Meet Charlie: Your virtual ASK La Trobe buddy!

Have you met Charlie (they/them)? They’re the coolest member of our tech-savvy squad: Charlie, your trusty chatbot companion!

So, who is Charlie, you ask? Charlie is like your very own virtual sidekick, here to assist and guide you through university. Charlie is here to make your campus life smoother than ever before, with all the tips you need to make the most of your university experience.

Get ready to embrace the digital revolution and make Charlie your new BFF!

Here’s why you should be excited to meet this digital dynamo:

Always available, never in a bad mood
Charlie is that friend who’s always there for you, no matter the time of day or night. You can reach out to Charlie 24/7 to ask questions, no need to wait for business hours. Charlie’s here ’round the clock and never has a case of the Mondays!
Skip the queue with instant responses
No more waiting in lines on the phone or scrolling through our webpages. Charlie gives you instant responses to your questions!
Just like the rest of us, Charlie is always learning!
Charlie is trained by staff from access La Trobe. Charlie is constantly learning and building knowledge to help you. Charlie follows rules based on sample questions and website information, rather than being an AI bot. Charlie uses the keywords entered in the search field to scan La Trobe’s FAQs and website content and displays information that matches the keywords in your query.
Answers to all of your burning questions
Charlie can recognise more questions than ever before and has all the tips you need to make the most of your university experience.
Whether you’re curious about your course schedule, graduations, how to enrol or where you can find a service on campus, Charlie’s got the lowdown. Just fire away with your queries and Charlie will dish out answers faster than you can say “what time does the Library close!”.
If Charlie can’t find an answer, don’t worry, we’ve also got real humans on hand
Charlie always asks, “Do you need further assistance with this?” allowing you to type in another question or select LiveChat with ASK La Trobe, or submit an online enquiry.

So, say hello to the future of student support! Charlie is ready to make your life at La Trobe easier.

Ready to meet Charlie and explore all the fun and convenience it has to offer? Simply look for the Charlie chat icon on key pages across La Trobe’s website or the ASK La Trobe webpage. Charlie can answer your questions in less than a minute and at any time of day, so you can always access information and support.

Your future just got a whole lot brighter – and smarter – thanks to Charlie!

Fast FAQs about Charlie

Who can use the chatbot?

Everyone! Charlie is open for everyone to use and can assist you with answers to common questions. You will need to log in to Charlie to get access to more customised information or connect with LiveChat to speak to an ASK La Trobe team member.

How do I log in?

Use your username (student id) and password if you are prompted to log in to the chatbot. You can use Charlie without logging in but remember, you won’t be able to access LiveChat without logging in.

How do I use Charlie chatbot?

Your query can be just three to six keywords and doesn’t need to be phrased as a question. If Charlie doesn’t give you the answer you’re looking for, try one or two different keywords or ask your question a different way. Charlie may ask a follow up question such as ‘did you mean…’ or ask you to provide specific information based on the type of student you are, for example: part time, full time, graduate, undergraduate, international or domestic. Simply select your answer from the options provided to continue using Charlie.

Charlie understands common questions, tasks or keywords that have predictable answers. For example, Charlie can tell you how to find out who your Course Coordinator is but does not have enough context to display a name of a particular Course Coordinator.

How did Charlie chatbot get their name?

Charlie is a gender-neutral name inspired by Charles La Trobe, whom the University was named after.

How does Charlie chatbot learn?

Charlie chatbot learns how to provide relevant information from the questions you ask, the links you have selected from the search results and the feedback you provide when you have finished using Charlie. Using Charlie helps Charlie grow!

What does Charlie not do?

Charlie cannot understand context or complicated questions that require reasoning or creativity. Make sure your questions are clear, concise and spelled correctly or Charlie might not be able to provide the right answers.

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