The COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionised the way we shop, making it almost imperative for brands to establish an online presence. In today’s digital age, it has become a common practice for consumers to conduct online research before making a purchase. Therefore, being easily discoverable and accessible online is essential for brands to capture the attention and trust of potential customers.

A Gurgaon-based company is helping brands in India to do so. Called SingleInterface, it is India’s largest hyperlocal marketing-to-commerce software for storefronts. The company is leveraging Generative AI to help brands monitor, manage and improve visibility of their stores on search engines.

“We have developed our own AI/ML stack using TensorFlow, but the emergence of ChatGPT has changed the landscape. The process of creating custom models has become more accessible and standardised, thanks to this advanced technology. It’s an interesting development as ChatGPT offers superior capabilities compared to previous approaches,” Girish Laxminarayana, CTO, SingleInterface, told AIM.

The company is converting a lot of its technology stack to leverage the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT3.5 and GPT-4.

“We have gone for a hybrid model. Our chatbot functions as nodes rather than actual answering bots. For example, if somebody is in our IVR system, and if it sounds like this virtual person has very high intent to purchase, he/she is automatically routed by the AI to a human agent and this has actually helped us a lot more than just trying to answer something,” he said.

Scaling with Generative AI

SingleInterface is currently using LLMs to try to replicate the personalities of a sales agent. “Our focus has been on replicating the salesmanship and personality of individuals using AI. We are developing a system with GPT that goes beyond simply answering questions. 

“It considers factors like the specific salesperson’s expertise and past performance to determine the best person to handle a particular conversation. By leveraging AI, we aim to guide the conversation in a direction that aligns with the salesperson’s previous successes,” Laxminarayana said. However, he did stress that it is an ongoing area of research for us.

Further, it is also exploring the use of Generative AI to create hyper personalised advertisements. “We already have a feature called  Spotlight, which is approximately used by 25% of our customers already , generating significant revenue. As we expand our services, we are considering leveraging AI to intelligently generate ads. 

“This includes the possibility of automatically generating ads for platforms like Facebook and Google, including images. While we are still evaluating the practicality of this approach, it is a major focus for us this year, and we plan to implement it soon,” he said.

About SingleInterface

Founded in 2014, the company initially started by helping brands build their digital presence. “ So the use case is basically if somebody’s searching on the internet, for example-HDFC Bank, which has presence in nearly 14,000 locations, we ensure that their locations and information are accurately represented across various platforms, including search engines like Google and Bing, as well as other channels like WhatsApp” Laxminarayana said.

So, doing that, the company also realised that its importance for brands to converse and stay connected with their customers. “So we build an engagement layer as well. For instance, when people search for a Nissan showroom near their location, our platform ensures that the relevant Nissan showrooms appear in the search results. Users can even initiate a chat with the showroom directly, and all the conversations are routed to us for effective management.”

Singleinterface offers various deployments, including an automated IVR system that guides users through a structured menu of Nissan’s offerings. Through this system, customers can book services, schedule test drives, and access brochure downloads, among other features.

So far, SingleInterface is helping over 200 plus brands compete and grow in the digitally connected ecosystem. In the automobile industry, its clientele includes brands such as Audi, NISSAN, Ford, Datsun, Honda, Skoda, MG, and Tata Motors among others. In The BFSI sector, they help brands such as HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Tata Capital, and Muthoot.