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Comcast Launches `Ask Comcast' Feature With ActiveBuddy Enhancing Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer Service

Posted on: Tuesday, 30 September 2003, 06:00 CDT

PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comcast High-Speed Internet customers now can find even more helpful information about their service and features with the help of a question-and-answer-based online help tool called "Ask Comcast" located on the company's premier customer broadband destination site at http://www.comcast.net/. The interactive tool was developed using technology from ActiveBuddy, Inc., a leading provider of software tools for operating interactive agents.

The "Ask Comcast" interactive agent "chats" with Comcast High-Speed Internet customers in a conversational personalized way, just as a user would expect in a conversation with a customer service representative. The "Ask Comcast" feature allows customers to request information by typing a question. The interactive agent delivers helpful and relevant answers. The tool, which has been assisting customers in a preview release since early August, has received favorable reviews from test customers.

ActiveBuddy's natural language technology makes "Ask Comcast" approachable for non-technical users and will allow Comcast to provide customers with information about service features, general troubleshooting and customer- specific computer and service configurations.

In addition, the software solution will help Comcast improve service quality and decrease customer-service costs. Comcast also provides other e-support solutions such as email, live online chat, extensive FAQs and Help Forums.

"Quality customer care is one of our highest priorities at Comcast. We continuously look for ways to improve quality and efficiency in helping our customers," said Mitch Bowling, vice president of Operations and Technical Support for Online. "The combination of our existing customer care channels and the ActiveBuddy solution will further equip our customers with the tools they need to find answers quickly and easily."

ActiveBuddy's conversational technology has proven successful for a range of self-service applications that allow users to request information or services using plain English inquiries at any time, 24/7. Users access ActiveBuddy-powered applications like "Ask Comcast" in their web browsers or other text messaging environments with no requirement for end user software download or installation.

"The conversational aspect of ActiveBuddy's solution helps Comcast deliver on its commitment to customer service by providing customers with natural language access to a vast amount of useful support information," said ActiveBuddy CEO Stephen Klein. "We are excited to be an integral part of Comcast's solution to deliver on their high standards for customer care."

ActiveBuddy's innovation with interactive agents running over instant messaging networks has been awarded a US Patent (number 6,430,602).

To test drive "Ask Comcast," reporters may contact Sarah Eder of Comcast at (720) 267-3048.

About Comcast

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation , a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. Operating in 17 of the United States' 20 largest metropolitan areas, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, Digital Cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 55,000 employees, in six divisions, serve more than 21 million customers.

About ActiveBuddy

ActiveBuddy is the leading provider of interactive agent software. ActiveBuddy software and hosting solutions enable businesses to deploy interactive agents that deliver a wide range of personalized information across all platforms that support interactive text messaging. Leveraging the rapidly expanding global messaging audience, ActiveBuddy provides companies with a new environment to more efficiently interact with their customers and distribute information. Founded in March 2000, ActiveBuddy is based in New York and Sunnyvale, Calif.

Comcast Cable; ActiveBuddy

CONTACT: Sarah Eder, Comcast, +1-720-267-3048, +1-303-887-9744,
wireless, sarah_eder@cable.comcast.com; or Kathy Englar, ActiveBuddy,
+1-408-530-0850 x202, +1-650-740-4999, wireless, kathy@activebuddy.com

Web site: http://www.comcast.net/

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