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Technology, Marketing, Customer Service
December 7, 2022
HOW RETAILERS CAN USE CONVERSATIONAL AI TO DRIVE POSITIVE CX THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
AND BEYOND
Credit: Getty Images by RyanKing999
By Kerry Robinson
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According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, in-store sales are anticipated to
increase 7.9 percent this holiday shopping season, with an estimated 4.2 percent
increase in online sales. A survey by Deloitte predicts an even stronger
e-commerce increase of between 12.8 percent and 14.3 percent.
This growth points to an expected increase in shoppers contacting retailers for
different forms of support. As contact center agents can only handle so many
calls at a time, this presents the significant risk of them becoming overloaded
— and dissatisfied customers and potentially lost business as a result.
During peak times of the year, it's more critical than ever for shoppers to have
a quick, streamlined and hassle-free experience. They should be able to easily
and efficiently get what they need without stress or confusion. But the reality
is that the overwhelming volume of customer service interactions can lead to
long wait times and abandoned calls, along with agent burnout and damaged brand
reputation on the retailer side. Given this, retailers must ensure their contact
centers are equipped to handle spikes in customer communications, like during
the holiday shopping season, and the challenges that come with them.
Related story: Conversational Commerce Delivers a Competitive Advantage for
Retailers During the Holiday Season
ENTER CONVERSATIONAL AI
Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) enables consumers to interact with
computer applications as they would with humans. By leveraging this tool,
retailers can replace limited chatbots and clunky IVR menus and simply ask
customers, “How can I help?” — and then get them to the right place. That could
be a priority agent queue; low-friction deflection to digital channels; or
smart, conversational self-service that ensures customers’ needs can be met
quickly, rather than forcing them to wait in queue and risk losing a sale, or
worse, losing a customer forever. Conversational AI allows retailers to
efficiently automate high-frequency contact types, while making the most of
their human agents and digital channels. This is particularly beneficial as
retailers struggle to hire people in their contact centers given the ongoing
labor shortage.
In addition, conversational AI can deliver richer and more relevant insights
than what companies currently get from other contact center technologies. With
conversational AI, retailers will know what customers contact them for most.
What products they’re asking about. And what problems crop up most often. These
insights create opportunities for better use of automation, digital deflection,
and workforce management.
Despite its many benefits, Waterfield Tech’s recent research found that only 14
percent of respondents had implemented conversational AI. As Gartner anticipates
a 25 percent increase in 2023 customer satisfaction scores among organizations
that use AI, retailers that aren't leveraging the power of conversational AI are
greatly missing the boat.
IN CLOSING
When shoppers contact a retailer, they expect to be treated as a priority and
quickly get the information they need. This requires retailers to not only
gather essential data, but also be able to make sense of that data in a way that
lets them rapidly and accurately act upon it. Conversational AI can provide
positive interactions that give shoppers the answers they require in just a few
questions — while improving customer satisfaction, driving sales, increasing
revenue, addressing workforce issues, and lowering service costs — all required
this holiday season and beyond.
Thanks to the experience we all enjoy in our homes with digital assistants like
Siri and Alexa, conversational AI will soon be table stakes for a retailer’s
contact center.
Kerry Robinson is vice president, conversational AI at Waterfield Tech, a
contact center solutions provider offering a full suite of services and
platforms.
0 Comments
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E Kerry Robinson Author's page
An Oxford physicist with a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, Kerry is a
technologist, scientist, and lover of data with over 20 years of experience in
conversational AI. He combines business, customer experience, and technical
expertise to deliver IVR, voice, and chatbot strategy, and keep Waterfield
Technologies buzzing.
Related Content
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3 Ways to Gain a Competitive Edge With AI
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The Top Customer Service Frustrations in 2022
Conversational AI Boosts Customer-Perceived Value
How to Make AI and Live Commerce Work Together
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Brick-and-MortarDistributor/WholesalerManufacturerCreative
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