PLUS Introduces PUTRI Highway Customer Service Chatbot

PLUS Malaysia Berhad has introduced the highway industry’s first ever chatbot known as PLUS Texting Realtime Interface aka PUTRI. The company aims to utilise this new chatbot to attend to multiple and simultaneous queries pertaining to PLUS highway services, especially during the CMCO period.

“The increase of bandwidth usage in the country and the world over is a sure sign that we are embracing the use of more gadgets and the communication experience is today more robust,” said PLUS Chief Technology & Innovation Officer Shamsul Izhan Abdul Majid. “Hence, our PUTRI will provide real time interface to the thousands of enquiries on straightforward highway information.”

PUTRI relies on its AI and Machine Learning model to drive its interactive conversations with highway customers. PLUS hopes that over time the chatbot could also be used to handle over 70% of the 1,500 calls which the highway’s Traffic Monitoring Centre (TMC) receives on a daily average. This would eventually enhance TMC’s service levels and allow its personnel to focus more on responding to emergency calls and assisting customers in distress.

The company touts PUTRI to be more convenient for users, as it provides better speed in providing responses and could reduce the waiting period for PLUS highway queries. PLUS added that the chatbot has bilingual capabilities and will be easily accessible. 

At this time, users can interact with PUTRI’s beta version throughout the current public pilot phase that was launched on 27th April 2020 on the PLUS website and mobile app, as well as the PLUSMiles portal. The chatbot is planned to be fully functional by the third quarter of 2020, and will also be made available on the highway operator’s social media platforms and WhatsApp service.