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Discover how retailers boost customer satisfaction with Sendbird’s AI shopping assistants for personalized and seamless support across channels.

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When you think of the retail sector, the first thing that comes to mind is the number of customers and how to engage them. Every business, especially the retail sector, depends on customer satisfaction and engagement, regardless of size or service. More and more consumers expect quick, personalized, and seamless experiences. They expect retailers to evolve and meet their demands. That’s where custom AI shopping virtual assistants come in. Artificial intelligence in the retail industry includes AI chatbots. These innovative tools are revolutionizing the retail industry by improving customer service, streamlining operations, and delivering personalized shopping experiences.

Sendbird, a leading provider of custom AI chatbots, caters to multiple industries, including retail. Sendbird’s AI chatbots for ecommerce are designed to optimize customer interactions, increase operational efficiency, and improve satisfaction levels. In this article, we will explore how retailers can use Sendbird’s advanced AI chatbots for ecommerce to improve customer service and boost satisfaction.

The role of AI chatbots in retail: How AI virtual assistants are changing customer service?

What are AI shopping assistants?

AI shopping assistants, or chatbots, are intelligent systems designed to interact with customers through natural language. These assistants use machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning to efficiently understand and respond to customer queries. Unlike simple chatbots that follow scripted interactions, AI chatbots for customer support using artificial intelligence in retail continuously improve their responses by learning from previous conversations, making them more efficient.

In retail, these virtual assistants handle everything from answering product-related questions to assisting with order processing. By offering instant, 24/7 support, they are transforming customer service and engagement.

Source – Maruti Tech

Why are retailers adopting AI chatbots?

Customer expectations are shifting. Did you know? 72% of consumers expect their online shopping experiences to evolve with the adoption of generative AI [source – digital commerce 360]. Retailers increasingly turn to AI virtual assistants to deliver faster, more personalized services. Here’s why:

• 24/7 conversational AI support: Customers expect instant responses at all hours. AI shopping assistants can cater to these expectations, handling inquiries even outside business hours.
• AI-powered cost efficiency: By automating routine tasks and customer interactions, AI in the retail industry helps reduce dependency on human agents, resulting in cost savings for businesses.
• Scalability: AI shopping assistants can manage a large volume of inquiries, ensuring no customer is left waiting, even during peak shopping times.
• AI personalization: AI virtual assistants in the retail industry use data to provide personalized recommendations, ensuring that customers receive relevant suggestions based on their preferences.

Source – Landbot.io

Key ways Sendbird’s AI shopping assistants  boost customer satisfaction

1. Instant and efficient AI customer support

AI shopping assistants in retail stores are crucial for offering immediate assistance to customers, which improves customer satisfaction. With Sendbird’s custom AI solutions, retailers can provide 24/7 support on various channels, from their websites to mobile apps and social media platforms. AI in retail responds instantly to customer queries, resolving issues and providing information without long delays.

• Real-time responses: AI chatbots deliver instant responses, ensuring no customer has to wait for assistance.
• Streamlined communication: The AI seamlessly integrates with various communication platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and social media, providing consistent support across all touch points.

Discover how Redfin, a leader in online real estate, deployed their AI virtual assistant for real estate in their iOS app using Sendbird Chat to ensure consistent message delivery and reliability at scale.

2. Personalized AI shopping experiences

Personalization is a crucial factor behind customer loyalty in retail. Sendbird’s AI chatbots can tailor the shopping experience by analyzing a customer’s browsing history, previous purchases, and preferences. This allows the chatbot to recommend products that match the customer’s needs, creating a more personalized experience.

For instance, if a customer has previously bought running shoes, the AI shopping assistant can recommend related accessories like socks or water bottles. This leads to higher customer engagement and increased sales conversion rates.

• AI tailored recommendations: Sendbird’s custom AI chatbot uses data to make personalized suggestions, improving the shopping experience.
• AI cross-selling and upselling: By understanding customer preferences, the assistant can suggest complementary products, encouraging additional purchases.

