By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MASERU – Many companies are now moving fast to adopt the smart technology and this innovative approach comes highly commendable as it improves the business operations while also save time.
The smart tech business is the buzz word.
These smart tech, usually employing the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, safe time, and have been reported to safe both the employees and customers time thereby increasing the overall customer satisfaction.
One such business that renders chabots services is Mphalane Pty Ltd with their two offerings are the LibraChat which is their custom chatbot creation service for businesses and the LiveChat for software. This start-up tech said it is in the business of digitizing organisations in the country.
“Customer service and digital service access has never been easier than reaching your customers on the apps they already have on their devices (Whatsapp and Facebook messenger).”
The company’s Head of Marketing, Lintle Hlaoli said “these offerings come together to make us the best combination of digitization and improved customer experience within any business. At the company I am the head of marketing”.
Mphalane’s chatbots are able to automate the client’s WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram messages, through their approach model they provide digital services to customers without having to develop and maintain an app.
Would you imagine an instance where you are able to receive food orders, groceries and other commodities from the comfort of your home and office through interfacing with just WhatsApp app and without physically going to the restaurant or grocery store? Thanks to this food online ordering feature.
Since the establishment of their business, the Head of Marketing says the market response has been quite positive.
“We have taken things intentionally slow. We have always understood that, being a first and only mover in this type of market/service, it is highly crucial that our first customers be our greatest success stories and our biggest advocates. We believe we have achieved this,” she said.
Hlaoli said there were moments when the business was confronted with challenges of financial instability on account of their partner flop, but hastened to point out that as a bootstrapped start-up, a bootstrapped start up, “cool heads are required to survive in the waters we swim”.
Mphalane Pty Ltd made headlines in December last year when it scooped the first place prize in Early Stage Start-up category of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) and had their share of staggering M1 million courtesy of Vodacom Lesotho Foundation. Hlaoli said contesting in this competition was a rewarding experience as they got to interact and network with fellow entrepreneurs and exchanged ideas and shared best practices on how to enhance their businesses. She also said the facilitators equipped them with “lifelong skills and concepts” that will benefit their businesses in the long run.
Asked what future plans are, she said they are hard at work developing a “quite exciting” project but could not be drawn to disclose the full details saying it is premature to do so. She however beamingly said the project will catapult them into the international market adding that “we believe this will be the first step in expanding our total addressable market on our route to becoming a global powerhouse”.