Before generative artificial intelligence (AI) gained widespread attention, Haceb, a Colombian appliance manufacturer with 84 years in the market, had already started exploring this technology. In areas such as human resources management, customer service, and technical support, Haceb has integrated artificial intelligence to optimize processes, reduce costs, enhance its talent, and improve the quality of its services.
One notable use of generative AI is Wilson, a virtual technical support assistant aiding Haceb’s after-sales teams. Haceb handles over 1,200 appliance models in Colombia and performs more than 1,000 services daily with its crew of 245 technicians. “We have 1,200 products in our portfolio, each of which can present 40 types of failure and each of which can be solved in many ways. “This information is way too much for one technician to learn,” points out Genesis Johana Tavera, Technical Service Analyst at Haceb.
In after-sales, time is crucial, and the previous process was inefficient. During visits, if the technician could not immediately resolve a product issue, they were required to contact the Contact Center, explain their findings, send photos and descriptions, and wait for the center operators to consult various diagrams, manuals, part names, and suggested solutions. A single refrigerator can have more than 100 components, and this complexity, along with often non-intuitive content, could make support slow and confusing. This sometimes resulted in reprocessing and service rescheduling, affecting both the technical team and the customer.
To address this challenge and equip the team with effective tools for handling any situation during a visit, Wilson, Haceb’s experienced technicians, worked with a team of 35 technical service members, Haceb’s digital transformation and technology team, and its technology partner iDATA. Together, they documented manuals, diagrams, service histories, and the valuable experiences of those familiar with the service.
Wilson, Haceb’s intelligent service assistant, was developed to honor the expertise of service technicians and advisors who specialize in washing machines, refrigerators, and heaters. These professionals possess extensive knowledge and experience regarding the products and their spare parts. The chatbot, created in collaboration with Copilot Studio and powered by Microsoft’s AzureOpenAI services, serves as a valuable resource, enabling technicians to use natural language queries to enhance their skills and optimize their time.
Today, Haceb’s 245 technicians have an instant solution that improves the quality and efficiency of their visits, the service they provide to their customers, and the satisfaction of a job well done. “If I can get all the information to the technician quickly, I save time. If the technician solves the problem on the first visit, he can perform more services and provide more customer satisfaction, and we limit the need for rescheduling or repeating services. It’s a win-win,” adds Tavera. Haceb estimates that the Wilson chatbot saves 5 minutes per visit, which, multiplied by the 1,000 daily visits, saves the customer service team 5,000 minutes per day.
Honoring the tradition of Haceb’s founder – Don Jose Maria Acevedo – the design and implementation strategy has been people-centric, seeking to add value to employees, empowering them, enhancing their capabilities and generating greater satisfaction. Thanks to Haceb’s curious and innovative spirit, the entire team – not just the TD & IT experts – is already aware of the power of AI and the opportunities to improve all aspects of the business, and the company has several solutions already in operation and a robust pipeline of use cases in production. “These first use cases served to inspire people to believe and create and open doors for us to continue on many other fronts that we are working on today,” said José Leoncio Jaramillo, Digital Transformation Lead at Haceb.
“The dream is that AI will allow us to continue to advance in our goal of creating well-being and progress for all, that it will help and empower our team, and that it will allow us to better serve the end consumer,” adds Natalia Molina, Head of Digital Transformation and Information Technology at Haceb. The company has demonstrated that artificial intelligence is already a key component of its innovation process, serving as a natural ally in operations and improving productivity.
“Haceb has become a leader in the country by implementing generative AI to develop relevant solutions that address business and operational challenges. It is a pride to see how they are innovating with AI and Copilot Studio to improve efficiency and productivity and empowering their employees, putting them at the center of their decisions and technology solutions,” comments Andrés Jiménez, Azure leader for the Corporate segment at Microsoft.
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About Haceb
Haceb is a Colombian company founded in 1940 by José María Acevedo, initially as a small electrical repair shop called Taller Eléctrico Medellín. Today, Haceb is a leading industrial park in Copacabana, Antioquia, specializing in the manufacture of household and gas appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, among others.
With more than 84 years of experience, Haceb has established itself as a national benchmark in the industry, bringing its products to millions of Colombian homes and more than 20 countries. The company is characterized by its focus on innovation, creating surprising experiences, cultural transformation and operational excellence.
Haceb’s goal is to generate well-being and progress for all, which is achieved through a robust after-sales service that includes 245 technicians, nearly 100 experience creators in its contact center, 22 direct service centers and 60 authorized service centers. This approach allows Haceb to offer personalized attention that exceeds customer expectations, providing trust, proximity and ease. Haceb is a national pride, committed to innovation and excellence, transforming cooking, refrigeration, washing, water heating and air conditioning products into integral solutions for its consumers.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
