Leveraging AI in Call Center Software to Boost E-Commerce Conversion Rates
“Dig into every industry, and you’ll find Al changing the nature of work.”
The quote by roboticist and computer scientist Daniela Rus is so apt. AI is transforming every industry. How can the e-commerce sector be left out?
That’s why the onus lies on the owners of e-commerce companies to leverage AI-powered tools to enhance their business operations and customer service.
One of the best ways e-commerce companies can benefit from the transformational power of AI is when they use the rapidly-evolving technology in their call center software solutions.
In this blog post, we discuss how e-commerce companies can leverage AI in call center software to boost e-commerce conversion rates. Read on and thank us later.
1. 24/7 Customer Service
For any company, in any industry, its core operations can be limited to certain working hours. But not its customer service. For a manufacturing company, its production unit may operate from 9 am to 5 pm. But it cannot afford to restrict its customer service to that time slot.
Similarly, for an e-commerce company, its delivery team may work from 7 am to 7 pm, but it must ensure round-the-clock customer service. Without 24/7 customer service, the cart abandonment rate of e-commerce companies is more likely to rise.
That’s precisely where AI-powered call and contact center software can help e-commerce companies provide round-the-clock availability to customers.
2. More Self-Service Options
In today’s digital age, self-service is not the next best thing to customer service. Instead, it is the best type of service of all! A majority of people would choose self-service over customer service.
A study by American Express found that almost two-thirds of respondents said that they would prefer resolving simple issues and queries by themselves than speaking to a customer service representative.
AI-powered call and contact center software solutions come well-equipped with a wide array of self-service options such as frequently asked questions (FAQs), chatbots, virtual assistants, and more.
3. Personalized Customer Interactions
On one hand a study by McKinsey and Company revealed that 71 percent of respondents expect e-commerce companies to deliver personalized interactions. On the other hand, a research by Netcore found 96 percent of retailers struggle to personalize their e-commerce experience.
It clearly shows that there is a wide gap between what customers want and what e-commerce companies have to offer. Bridging the gap is extremely crucial for e-commerce companies. Personalized customer interactions are no longer a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have” for contemporary e-commerce companies.
This is where AI-powered call and contact center software can come to the rescue of online retailers and shoppers. AI contact center software solutions can seamlessly integrate with e-commerce companies’ existing customer relationship management (CRM) systems. As soon as a customer gets connected with a customer service representative, the latter can view all relevant information such as name, preferences, past purchases, and transaction details in one place.
4. Enhanced Data Analytics
“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.” This quote by Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina asserts what e-commerce companies should aim to do with all relevant data they collect.
“Without big data analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the web like deer on a freeway.” This quote by Geoffrey Moore, management consultant and author of Crossing the Chasm, tells the perils of not leveraging data. Every e-commerce professional must keep both these quotes in the back of their mind.
The right data and insights can empower and enrich e-commerce companies. And that’s where AI-powered call and contact center software solutions can come in handy. Equipped with advanced data and analytics features, AI contact center software can generate real-time reports and help e-commerce companies make informed decisions.
5. Optimized Agent Performance
As AI-powered call and contact center software can help generate real-time data and analytics, it can immensely help in optimizing agents’ performance. For e-commerce companies, optimization is indispensable in all aspects. As author and entrepreneur Steven J. Bowen rightly said, “Optimization means moving toward peak performance.”
As AI contact center software helps generate real-time reports, contact center agents, supervisors, and managers can study the reports to find out if there is any discrepancy between targeted results and actual results. If there is a gap indeed, they can correct it by adopting best practices.
When e-commerce contact center agents are empowered by AI-driven insights, they can better address customer needs and deliver superior service. To paraphrase American computer programmer and video game developer John Carmack, AI contact center software can optimize maintainability, flexibility, security, robustness, and performance.
6. Efficient Handling of High Call Volumes
What is the busiest time of the year for e-commerce companies? Holidays. Festivals. Marriage seasons. And of course, exclusive sales events. During such time, the volume of incoming calls and messages to e-commerce contact centers are massive.
Without the help of modern technology, it is not possible to manage such a huge call volume. But e-commerce companies that leverage AI-powered call and contact center software can handle the volley of call volumes quite easily and efficiently.
Contact center software that is powered by AI can easily manage and triage incoming calls and messages by a number of ways. The interactive voice response (IVR) system provides multiple options to customers and takes relevant inputs from them. The skill-based routing feature routes the calls and messages to the right departments and agents. The self-service features enable customers to resolve their issues and queries without having to speak with a customer service representative.
All In All,
In the age of AI, the question is no longer “Whether or not to use AI?” Instead, it is “How to leverage AI in the best possible manner?” When e-commerce companies leverage AI, they’re not only able to provide the right customer service but also enhance their conversion rates by leaps and bounds.