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TuVox Voice Interface
pablos writes: "NYTimes has an article about Tuvox who set up Handspring and Activision with voice interfaces for tech support. Apparently they can do away with the annoying 'press # now' menus. I've used things like TellMe, which played an ad everytime it didn't understand you, but I'm wondering if this sort of thing is starting to work anywhere. Anybody called Handspring for tech support lately?"
I wonder....
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
"Thank you for calling 999, which service do you require?"
FIRE!!
"[pause]Your request has been passed on. In order to optimise future use of this service, please repeat the following list of words in a steady voice: cat, dog, bar, sky, foo..."
The train company in Sweden has one of these systems. It's always amusing listening to my other half battle with it when she wants to buy a ticket:
:-)
OtherHalf (in very clear voice): Stockholm
Computer : click, click,... Kiruna!
OtherHalf : Stockholm!
Computer : click, click,... Moscow!
OtherHalf : Stockholm!
Computer : click, click,... Alpha Centauri!
etc...
To be fair, it does eventually work, it just takes a while. It probably also takes less total time than the alternative (short conversation with a human, but a long wait to get to talk to them).
The best thing about them was a recent radio program. They had done some reseach to find out what words sound (to the system) like destinations. During the show they'd phone SJ up and say things like "I want to go to FsckingBastardVille", to which the computer would reply "Northern or central Stockholm?" and other such amusements.
Hours of fun
Tales from behind the Lagom Curtain
Bender: Listen, buddy, I'm in a hurry here. Let's try for a twofer. Hehe. Suicide Booth: Please select mode of death. Quick and painless or slow and horrible. Fry: Yeah, I'd like to place a collect call? Suicide Booth: You have selected slow and horrible. Bender: Great choice!
We inquired with TuVox how much it would cost to set up a solution for our level 1 help desks. The cost was mind-boggling. So, we trained one monkey for each group of tech to answer the phone and AUTOMATICALLY READ FROM A SCRIPT!!! Can you imagine? A revolution in help desk support. The script includes such high-tech TTS sounding shit such as "Press 2 for Customer Service". Then, in our mind blowing second step - we trained the monkey to pick out DTMF tones BY EAR ALONE!!! So our customers hit 2, and the monkey transfers then to customer services. Truly the wave of the future.
We've got a system on the Odeon cinemas ticket booking line in the UK. First, it asks you which cinema you would like to book the ticket at: Computer: Which cinema would you like to book tickets at? You: Kensington Computer: You chose Kensington. Say yes if this is correct. You: Yes Computer: Which cinema would you like to book tickets at? Please speak clearly. You: Kensington Computer: You chose Kensington. Say yes if this is correct. You: YES Computer: Which cinema would you like to book tickets at? Please speak clearly, or hold for an operator. You: Kensington Computer: You chose Kensington. Say yes if this is correct. You: FUCK OFF Computer: Kensington is correct. It can recognise hundreds of cinema names, but always has a difficulty with yes.. When it voice recognition first came out on voicemail boxes, we'd derive great amusement from saying random stuff into the phone and seeing what number it would guess...
Well, the other day when I accidently baked my Visor, I had to call their support line....
~.Evanrude