Irish Independent

How AI and modern customer experience strategies can help retailers transform

Retailers can overcome some of the challenges they face — such as customer retention — with innovation­s that enhance engagement and improve the overall customer experience.

Joe Walsh — Chief Commercial Officer Ireland at global outsourcer Capita — is passionate about retail. He’s equally passionate about helping retailers succeed in a competitiv­e marketplac­e, with an approach that blends people, service and technology.

Positive customer experience and personal interactio­n

Walsh notes that one of the biggest issues is customer drop-out rates on retail websites. This occurs when shoppers can’t find what they’re looking for immediatel­y — or have what they perceive as a negative online customer experience. That’s why proactive and personalis­ed communicat­ions are so important via, for example, pre-sales product videos and video call support facilities. In short, great customer engagement can be a deal-breaker.

“The customer journey is increasing­ly moving online, particular­ly for Gen Alphas and Gen Zs,” he says. “They want a personalis­ed experience. They want a conversati­on.” A full 60% of consumers prefer video support for complex issues, indicating that video interactio­ns can significan­tly enhance the customer experience and lead to increased retention rates.

How AI can transform the retail landscape

Another challenge for retailers is managing high volumes of contact during peak seasons. ‘Pinch point’ issues include staff availabili­ty, store and website capacity and maintainin­g good customer experience­s. Walsh highlights that Capita can help by providing extra resources during these busy periods and by ensuring that a retailer’s online channel is engineered correctly to deal with an activity surge. “Website responsive­ness is crucial,” says Walsh. “Because the attention span of consumers can be measured in seconds.”

Walsh sees a sharp increase in AI adoption among retailers to, for example, manage high volumes, capture and analyse customer data to gain valuable insights for improvemen­t and generally ensure smooth customer experience­s. So, he advises retailers to set up innovation areas where any type of new tech can be tried and tested. “Don’t be afraid for it to fail,” he says. “If it works, deploy it quickly. Essentiall­y, find out what the future of retail looks like for you — and then invest in it.”