Customer Support Agents

Customer support agents can handle inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance to users. In this lesson, we’ll learn how to build effective customer support agents.

What is a Customer Support Agent?

A customer support agent is designed to:

  • Answer frequently asked questions
  • Troubleshoot common problems
  • Provide information about products or services
  • Collect information for support tickets
  • Guide users through processes or procedures

Creating a Basic Customer Support Agent

Let’s start by building a simple customer support agent:

from praisonaiagents import Agent

# Create a basic customer support agent
support_agent = Agent(
    name="SupportAgent",
    instructions="""
    You are a helpful customer support representative for a software company.
    
    When helping customers:
    1. Greet them professionally and warmly
    2. Understand their issue completely before attempting to solve it
    3. Provide clear, step-by-step solutions when possible
    4. Maintain a friendly, patient tone throughout
    5. If you cannot solve the issue, explain how to escalate it
    
    Our software product is a productivity app with features for:
    - Task management
    - Calendar scheduling
    - Note-taking
    - Team collaboration
    """
)

# Use the support agent
response = support_agent.start("I'm having trouble syncing my calendar with my phone. Can you help?")
print(response)

Adding a Knowledge Base

Let’s enhance our agent with a simple knowledge base to answer common questions:

from praisonaiagents import Agent, KnowledgeBase

# Create a simple knowledge base
faq_kb = KnowledgeBase()

# Add FAQ content (in a real scenario, you would load this from files)
faq_kb.add_text("""
# Frequently Asked Questions

## Account Issues

### How do I reset my password?
To reset your password:
1. Go to the login page
2. Click on "Forgot Password"
3. Enter your email address
4. Follow the instructions sent to your email

### How do I change my email address?
To change your email address:
1. Log in to your account
2. Go to Settings > Account
3. Click on "Change Email"
4. Enter your new email and confirm with your password

## Subscription and Billing

### What subscription plans do you offer?
We offer three plans:
- Basic: $9.99/month - Includes core features for individuals
- Pro: $19.99/month - Includes advanced features and team capabilities for up to 5 users
- Enterprise: Custom pricing - Full feature set with advanced security and support

### How do I cancel my subscription?
To cancel your subscription:
1. Log in to your account
2. Go to Settings > Billing
3. Click "Cancel Subscription"
4. Follow the confirmation steps

## Technical Issues

### Why isn't my calendar syncing?
Common reasons for calendar sync issues:
1. Outdated app version - Try updating the app
2. Account permission issues - Check sync permissions in Settings > Integrations
3. Internet connectivity problems - Ensure you have a stable connection

### How do I export my data?
To export your data:
1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click "Export Data"
3. Choose the data types you want to export
4. Select your preferred format (CSV or JSON)
5. Click "Export" and save the file
""")

# Create an agent with the knowledge base
kb_support_agent = Agent(
    name="KnowledgeBaseAgent",
    instructions="""
    You are a helpful customer support representative with access to our FAQ knowledge base.
    
    When helping customers:
    1. Greet them professionally and warmly
    2. Search the knowledge base for relevant information
    3. Provide clear, accurate answers based on the knowledge base
    4. If the knowledge base doesn't cover the question, provide general helpful guidance
    5. Maintain a friendly, supportive tone throughout
    """,
    knowledge_base=faq_kb
)

# Use the knowledge base support agent
kb_response = kb_support_agent.start("How do I cancel my subscription?")
print(kb_response)

Creating a Troubleshooting Agent

Let’s create an agent specialized in technical troubleshooting:

troubleshooting_agent = Agent(
    name="TroubleshootingAgent",
    instructions="""
    You are a technical support specialist who helps users troubleshoot problems.
    
    When troubleshooting:
    1. Ask clarifying questions to understand the exact issue
    2. Identify the most likely causes of the problem
    3. Provide step-by-step solutions, starting with the simplest fixes
    4. Explain what each step does and why it might help
    5. Confirm if the issue is resolved or suggest next steps
    
    Common troubleshooting areas:
    - Login and account access issues
    - App installation and updates
    - Feature functionality problems
    - Data synchronization
    - Performance issues
    """
)

# Use the troubleshooting agent
troubleshooting_response = troubleshooting_agent.start("The app keeps crashing when I try to open it on my iPhone")
print(troubleshooting_response)

Building a Conversational Support Agent

Let’s create a support agent that can handle multi-turn conversations:

conversational_support = Agent(
    name="ConversationalSupport",
    instructions="""
    You are a customer support representative who handles support conversations.
    
    When handling support conversations:
    1. Maintain context throughout the conversation
    2. Ask follow-up questions when needed
    3. Verify understanding before providing solutions
    4. Be patient with users who may be frustrated
    5. Summarize the conversation and next steps at the end
    
    Our product is a mobile banking app with features for:
    - Account balance checking
    - Money transfers
    - Bill payments
    - Mobile check deposits
    - Budget tracking
    """
)

# Start a support conversation
initial_response = conversational_support.start("I can't find where to deposit checks in the app")
print("Initial Response:", initial_response)

# Continue the conversation
follow_up_response = conversational_support.continue("I'm using version 2.5 of the app on Android")
print("Follow-up Response:", follow_up_response)

# Further continuation
resolution_response = conversational_support.continue("I found the deposit button now, but it's giving me an error when I try to take a photo")
print("Resolution Response:", resolution_response)

Support Ticket Creation Agent

Let’s create an agent that can gather information for support tickets:

ticket_agent = Agent(
    name="TicketCreationAgent",
    instructions="""
    You are a support ticket creation specialist who gathers the necessary information to create support tickets.
    
    When creating a ticket:
    1. Collect the customer's name and contact information
    2. Identify the category of the issue
    3. Gather a detailed description of the problem
    4. Determine the severity level
    5. Collect relevant technical details (device, software version, etc.)
    6. Organize all information in a structured ticket format
    
    Present the final ticket in a clearly formatted structure.
    """
)

# Use the ticket creation agent
ticket = ticket_agent.start(
    """
    Create a support ticket for the following issue:
    
    Customer: Jane Smith
    Email: jane.smith@example.com
    Issue: Cannot access premium features after payment
    Details: Completed payment yesterday, received confirmation email, but premium features are still locked in the app
    Using: iPhone 13, app version 3.2.1
    """
)
print(ticket)

Customer Support Best Practices

Empathy First

Show understanding before offering solutions

Clear Communication

Use simple language, avoid jargon

Consistent Responses

Provide consistent answers to similar questions

Know Escalation Paths

Have clear processes for escalating complex issues

In the next lesson, we’ll explore how to build AI agents that can assist with personal productivity tasks.