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87% of Retailers to Increase Use of AI in Customer Engagement During Next 24 MonthsLinc, the customer care automation platform that powers digital experiences to strengthen brand/shopper relationships, today announced the release of its new research study, How AI Technology Will Transform Customer Engagement. In partnership with BrandGarage, this study highlights the overwhelming emphasis retail executives are placing on automated platforms to improve customer communication, with 87% of the 100 retailers surveyed planning an increase in the use of AI to service their customers moving forward. In 2016, 82% of customers stopped doing business with a company after a bad experience, according to the Internet Trends 2017 Report by Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins. At the same time, customer service costs are rising dramatically. As a result, retailers are increasingly turning to customer service and engagement automation technologies that leverage AI, including chat on Facebook Messenger and voice through voice assistants such as Google (News - Alert) Home and Amazon Alexa, to unlock new revenue, reduce costs and boost customer loyalty, satisfaction and lifetime value. This study explores the increased value retailers are placing on AI to alleviate points of friction and improv margins and revenue through their customer service and engagement. Key findings include:
"The data provided by this survey is a clear indicator that the time is now for retailers to take action," said Luke Starbuck, VP of Marketing, Linc. "Sitting back and waiting to see what others do is not a defensible strategy and will not yield favorable results. Retailers need to act quickly to adopt AI technologies that will help them win and retain customers." Study Methodology The 12-question online survey conducted by Brand Garage polled 104 senior level marketing and ecommerce executives from leading retail brands. Respondents represent the majority of retailer categories: 36.5% are retailers selling multiple brands; 22.4% are direct to consumer brands and wholesalers; and 25.9% are retailers that sell their own products and brand. Of the 104 participants, 4 were selected for follow-up phone interviews that deeply examined the impact of AI on their individual business structures. About Linc Linc's customer care automation platform powers the digital experiences that strengthen the relationships between brands and shoppers, transforming one-time purchasers into lifetime customers. Brands, retailers and CPGs leverage Linc to provide their customers with exceptional tracking, return and exchange experiences, and create new revenue channels via personalized upsells, cross-sells, sampling and product re-ordering. The platform ties together the emerging channels of Voice (Amazon Alexa, Google Home) and ChatBots (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp) with email, SMS and a web portal, using a single customer profile to strengthen the customer care experience and increase engagement, customer satisfaction and retention, reduce service and reverse logistics costs, and drive additional revenue. Linc has served tens of millions of shoppers, and has a growing customer list that includes brands such as Carter's, JustFab, Jockey, GoPro (News - Alert), Vineyard Vines, Hugo Boss, eBags and L'Oreal. Learn more at www.letslinc.com.
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