Method of using a virtual assistant

A method of using a virtual assistant as an interface between a user and information of a service provider, the method comprising:

• a virtual assistant service that is running in parallel to the service provider causing rendering of a display of the virtual assistant on or adjacent to a site of the service provider, the rendering comprising content of the virtual assistant, wherein content of the service provider is provided on the site by the service provider;
• receiving, via the virtual assistant service over a first communication channel, a query from a user while the user engages in a session with the service provider on the site of the service provider;
• the virtual assistant service processing the query to identify one or more tokens in the query, the one or more tokens comprising words, phrases, or symbols;
• the virtual assistant service mapping the identified tokens to a plurality of vocab items, wherein each vocab item comprises a general set of multiple different tokens having a common meaning amongst the identified tokens;
• the virtual assistant service identifying a concept expressed in the query based on the plurality of vocab items;
• the virtual assistant service identifying a context based on factors associated with at least one of the user or the session of the user on the site;
• the virtual assistant service mapping at least one combination of an identified context and an identified concept to at least one intent, from one or more datastores storing indications of intents;
• the virtual assistant service mapping the at least one intent associated in the one or more datastores to a plurality of responses;
• the virtual assistant service determining an action to be performed in response to the query based at least in part on the intent and the context;
• and
• causing the action to be performed by the site of the service provider and one of the responses of the plurality of responses to be provided to the user over a second communication channel selected based on the context.