Customer Service

In today’s retail world, the reality is that everything can change within months, weeks or even a day. While creating an effective customer self-service portal has long been a priority for many, recent world events have made it infinitely more imperative. We’re talking, of course, about the COVID-19 public health crisis. The pandemic has affected…

Most brands know they must improve customer experience (CX) or risk losing customers. However, digital CX isn't about providing more content or using technology to streamline transactions. A digital experience needs to be a human experience. And human experiences are built on conversations — authentic ones between two people. A conversational platform lets brands reach…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers are poised to bring in a great deal of revenue through their e-commerce platforms. Not only can artificial intelligence (AI) effectively help keep e-commerce stores up-and-running during peak shopping seasons and thereafter, but it can also provide effective sales recommendations and timely automated customer support.  Use AI to Automate…

The pandemic has changed everything in retail — and it’s not ending anytime soon. Just as stores started to adjust to the “new normal” of frequent disinfection and face masks, the spread of the virus is picking back up in regions across the country, forcing many retailers to close their doors to the public again.…

Have you ever heard the saying, “what you don’t know can kill you”? The term holds true for retailers now more than ever. Customer loyalty is, in large part, driven by what a customer experiences throughout their journey with a brand. That journey may include things like shopping online or in-store, picking up curbside or…

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and it could be make-or-break for many retailers after a challenging year. This year, 71 percent of U.S. adults will purchase more than half of their holiday gifts online. Online retail will be more important than ever for the 2020 holiday season, as many consumers hesitate to leave the…

The holidays are upon us, and retailers are readying themselves to pull out all the stops to get customers “through the door” — albeit virtually. If you’re like me, your inbox, text messages and social media feeds were flooded with offers for Cyber Month, Black Friday, and even Small Business Saturday. While we brace ourselves…

Seven months on and, for most brands, online sales are still rising while the overall retail landscape is challenged with plenty of uncertainty. Travel restrictions remain in place, lockdowns are lifting and returning, and the need to wear masks in indoor spaces is contributing to a marked decline in physical footfall. This is resulting in…

Beginning in late July, a number of major retailers announced they will be closing stores on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in years. Walmart kicked it all off, stating it will be closing its stores on the U.S. holiday for the first time in 30 years, with many other retailers, including Target, quick to…

After years of steady growth, COVID-19 has massively accelerated e-commerce penetration. According to an eMarketer report, U.S. e-commerce sales will jump by 18 percent this year due to the impact of the pandemic. This increase in sales has obviously been a relief for retailers, but it’s also brought with it something less profitable and more…