Customer Service

The early data on artificial intelligence shopping is in and it has a story to tell. Shopify reported that shoppers who arrive at e-commerce sites through AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are 50 percent more likely to convert to purchase than those coming from organic search. Not only are they more likely to…

The way customers shop is undergoing the most fundamental transformation in over a generation. Instead of manually comparing endless options, consumers are increasingly delegating the shopping journey to artificial intelligence agents that can interpret intent, narrow choices, optimize pricing, and in some cases complete purchases on their behalf. This is agentic commerce, and the retailers…

From one-click purchases to door-to-door same-day delivery, retail has led the charge in convenience. But even as retailers perfect their omnichannel experiences, they’re facing a critical challenge in one of the oldest, tried-and-true communication methods: the phone call. Calls that once delivered order confirmations, pickup reminders, or fraud alerts are now going unanswered. The culprit…

Retailers are laser-focused on cart abandonment, but there’s an invisible (and more costly) threat surfacing: support abandonment. When facing stressful and anxiety-inducing issues like returns/exchanges, checking product availability, or addressing complaints about quality, some consumers won’t even initiate contact for help. In fact, a recent study from Cyara found one in four consumers have avoided…

While overall customer satisfaction scores in the retail sector are improving steadily year-over-year, recent data reveals that only 23 percent of customers feel fully satisfied with post-purchase support services. There are a variety of reasons why customers would need post-purchase support — e.g., returning an item, confirming a payment went through, tracking their shipment, etc.…

Retail doesn't get a slow season anymore. E-commerce keeps compressing the calendar, driving nonstop demand across channels, and the pressure to keep up is relentless. In response, retailers are turning to artificial intelligence. Gartner found that 91 percent of service leaders are under pressure to implement it to improve both efficiency and customer satisfaction. However,…

Retail has always been a human-centered business. Every sale, return, upsell and resolution depends on an employee’s ability to read emotion, respond appropriately, and guide a customer through an experience that feels both personal and efficient. As customer expectations rise, competitive advantage in retail is no longer defined by operational efficiency alone, but by how…

Ace Hardware, the world's largest hardware cooperative, has launched Hey ARMA, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant designed to support its nationwide in-store associates with real-time information and guidance. Operated through a handheld device, Hey ARMA provides associates with quick access to product knowledge, project advice, and recommendations, helping them to focus on solving customer problems and…

Retailers have spent the last decade racing toward speed. Faster checkouts. Faster deliveries. Automated personalization. Shoppers want it, and retailers have been more than happy to oblige. For years, that speed helped build loyalty. Brands could keep up with consumer expectations while rewarding customers with convenience they could count on. But it’s no longer enough:…

Retailers have spent the past several years optimizing for speed. Faster chat response times. Faster email acknowledgments. Faster automation, especially during holiday periods or major sales events. Yet many customer experience leaders have noticed a disconnect: service feels faster, but satisfaction isn’t meaningfully improving. In some cases, customers must reach out multiple times to get…