For many of us, the world was flipped on its head when the COVID-19 outbreak grew into a global pandemic that shut down much of the world.

The ramifications of the virus invariably had a large effect on many workplaces, including call centres. Lockdowns, social distancing and people working from home meant that waiting times and workloads suddenly went through the roof, especially for essential services. Messages like ‘we’re experiencing higher call volumes than usual’ and ‘don’t contact us unless absolutely necessary’ became the daily norm rather than indications of certain peak times. In some cases, traditional and commonly-used methods of communication, such as chat, email, and phone became like gridlocked roads.

However, there weren’t simply negative consequences of the pandemic. Due to the enforced social distancing guidelines, companies became more innovative with their customer service protocols. They became more willing to invest in technology that could enhance the quality of their service while still adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols. Additionally, many of these technologies are sustainable post-pandemic, ensuring that brands future-proof their business models and maintain ongoing relationships with their shoppers.

The future of customer service

Most shoppers have developed very specific expectations when they engage with a brand. They want quick and knowledgeable service, simplified checkout processes, and an intriguing website to conduct their online shopping habits. That’s why it’s important for any brand to make the necessary investments to fulfill the future demands of customer service.

#1 Speed and accessibility

Time is always in short supply, and people don’t want to spend inordinate amounts of time searching for answers to their questions. When they arrive on a website, they want an easy user interface with simplified navigation, OR, they want a convenient customer service handler that can offer quick and easy answers to their questions.

Virtual shopping assistants enhance the quality of online experiences by providing an opportunity for shoppers to engage using humanlike dialogue. These AI-powered solutions provide the digital version of in-store customer service representatives, providing a helpful hand to shoppers in need that speeds up the shopping time and guides customers to their desired path of conversion.

#2 Personalization

Personalization is the difference between a good shopping experience and a great one. Most shoppers appreciate being serviced with a personalized touch with recommendations and suggestions tailored to their unique needs as opposed to being lumped into a large sum of generalized shoppers.

That’s the primary benefit of building experiences that employ conversational commerce solutions. You can program the technology to resemble humanlike behavior so that any shopper is warmly greeted by a helpful assistant anytime they visit the website. The technology can collect information about that particular shopper and use the data to recommend products or services that are a perfect solution to that shopper’s needs.

#3 Customer empowerment

Sometimes, shoppers just need to be pointed in the right direction to uncover solutions to their own problems. Conversational commerce is meant to empower shoppers by educating them about their various options so that they have enough information to make their own informed decisions on whether or not to buy.

People who feel empowered and comfortable with a shopping experience are more likely to come back to recapture that feeling. By investing in solutions that encourage customer empowerment, you have the potential to build a following of brand loyal customers for years to come.

The future of AI in customer service

#1 Chatbots

Chatbots create the shortest path between customer support and customer satisfaction. At Kindly, we provide you with AI chatbot technology to directly engage with your online shoppers with one-to-one digital dialogue. In addition to personalizing all onsite interactions, you can automate and personalise online customer support, allowing you to reposition valuable human resources towards more strategic objectives that further enable growth.

#2 Virtual shopping assistants

Virtual shopping assistants are powered by iterative technology designed to answer customer questions, make informed product recommendations, and also to provide real-time order tracking updates. The technology enables shoppers to remain engaged with a brand in an ongoing capacity, which is the digital recreation of in-store shopping service. A rep will remain by your side and help you complete your purchase from start to finish. Now, using virtual shopping assistants, you can recreate that experience online. #3 Voice assistants

Intelligent voice assistants add an even more personalized touch to digital customer service. Shoppers can simply use the technology to orally ask their questions and the voice assistant is programmed to automatically respond with the most relevant answer to the query. This helps speed up the shopping experience and provides even more convenience for shoppers.

Future-proof your business with AI-powered customer service tools

In the end, the best way to deliver exceptional customer service is to invest wholeheartedly in solutions that improve accessibility, personalization, and customer empowerment for the shopper. AI-powered technology can automate the entire experience and deliver the types of personalized recommendations that make the one-to-one humanlike interactions a reality for e-commerce brands.

This is the direction that online shopping experiences are moving towards, and it’s a movement that companies must incorporate into their business models to thrive. By adapting to the ideas of conversational commerce, you can set your business up for success and build a loyal following of engaged customers.