How Personal Assistant Tech is Completing the E-Commerce Loop

Personal assistant technology is increasingly popular and, especially with niche versions like Amazon.com's Alexa, it plays an important role in the evolution of e-commerce. When people think about using artificial intelligence (AI) technology for e-commerce, though, most focus on how buyers use it to expedite the purchasing process, not what the devices can contribute to the workplace.

A closer look at devices like Siri — which will soon be attached to the Apple HomePod, Alexa, and Cortana — reveals that personal assistant tech is connecting remote workers, improving customer service, and closing a vital gap in the e-commerce loop. For businesses looking to boost sales and build stronger client connections, personal assistant devices could be the answer.

The Power of Conversation

We know that talking to our customers matters; it’s a principle that sits at the heart of customer service. One reason that personal assistant technology is so effective, then, is that it allows businesses to talk to customers with minimal effort — and it leads to more sales.

Amazon Alexa users, for example, spend $200-$300 more per year than standard Prime users because of their interactions with the device. And when Alexa can’t generate a response, it can always connect users to a representative. The boost in sales alone is a good reason for more retailers to connect directly through personal assistant technology.

Boosting Back-End Communication

The e-commerce marketplace is growing alongside the remote workforce and the two are bound to intersect. Luckily, by integrating digital assistant technology with other communication technology, remote employees are able to better connect with each other and with clients.

Dialpad, for example, is a remote communication program that allows employees to take calls, send messages or participate in video conferences from any location. Now that the Dialpad software is integrated with Amazon’s Alexa, remote staff can easily connect while multitasking, pulling up contacts, making calls and sending messages using voice dictation for enhanced productivity.

A Smarter Scheduling System

Another important integration found in most digital assistants is calendar compatibility. Call up Siri and you can tell her to schedule an appointment and then remind you about it in the days or hours before. Alexa supports Office 365 calendars, as does Cortana since it’s Microsoft based.

Scheduling is often a sore spot in offices as teams schedule to find free meeting times, negotiate open meeting spaces, and generally avoid conflicts. Now your digital assistant can help.

All About Voice

As noted above, conversation and vocal engagement is an important aspect in customer relationships and a large part of why digital assistants have become so successful. Look for opportunities to make use of language recognition software in your company’s independent apps, or for programs that extend the opportunity to join the network of supported digital assistant programs.

Apps are picked up on an individual basis. These devices don’t work with all brands and requests from the start, though advanced AI makes it more likely that they’ll learn new tools in the coming years. You want your brand to get in on that opportunity because digital assistants aren’t going away any time soon.

Larry Alton is a freelance writer, whose work regularly appears in Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Inc. and Adweek.