Purple Questions
Research project focuses on developing an AI-powered virtual assistant with the primary objective of transforming your business knowledge and the time invested in customer support into a tangible asset.
Different AI-Training Method
We hold the view that the practice of training AI on customized data by breaking text into smaller segments and subsequently storing them in a vector repository is generally subpar and seldom proves beneficial in real-world applications. Our discovery has led us to adopt an alternative approach that is both straightforward and remarkably efficient.
Cost-Effective
We are firmly convinced that, given the current affordability of commoditized large language models like OpenAI, the cost of handling an average customer support request should be approximately one cent. We have already demonstrated the validity of this assertion.
You Own Your Data
You possess ownership of all the trained materials and operational data, including vectors, indexed conversations, and more. These assets can be conveniently stored on your local computer or a GitHub repository in a straightforward and comprehensible manner. By doing so, in the event that you decide to transition to another platform, you won't incur additional costs for embedding and content analysis.
Handle Complex Requests
Responding to support requests using pre-trained materials constitutes only a portion of the broader custom support framework. Addressing support inquiries that necessitate the retrieval of supplementary information, such as subscription status, license details, or integration with third-party services, is categorically labeled as "escalation" to human intervention. We firmly believe that this facet can also be automated, and we possess the expertise to accomplish it effectively.
Minimize Dependencies
A major goal in our overarching research endeavor is to reduce reliance on external services. To illustrate, our knowledge vector repository is founded on LanceDB, a persistent file storage system that can be easily accessible locally or hosted within serverless instances like AWS Lambda. You can execute the entire training procedure on your laptop using a user-friendly desktop application and deploy pre-trained data to any location within seconds.
Custom User Experience
Are you growing weary of encountering the familiar "question bubble" that appears in the lower right corner, heralding the arrival of a user-friendly chatbot? While this may offer an appealing visual experience, it may not consistently align with your specific requirements. We are committed to breaking free from the confines of a run-of-the-mill customer support user interface, opting instead for an API-first approach. This empowers you to craft your own tailored experience or tap into our pre-built solutions as needed.
Note!
While we are currently in the initial phases of our research and development, we have successfully deployed a practical real-world application. The WordPress Advanced Access Manager plugin harnesses the capabilities of the Purple Question project to enhance their online customer support platform.
If you wish to join our project either as a contributor or as an end user, we invite you to subscribe to our newsletters, and we will reach out to you promptly to discuss further details.
Motivation & Behind-Scene Story
Years ago, we introduced the Advanced Access Manager WordPress plugin, which gained traction within the community. Recognizing its potential, we transitioned it into a business model by offering premium features. Like many digital product ventures, we swiftly encountered the challenge of customer support. Our valuable time and resources began to divide between further product development and addressing support inquiries. Over time, the demands of customer support far outpaced the time allocated for development. As the product's popularity grew, so did the demand for customer support.
To delve deeper into this issue, when a business owner decides to move on, the negotiation phase often results in the abandonment of all the invested customer support hours and the internal knowledge base, which includes documentation, articles, customer support emails, and more. We are intimately familiar with this scenario, having been approached for product acquisitions on three occasions.
From the buyer's perspective, the time spent on customer support is often perceived as intangible and the abundance of product documentation becomes a liability that must be inherited and managed by their customer support center, typically assumed to be a cost center. However, from the seller's standpoint, this represents over 60% of their time spent, which does not contribute directly to the business's value.
In response to this challenge, we initiated a research and development project called "Purple Question" (the story behind this name is a tale for another day). The project's goal is to convert the entire business knowledge base into a self-contained asset with minimal operational requirements. Every minute invested in answering customer support requests now becomes an investment in enhancing your AI agent's capabilities. Any manual work required to fulfill support requests, such as checking subscription status, obtaining license details, issuing refunds, and more, can be fully automated, thereby enhancing your customer support channel.
We were unable to locate an off-the-shelf AI-based customer support solution that met all of our requirements. Hence, we embarked on our own project, leveraging OpenAI technology, which operates at a minimal cost, measured in pennies.