The Full Story
Amarillo College recognized the limitations of their existing live chat system. Restricted licenses, overwhelmed coverage during peak times, and duplicated staff effort across front counters, phones, and chat. They also noticed that incoming students often hesitated to ask basic or personal questions. A more discreet, accessible solution felt necessary.
With reservations about complexity and IT burden, the team was pleasantly surprised to find Gecko’s chatbot virtually plug and play. Only one small code snippet was needed to embed it. The enrollment team (led by Maria S. Juarez) took control, iterating content, learning skills, and managing the bot without dependence on IT.
Once live, the bot immediately drove engagement. Its ease of use and responsive support encouraged students to share concerns, like being unable to reach advisors about dropping classes, even when they knew they weren’t interacting with a human. The chatbot handled the conversation, and staff could then escalate when needed.
The intuitive implementation and usage gave Amarillo College autonomy and agility. They had the technology, engagement, and insights. They just needed the tool to set it up, and Gecko delivered.