Customer Service Reps

We’ve all experienced awkward, bad or just plain cringe-worthy customer experience situations — both with human and automated interactions. Maybe it’s the interactive voice response (IVR) system that makes you listen to an endless array of options. It could be the chatbot that just doesn’t understand your question and offers completely irrelevant answers. It might…

As the retail industry has increasingly shifted to digital technology, transitioning from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to online platforms, consumers have changed both where and how they shop. Augmented reality apps allow customers to visualize products in their homes before purchasing, and retailers use artificial intelligence-driven recommendations to tailor suggestions to individual tastes. The integration of…

The end-of-year holiday season brings an extra layer of stress to the retail industry contact center agent’s work, and even if that stress diminishes after Christmas Day, the reprieve is short. Christmas quickly becomes New Year’s, then Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and so on. In our consumer-driven culture, the “holiday sale”…

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Shannon Flanagan, vice president and general manager of retail and consumer goods at Talkdesk, a global cloud contact center leader for enterprises of all sizes. Listen in as Flanagan discusses her experience in the industry (0:45), her career journey to Talkdesk and the…

The months after the holiday season can be chaotic due to a flurry of returns, accompanied with the pressure to meet new sales goals and start the year off strong. This year, retailers anticipate an approximate $25 billion in fraudulent return claims, representing approximately 16.5 percent of the total returns during this period. For retailers…

'Tis the season to start shopping. For retailers, this means delivering stellar customer service at every step of the customer journey. Salesforce data shows that 94 percent of consumers say good service makes them more likely to buy again while 80 percent will abandon a brand after three bad experiences. But rather than wait for the “three strikes…

Customer service has crossed a threshold thanks to the rapid ascent of generative artificial intelligence. Retailers can tap the powers of generative AI to automate internal and external customer service processes, improve and personalize experiences, and elevate problem-solving. However, integrating generative AI into customer service processes requires careful planning and implementation. Decision-makers must develop a…

Generative artificial intelligence isn't a trend, but rather a profound global paradigm shift in the conversational universe. The more than 100 million Open AI users signifies a record-breaking adoption rate in the tech industry. AI experts agree that while this isn't a technological revolution in its own right, it’s definitely an adoption one. For the…

While artificial intelligence has made significant advancements this past year with new apps such as ChatGPT and Jasper, the reality is that human interactions still cannot be directly replicated through technology. An overreliance on chatbots to replace humans is a potential pitfall for many retailers. Sure, the addition of AI and virtual agents is extremely helpful in…

The retail industry’s commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) is unmatched, surpassing all industries except finance. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), a staggering $300 billion investment in AI is anticipated by 2026. This influx of resources promises to augment the relationship between humans and machines, delivering immense advantages to brands and consumers. There's a…