When traditional Chinese medicine provider Yong Kang TCM Clinic faced growing pressure on its customer service team, artificial intelligence (AI) offered a practical way forward.
Part of Refresh Group, Yong Kang TCM Clinic and its sister brands operate 19 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As the business grew, its centralised call centre became a bottleneck, especially during peak periods when customers needed help with appointments, treatments or outlet information.
“Some after-hours enquiries went unanswered until the next working day, which meant that we were likely losing customers who wanted an immediate answer and went elsewhere instead,” said Dr Elson Lee, who holds a PhD and is the managing director and founder of Refresh Group.
A digital solution could help, but adopting one was not a simple plug-and-play decision. Yong Kang TCM Clinic had to weigh cost, staff readiness and the need for accurate responses.
Its experience reflects a broader challenge for the growing number of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) trying to make sense of AI as they digitalise.
