Five ways to boost customer service capacity using AI ahead of peak

To capitalize on the upcoming peak season, retail businesses must focus on not just obtaining new customers, but keeping them as well. One of the primary components that retailers must excel at is creating and maintaining an excellent customer service experience.

During busy times, customer service can become overwhelmed with requests. According to a survey we conducted with customer service managers, the majority (56%) would attempt to increase their team's capacity by more than half. However, bringing on temporary employees can be costly and may harm customer satisfaction levels, which could negatively impact revenue in the future.

Opting for AI as a way to support your current workforce is a viable approach that can be taken by retailers. The following is an overview of how retailers are presently utilizing AI technology to broaden their customer service capabilities.

Identifying ticket purposes 2. In order to efficiently handle incoming support tickets, it’s important to first determine the main intent behind each inquiry. To effectively manage incoming support requests, it’s crucial to initially establish the primary purpose of each inquiry. 3. Ticket intents can typically be categorized into a few main groups, such as technical issues, billing inquiries, or feature requests. Ticket purposes generally fall into a few primary categories such as technical problems, billing concerns, or requests for new features. 4. By detecting the intent behind a ticket, support teams can quickly route the request to the appropriate department or team member, reducing resolution time and improving overall customer satisfaction. By recognizing the purpose of a ticket, support staff can efficiently direct the request to the correct department or team member, reducing resolution time and enhancing customer satisfaction.

A crucial factor in resource planning involves identifying the areas where you should allocate your resources. It is crucial to comprehend the difference between the amount of customer service inquiries (tickets) received during a regular period versus a peak period to prepare properly. While manually categorizing tickets is an option, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) is a much quicker and more precise method.

Artificial intelligence has the ability to identify the purpose behind a request by analyzing the pertinent words and their placement in a given statement. Le Col, a company specializing in cycling clothing, has experienced the benefits of this technology through the identification of customer intentions. This has proved to be an immense advantage as it has allowed them to easily pinpoint the primary focus of their customer interactions and define their key areas of interest. As a result, it has presented the company with a clear and concise approach in prioritizing their objectives.

Once reaching this stage, shopkeepers are able to give preference to incoming requests and distribute their resources more efficiently.

2. Solve WISMO tickets with automation

After a retailer has organized their tickets, it's highly probable that they'll receive WISMO (Where is My Order) requests, which typically ranks within the top five categories. During busy seasons, the amount of WISMO queries tends to increase at an alarming rate due to unforeseen carrier delays, warehouses being overburdened with packages and so on. This ultimately leads to greater pressure being placed on customer service departments.

By linking AI with your shipping and storage systems, it can conveniently retrieve this data for a client and deliver it back. Moreover, a conversational AI has the ability to verify whether the customer has received their order marked as "delivered" and if not, implement a replacement or refund, all autonomously without human involvement.

Thanks to AI technology, Skullcandy can manage up to 80% of their "Where Is My Order" (WISMO) inquiries with little to no human intervention. This system enables their representatives to dedicate their time to solving more complex technical problems and resolving customer issues.

- Utilize generative artificial intelligence for responding to frequently asked questions Using generative AI is an effective approach to answering commonly asked questions. This technology allows you to create automated responses that are personalized to the user's needs. With the help of AI, you can quickly and easily provide answers to frequently asked questions without the need for human intervention. In this way, you can save your customer support team resources and time, and focus on more complex issues that require attention. Overall, by using generative AI, you'll be able to provide your customers with fast and accurate responses, improving their experience and satisfaction.

Generative AI is a significant advancement in the field of artificial intelligence. It powers various applications like ChatGPT by Open AI. The responses generated by these systems are constantly improving and becoming increasingly comparable to those of a human.

This technology can be utilized by retailers to educate their AI on frequently asked questions (FAQs) and product details, which can then be communicated to customers in a more natural conversation.

Imagine a scenario where a potential buyer is browsing through a product's specifications and wants to know its material or if it fits as expected. Suddenly, a small chat box appears, and the customer can type in the question and get a prompt, reliable response right there without any delay. This helps them make a quicker decision to buy the product, removing the hurdle of waiting for a customer support agent to log in and answer their queries.

blog section: In order to enhance the efficiency of agents' procedures, several measures can be taken. Firstly, it is crucial to identify the areas where the processes can be optimized. This can be achieved by analyzing the workflow, identifying potential bottlenecks, and streamlining processes where possible. Secondly, agents should be provided with the necessary tools and resources to carry out their work effectively. This may include providing up-to-date technology and software, training programs and access to knowledge databases. Finally, ongoing monitoring and feedback are essential for continuous improvement. Regular evaluations and feedback loops can indicate where further improvement is needed and allow processes to be adjusted accordingly. By following these strategies, agents can be empowered to provide top-quality service to customers, thereby improving overall satisfaction levels and business outcomes.

In addition to responding to customer inquiries, AI can simplify the agent's responsibilities by automating tedious duties. On, a running company, discovered that it required 10-15 minutes for an agent to generate a return label for a customer. However, when all the dissimilar systems are linked together and AI performs efficient duplicating and pasting of relevant information, this task can be accomplished in a few seconds, sparing the customer service team over 800 hours per month.

Here are some ways to avoid getting tickets: - Follow the rules of the road and traffic signs. - Keep your vehicle maintained and in good condition. - Avoid distractions while driving, such as using your phone or eating. - Be aware of your surroundings and other drivers on the road. - Plan your route ahead of time to avoid getting lost or making sudden turns. - Always wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers do the same. - Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. - Avoid speeding and aggressive driving. - If you do get pulled over, remain calm and cooperate with the officer.

If you're struggling with an overwhelming amount of customer service inquiries, you're likely aware that receiving multiple tickets from the same user can be exhausting. It could indicate that your team hasn't replied promptly enough, resulting in the customer's frustration, or that an issue has occurred.

Waterdrop discovered that customers faced uncertainty when requesting changes or cancelations for their orders as there was no guarantee that an agent would receive and address their request in time. To tackle this issue, they opted to use AI to automate the process and ensure swift communication of the request. By doing so, they prevented the creation of additional 3-4 tickets when customers receive and wish to return an order. Kane Sakata of Waterdrop confirms that this approach saved their agents considerable time, all while improving customer experience throughout.

AI Implementation For Peak Performance

Don't stress if it seems like you're too far behind to implement AI before the peak season. Antler, a well-known luggage brand, launched a fresh team and innovative systems right before peak season. In just a few weeks, they were handling more than 20% of their tickets using AI.

To kickstart your business quickly, it's crucial to locate a supplier who has expertise in retail and can provide you with pre-existing templates and use cases. This will alleviate some of the burden on your team and guarantee prompt responses to your customers.

The writer of this article is Iain Moss, who holds the position of Head of Demand Generation at DigitalGenius.

We are delighted to announce our strong collaboration with