01-12-2022

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS A BETTER SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

How to give your customers a better shopping experience

In the world of e-commerce, providing a fast, convenient and customer-friendly experience is a challenge. Consumer expectations are growing, driving companies to search for ways to deliver the best possible shopping experience for their customers.

Here, then, is a solution! The ALFAVOX Virtual Consultant, which never gets tired, never takes coffee and lunch breaks and never needs a holiday. Its ability to respond patiently to consumer queries is outstanding. 

Customer satisfaction increases as it provides factual communication in a pleasant tone that can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from that of a real person. Artificial intelligence is unaffected by the fatigue and burnout that come from performing monotonous, unrewarding tasks.

In other words, the Virtual Consultant is an ideal assistant in the e-commerce world, where customer service plays an important role.

This article will answer some crucial questions: 

  • what is the Alfavox Virtual Consultant?
  • why is using the Virtual Consultant so crucial to e-commerce?
  • what are the key elements of e-commerce customer service? 
  • how does the Virtual Consultant work? 

What is the Alfavox Virtual Consultant? 

The Virtual Consultant combines artificial intelligence and a robotic tool which is designed to recognise human speech and communicate with people using natural speech. The outcome is an automated and streamlined customer service process.

The Virtual Consultant is capable of understanding the context of a conversation with a person and responding accordingly. Based on artificial intelligence, the Virtual Consultant increases the scalability and availability of a company’s telephone contact channel. As a result, costs are optimised.

Why is using the Virtual Consultant so crucial to e-commerce?

The e-commerce market is extremely competitive at present. Simply offering a product that satisfies customers is not enough to bring long-term success.

There is a towering risk of competitors noticing your idea and copying it. Other companies may well try to attract your customers by pushing an even lower price for comparable goods or offering an additional service.

Remaining competitive and pulling in a devoted clientele means focusing on key aspects of customer service. 

What are the key elements of e-commerce customer service? 

  1. The growing significance of the shopping experience 

The shopping experience is made up of all the points of contact between the user and the product, including:

  • navigating the online store;
  • personalised offers, demonstrating knowledge of the customer’s needs;
  • the forms of payment available;
  • fast delivery.

Professional customer service needs adding to that, be it via a chat or phone call with a consultant.

When competitors are using the same platforms, logistics and communication channels, it is the level of service, in other words, the subjective customer experience, which will win the day.

  1. The time it takes to reach customer service 

When a customer wants to contact a member of a company’s customer service staff with a problem, the time it takes them is a critical factor.

Too long? Then the likelihood of retaining your customers immediately drops. Research tells us that they consider a waiting time of just one-and-a-half to three minutes to be acceptable.

  1. The time it takes to resolve a customer’s problem

When it comes to assessing customer service levels, the time required to solve a problem is an even more crucial indicator.

What should happen is this. The customer reports their issue, the customer service staff fix it and the customer is notified with all possible speed.

Naturally, more complex issues mean that further questions need asking in order to obtain all the essential details from the customer.

It is interesting to note that companies which handle reports of this kind immediately are appreciated more by customers than those providing products that cause no problems. 

How does the Virtual Consultant work? 

The Alfavox virtual consultant relieves staff members of the burden of repetitive and monotonous activities.

It is ready to serve customers 24/7, it never falls ill and it never needs a holiday. It works effectively and takes no breaks.

The result is an increase in the key performance indicators for the processes involved. 

The Virtual Consultant features the following functionalities: 

  • holding a constructive conversation with the customer; asking and answering questions;
  • providing automated and personalised content for specific customers;
  • defining and modifying interview scenarios and adapting actions to the situation in question.

The benefits of introducing the Virtual Assistant: 

  • a 150% increase in productivity;
  • a 72% reduction in costs;
  • a 70% rise in sales conversions;  
  • a 56% decrease in IT infrastructure running costs;  
  • a 25% lower staff turnover.

Conclusions 

The shopping experience plays a vital role in e-commerce nowadays.

Companies can improve that experience by making interactions with their customers accessible, easier and faster.

The Alfavox Virtual Consultant helps to meet these expectations, resulting in higher sales, increased productivity, improved financial performance and increased customer retention rates.