How AI is Transforming Consumer Engagement

Modern shoppers want quick answers and useful recommendations as they’re browsing online. They want the brand to understand them and make shopping as easy as possible. A static website or a generic email simply won’t cut it anymore. The expectation is for a better service and a more personal experience.

Smart automation enables businesses to meet these expectations by leveraging customer data and intelligent software to improve the way they communicate. It allows them to answer queries, recommend the right products, and deal with the day-to-day stuff far more effectively. It’s all about enabling the brand to connect with the customer.

The Shift Toward Intelligent Conversations

Older comms tools were reliant on basic scripts and canned replies. They could answer the simple questions but often missed the point entirely. The result was a very cold and rather repetitive conversation.

Modern automated systems work in a completely different way. They look at the context of the message and provide more relevant answers. A customer can ask a question in their own words and get a clear answer. That makes the online support feel a lot more like a real conversation.

These tools also enable businesses to deal with a huge volume of customer queries. A support team can answer a lot more questions without having to recruit a large number of additional staff. The systems are available 24/7 across all time zones and are available after normal office hours.

For instance, a customer may want to know whether a product is in stock or when their order is due to arrive. An automated assistant can provide that information in seconds. The customer gets an immediate answer rather than having to wait for an email. The support agent is then free to focus on the more complex issues.

Smarter Tools for More Efficient Operations

Marketing teams are frequently operating on very tight budgets and tight deadlines. They’re constantly required to produce new content, update websites, write emails and run a number of campaigns at the same time. The sheer volume of the same tasks being done every day leaves very little time for any actual creative work.

Smart automation can reduce this pressure. When teams leverage Pxie for smart content workflows, they can manage routine production tasks more efficiently. This gives employees more time to focus on planning, ideas, and campaign quality.

For instance automated tools can be used to generate various versions of a marketing message. They can be used to update content and to structure information for future campaigns. The materials can then be reviewed by staff and modified prior to publication.

Real-Time Support Across Multiple Channels

Customers will use a number of digital channels throughout the day. They may start a conversation on a website, carry it on via a social media app and finish it off on their phone. The imperative for the business is to keep that conversation flowing.

Smart customer service platforms bring all the channels together. They pull in the relevant bits of information from earlier interactions so the customer doesn’t have to go over the same ground again. It’s a much smoother journey from the first query right through to the purchase.

Human support teams also benefit from this. If a problem requires a personal touch, then it’s routed to the appropriate employee. The agent can then go back and look at the previous messages to get a proper understanding of the issue before replying.

Modern Customer Journeys and Relevant Content

Every shopper takes a different path to purchase. Some will go and compare a number of products; others will know precisely what they want. The smart platforms look at that behavior to work out what information might be of use to that individual shopper.

A PwC report makes the case for the value of understanding customer sentiment and guiding people through better digital experiences. It also underlines the value of relevant content in the development of stronger customer relationships.

Businesses can use this to improve every stage of the shopping journey. A visitor looking at a pair of running shoes, for instance, could be shown information on sports clothing or shoe care. A visitor who has been looking at a product several times could be presented with a guide or a special offer.

Predicting Customer Behavior

Customer habits will often change prior to a business seeing a fall in sales. A regular customer may just start to visit less frequently or may simply stop opening the marketing emails. Those are the little things that indicate that a customer is beginning to lose interest.

Predictive systems will pick up on these signs early. They look at purchase history, website activity and all the other good bits of data. If a customer’s behavior starts to change, the system can alert the marketing or support team.

Businesses can then respond with a timely message or offer. An online store could, for instance, send a customer a reminder if they’d started a purchase but hadn’t completed it. A service provider might contact a client whose account activity had slowed.

Predictive Modeling and Customer Retention

Finding new customers takes time and money. Retaining your existing customers is normally less expensive. That’s why customer retention is so vital to long-term growth.

Predictive modeling can be used to identify which of your customers are likely to stop using your service. McKinsey research has shown that machine learning can predict merchant attrition as far in advance as seven days. That gives you a significant amount of time in which to react.

For instance, a business might notice that a regular customer has gone quiet. The system can then trigger an alert to an account manager, who can then get in touch with the customer to find out if there’s any issue.

This gives them the opportunity to address the issue prior to the customer walking away. The issue could be bad service, a payment issue or a product that’s no longer to their requirements.

Building Trust Through Transparent Automation

Customers are increasingly used to the use of automation. A lot of them already have chatbots, digital assistants, and product recommendation systems in place. The issue is that they still want to know how businesses collect and use their personal information.

Companies need to be up front about their data practices. Clear privacy notices will help the customer to understand what data a site is collecting and why. They should also be able to explain how they protect the customer’s records.

Data security is key to building trust. People are more likely to share their preferences with you if they believe you’ll be handling their data appropriately.

Human support is just as important. The automated system can’t deal with everything. Some customers are going to need a bit of human assistance with a refund, a complaint or some other odd request.

Businesses must always provide the customer with a clear route to a human. The customer shouldn’t have to go through the same question with an automated system that simply doesn’t understand their issue.

A sensible approach is to blend automated support with real human support. The technology deals with the simple, routine stuff and the people deal with the more complex, sensitive and judgemental cases.

This is how you build relationships with customers. You get the quick answer they want, but you still have the human on the other end should they need to talk.

Final Thoughts

As online shopping continues to grow, these improvements will become even more important. The businesses that get the most out of automation will be in a position to meet the evolving expectations of their customers and retain them. Be sure to check out our other articles!