and low first-contact resolution (FCR)
- Fragmented agent training and inconsistent quality across regions
The client needed a bold transformation:
“Reimagine global support as a 24/7, multilingual, AI-assisted experience.”
“IBU gave us an infrastructure that scales, speaks our customers’ language, and reflects our brand promise in every interaction.”
— Chief Digital Officer, Global Support Operations
Why IBU? A Technology Partner With Human-Centric Thinking
IBU Consulting was brought in not just for technical capabilities, but for our human-centered approach to enterprise transformation.
We offered a rare blend:
- Deep AI/ML and NLP capabilities
- Telecom-grade support system design experience
- Global language coverage with in-house training support
- Proven execution across complex, multi-continent environments
Our mission was to
“Build a multilingual, AI-enabled support infrastructure that reduced cost, improved CX, and operated 24/7 at scale.”
“They didn’t just build an AI desk. They transformed our entire support DNA.”
— Director of Global CX Strategy
The Solution: Building a Future-Proof, Hybrid Support Ecosystem
Phase 1: Support Process Audit & Global Mapping
- 12-week audit across 4 continents
- 250+ support workflows mapped
- 37 key failure points identified in the customer support lifecycle
IBU designed a new operating model:
- Centralized support hub connected to regional multilingual agents
- Conversational AI layer to handle up to 60% of inbound queries
- Smart escalation rules to human agents based on intent and sentiment
Phase 2: AI & NLP Engine Design
Our data science and engineering teams built and deployed:
- Custom NLP models trained in 11 languages
- Sentiment detection embedded into voice/chat
- Smart knowledge base that updated dynamically
- Predictive support tools for repeat issue detection
Key languages supported: English, Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Korean, Turkish
Phase 3: Agent Augmentation + Human-in-the-Loop Design
- Agents received real-time AI prompts and knowledge suggestions
- Multilingual training modules created by IBU L&D team
- Introduced real-time QA feedback and AI-enhanced call scoring
“The system didn’t replace people. It empowered them.”
The Metrics: What We Delivered
Metric | Before IBU | After 9 Months |
First Contact Resolution (FCR) | 62% | 89% |
Average Handle Time (AHT) | 12.4 mins | 6.8 mins |
CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) | 71 | 93 |
Support Cost per Ticket | $12.50 | $7.20 |
24/7 Coverage | No | Yes in 10 languages |
AI Accuracy: 87% accurate ticket triage | 92% sentiment accuracy | 61% of queries resolved without agent involvement
Final thoughts and something more
The Human Impact
In Japan, users could now troubleshoot their devices in native language at 2:00 a.m. via chat. In Latin America, WhatsApp-based support with Spanish NLP transformed user loyalty. For global support agents, morale and training scores rose by 40%.
IBU’s hybrid model humanized automation — proving that AI and empathy can co-exist.
What’s Next: A Support CoE + Voice Intelligence Rollout
The client has now expanded IBU’s role to:
- Build a Center of Excellence (CoE) for support innovation
- Pilot voice-based AI models for regional call centers
- Roll out chatbot-as-a-service to other group subsidiaries