3. AI shopping assistants offer multi-channel communication

According to Digital Commerce 360, 50% of companies using AI chatbots report increased customer engagement. Customers communicate with brands across multiple channels via a website, mobile app, or social media. Sendbird’s custom AI chatbots are designed to operate across all these platforms, ensuring a seamless experience no matter where the customer reaches out. This consistent, multi-channel support by AI in retail increases accessibility and convenience.

• Omnichannel integration: Sendbird’s virtual AI marketing assistants integrate with multiple channels, providing customers with consistent, high-quality support across all platforms.
• Cross-platform conversational AI continuity: Conversations are linked across platforms, ensuring customers don’t lose context when switching from one channel to another.

Source – Landbot.io

4. AI shopping assistants handling complex queries and transactions

AI chatbots for the retail industry are not limited to answering simple questions. They can handle more complex tasks, such as managing orders, tracking shipments, and processing returns—tasks that typically require human agents. With Sendbird’s custom AI chatbots, retailers can automate a range of interactions that would take up a lot of human resources.

• AI transaction support: Sendbird’s AI chatbots can process order changes, refunds, and track deliveries in real time.
• AI smart escalation: When necessary, Sendbird’s AI shopping assistants can escalate complex cases to human agents with detailed context, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Explore how Porter improved its open rates and saved a significant amount of SMS costs after migrating to Sendbird’s notification service.  

5. AI shopping assistant gathering customer feedback for continuous improvement

Customer feedback is crucial to improve service quality and ensuring satisfaction. With Sendbird’s custom AI chatbots, retailers can easily gather feedback from customers after each interaction. The AI for retail industry can prompt users for ratings or surveys, and then analyze this data to gain insights into customer sentiment and service effectiveness. AI analytics helps retailers identify problem areas, track trends, and make data-driven decisions to refine their customer service and overall shopping experience.

• AI Automated feedback collection: AI shopping assistants can prompt customers for feedback at the end of each interaction.
• AI data-driven insights: The AI analytics provides actionable insights to retailers, allowing them to continually refine their services and customer interactions.

How do Sendbird’s AI shopping assistants stand out?

Sendbird offers personalized AI chatbots tailored to meet the specific needs of retailers. Their customizable solutions allow businesses to integrate the chatbot seamlessly into their existing systems, ensuring a smooth customer experience. Here are some key advantages of using Sendbird’s custom AI chatbots:

1. Highly customizable AI shopping assistants

Every retail business has unique needs. That’s why Sendbird’s AI chatbots are fully customizable. Whether it’s adjusting the tone of the assistant or configuring responses based on specific customer profiles, each solution is fine-tuned to meet the retailer’s goals.

2. Advanced conversational AI capabilities

With cutting-edge machine learning and natural language processing technologies, Sendbird’s AI chatbots become AI agents for shopping that can handle complex queries, recognize patterns in customer behavior, and deliver relevant responses. This makes them ideal for retailers looking to automate customer interactions without sacrificing quality.

3. Omnichannel conversational AI 

Sendbird’s AI chatbots are designed to integrate seamlessly with multiple communication channels, from websites and mobile apps to social media platforms. This ensures a consistent customer experience, regardless of where they seek help.

4. Scalable solutions

Whether a retailer is a small boutique or a large multinational corporation, the AI chatbots for shopping are built to scale. The sendbird AI agent platform  can handle many customer interactions simultaneously without disrupting performance or quality, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. Sendbird communication infrastructure is proven and trusted by industry leaders like Doordash, Hinge, Redfin, and more.

5. Seamless AI chatbot integration

Sendbird’s AI chatbots integrate easily with existing Salesforce service cloud , ERP, and other retail management systems, allowing businesses to streamline their operations and avoid unnecessary issues.

AI shopping assistants: the future of online retail 

AI shopping assistants are changing the retail industry by improving customer experiences, increasing operational efficiency, and growing brand loyalty. Sendbird’s custom AI chatbot solutions provide retailers with the tools to offer real-time support, personalized shopping experiences, and seamless multi-channel communication. Using these features, retailers can improve customer satisfaction, drive sales, and build lasting customer relationships. If you are looking for a custom AI chatbot for your retail chain, get in touch with Sendbird today!

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