Customer Service

With consumer prices beginning to plateau, retailers are beginning to feel cautiously optimistic over their future revenue streams. However, the index remains up 3.2 percent from a year ago, and with federal student loans now due for the first time in over three years, this makes a recipe for wallet-conscious shoppers. Now, shoppers are cutting…

Nearly one year has passed since new generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities burst onto the scene and sparked the latest AI hype wave. Since then, businesses have envisioned how AI could help them cut costs, increase efficiency, and improve experiences for customers and employees. Yet, the palpable excitement for AI’s potential has been tempered by…

The National Retail Federation forecasted 2023 holiday sales to grow between 3 percent and 4 percent. And while sales growth has slowed due to the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and other factors, retailers must still compete — if not compete even harder — for consumers’ eyeballs and wallets. The smartest retailers will leverage advanced technologies like…

At this point, doing one's holiday shopping at the mall feels almost like a nostalgic throwback — not far removed from listening to music on vinyl or taking pictures with a disposable camera. The records for online holiday shopping are broken on what seems like a yearly basis, with last year's $9.12 billion representing the…

'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…

My grandchildren love participating in water sports at our cottage, and recently I needed to order two different parts for them to replace items that were broken on equipment they use that I’d purchased at a retail store. Since the store didn't sell parts, I called one company and was greeted by a pleasant and…

This year,  the U.S. experienced a 14 percent decrease in customer loyalty, falling from 79 percent to 68 percent. With inflation still impacting today’s consumer, businesses must become agile and shift how they reach their customers. The voice of the customer is more important than ever. One of the biggest challenges retailers face is determining…

Online purchasing continues to be consumers’ preferred channel for their holiday shopping due to convenience and efficiency. In fact, this year, 60 percent of consumers plan to use retailer websites or apps to get inspiration and ideas for their holiday shopping, highlighting the importance of a solid omnichannel experience for brands to reach customers exactly…

We're now in the afterglow of Customer Experience (CX) Day, a day when organizations roll out the red carpet for everyone involved in customer experience. Yet, for those in the retail game, CX Day stands as a reminder that it’s not just one day but really every day that should be dedicated to addressing and…

Generative artificial intelligence is making waves across the retail industry, from consumers using the technology to inspire purchasing decisions to retail brands employing chatbots to improve customer service and experience. While chatbots have been around for quite some time, with the advent of generative AI, there’s been a huge revolution over the last 18 months…