Ijidai had bought mobile broadband to get connected. Then his SIM was deactivated.
He visited a customer service office to find out why. He left without an answer. Another visit brought no resolution. It took three visits, on three different days, before he finally understood what he needed to do: register his identity again.
Behind that explanation were hours spent travelling, waiting and returning home without knowing the next step.
Elsewhere in Nigeria, service problems have brought many customers to the same place: a queue. During the SIM-verification disruptions in July 2024, reporting documented subscribers gathering at telecom offices nationwide, with queues spilling onto pavements in Lagos. BusinessDay
For Ijidai, the experience raised a question: why had getting a clear explanation required so much effort?
The identity check still mattered. It should have been easier to understand what was required and how to complete it. Even where a visit was necessary, a useful conversation beforehand could have helped him arrive prepared.
That experience shaped a wider question. How can businesses make it easier for customers to understand what has happened, what they need to do, and what happens next?
A question about a bank account, an insurance claim or a delayed delivery involves different systems and procedures. But the goal of support remains the same: understand the request and help the customer move forward.
That is the idea behind Ruhu.
We’re building AI agents that connect customer conversations to a business’s knowledge, procedures and systems. Agents that can explain the next step, carry out permitted actions, and bring in a person when their help is needed.
Our ambition is to help businesses across industries make support clearer and more useful, in the languages their customers use.
So that more people can leave a conversation knowing what happens next, without losing another day trying to find out.
