Summer sales are a long-standing tradition that generates great excitement among consumers every year. From the end of June to the beginning of September, consumers take advantage of discounts to buy products at lower prices. However, this season of massive discounts also leads to impulsive buying, resulting in a significant return increase, which rose by 20% during this period.
This situation mainly affects stores with an online presence, which see a sharp increase in activity during sales promotions. To overcome this challenge and improve the customer experience, more and more retailers are integrating advanced technological systems such as conversational artificial intelligence (AI). Since the end of 2023, this technology has handled up to 23% of customer service requests. According to a recent report by Enreach, a leading communication solutions provider for European businesses, AI has become an important tool for online stores, especially in times of high demand.
How Conversational AI helps during the sales season
24/7 Chatbots
During sales events, the number of return requests and product inquiries skyrockets. AI-driven chatbots can automate these interactions and provide continuous support throughout the day. These chatbots can answer frequently asked questions and solve simple problems, allowing human customer service agents to focus on more complex situations, which are also increasing.
Personalized recommendations
With the vast array of products available, consumers often feel overwhelmed and abandon their shopping carts. This is where AI comes in, analyzing historical purchase data to identify patterns and offer personalized recommendations. This helps customers find the products they need without feeling exhausted by endless website searches and increases the likelihood of them completing a purchase.
Automated tracking updates
AI-powered chatbots can also provide automated order status updates. This is particularly useful during sale times when customers are most in need of their purchases. By offering real-time information about shipments, companies not only improve the customer experience but also strengthen the relationship of trust with their users.
Automated returns management
Conversational AI significantly streamlines the returns process by automating the necessary instructions, creating shipping labels, and generating tickets to process returns more efficiently. This process speeds up returns, increases customer satisfaction, and makes it more likely that they will purchase again.
Proactive support to increase sales
Pop-up windows often appear in online stores, asking, "How can I help you?" This artificial intelligence feature can recognize when a user has spent a long time in the store without finding what they are looking for. By offering help or suggesting pop-up offers, AI can turn hesitation into a successful sale, especially during the sales season when consumers constantly seek the best deals and need additional information to decide.
Marc Brunés, Product Owner and AI Specialist at Enreach emphasizes conversational AI's importance in sales events: "In these times where offers are everywhere, companies need to highlight their customer service and focus on cutting-edge conversational AI and other systems. This ensures customers have an optimal shopping and return experience and encourages them to return. During the summer and vacation seasons, businesses want to increase sales and strengthen customer loyalty. That's why it's so important to invest in innovation in these long-standing and important business areas."
