Maeve Condell

There was the world before ChatGPT, and there is the world after ChatGPT.

In fact, ChatGPT’s emergence is being hailed as the next Industrial Revolution. With over a billion visitors per month, this generative AI tool is being rapidly adopted in fields ranging from creative industries like graphic design and content writing to more technical roles such as software development. Its potential has continued expanding into other arenas, including customer support.

No doubt, generative AI is the future of CX. And with 88% of business leaders reporting that their customers’ attitudes towards automation have improved over the past year — it’s no longer a matter of if you should look to automate your support but when.

The benefits for B2B ecommerce brands are clear. Since 80% of customers identify CX as a key differentiator and think it is just as important as products or services, gen AI is a crucial way to improve your customer support offering and get a leg up on your competitors. Yet, because this technology is relatively new, and many B2B companies have more complex product packages and setups, you may still be wondering how, in practice, generative AI can enhance your customer support.

First, let’s take a look at what makes generative AI tools like ChatGPT so much better than their predecessors in simulating human-like conversations. From there, we can better understand how this technology can optimize your customer support.

Generative AI’s technology and how it works

Before we explore some of the best use cases for generative AI in the B2B ecommerce support context, it’s a good idea to understand what the technology is and how it works. Gen AI refers to the particular iteration of artificial intelligence that powers tools like ChatGPT — as well as a growing host of other bots like DALL-E, Google’s Bard, and MidJourney. Gen AI is distinct from previous forms of automation because it enables bots to hold impressively natural conversations. This is because generative AI draws on large language models (LLMs) that, in the case of ChatGPT, have even passed the Turing test, a method of proving machine intelligence.

But what exactly is an LLM and why is it so revolutionary in the AI space? What sets these models apart is the use of “transformers” (as if there wasn’t already something so sci-fi and “Marvel-esque” about this technology). Transformers effectively in mimic human conversational style because they can process all inputs simultaneously rather than needing to be fed data sequentially. This means that, in the case of ChatGPT, the bot can process all of the written content on the internet (up until 2022) to generate the answer to a given prompt. This holistic processing capability allows it to produce responses with the context and tone you expect when talking with a regular person.

As you might have guessed by now, this can be especially useful for customer support automation. This is because a virtual agent that uses generative AI can seamlessly mimic your brand tone of voice as well as the conversational style of your human agents. As a result, you can offer an improved conversational experience for customers, make your support agents’ lives easier, and provide your customers with more than ever before.

The top 3 generative AI use cases revolutionizing CX in the B2B space:

1 – A more advanced conversational experience for customers

With generative AI offering such natural and human-like conversations, you don’t have to worry about automation damaging the customer experience with your brand. With the help of generative AI, the virtual agent can instantly pull info from your FAQ pages, knowledge base, help center, or any other company page — and serve this to customers in a natural, conversational way. There’s no training required, and you can get started in minutes.

As long as a topic is covered in your help center, the bot can process all of the articles available to answer customer queries. So, if a customer asks, ‘Where can I find and download my last invoice?’ the bot can instantly provide instructions.

In this scenario, your customers can have their cake and eat it too — by getting the information they need much more quickly through self-service, without losing the conversational format of speaking with a human agent. This will boost your automation rate, while ensuring that your customers still feel supported with high quality customer service.

2 – Assisting support agents

While a virtual agent powered by generative AI may be able to effectively do the work of several human agents, it doesn’t mean that they will be replacing them anytime soon. Rather, automation serves as a tool that can help agents to do their jobs better. For instance, a virtual agent that uses generative AI can offer a more seamless transition from bot to human agent by helping to structure, summarize, and automatically populate tickets so agents don’t have to. This will lead to much faster response times and a cleaner handover to agents in cases the bot can’t fully resolve. In addition, agents can prompt generative AI to offer suggested replies that help them to draft responses more efficiently.

These things can be a major game-changer in the event of an uptick in queries, unexpected or otherwise. This makes automation useful for answering simple questions like order status or requesting a password change. It also helps to free up agents’ time to deal with more complicated issues. For B2B ecommerce brands where queries can be complex and technical, having a primer from the bot allows agents to hit the ground running when addressing customer issues. With the help of generative AI, the bot assists your agents in having better and faster insights into customers’ needs and helps your team work more efficiently.

3 – Understanding your customers and what they’re asking

Lastly, generative AI will help you to educate your customers and offer them even more value than they were expecting from interactions with your support team. Businesses often shop around between different suppliers before making a purchase, so you want them to discover the unique selling point of your product offerings as quickly as possible. This discovery process is where generative AI comes in. It can comb your existing content to offer useful, educational suggestions to answer any pre-purchase questions. It can also provide such content to busy support agents when prompted. Through the transformer model that powers it, generative AI can instantly serve up this information without needing to be manually updated as you publish new content on your site.

Conclusion

Generative AI is the latest and most sophisticated edition of automation technology, and it has real potential to optimize the B2B customer experience. In particular, it has the capacity to mimic natural conversations, assist your agents in structuring support tickets, and provide customers with an enriched support experience — all without hiring any extra agents. It’s a time-efficient, affordable, and scalable solution to mitigating long wait times, depersonalized CX, and clunky self-service offerings. While the technology may be new, the sky is hardly the limit on its potential for supercharging your CX as the number of applicable use cases only continues to grow.

About the author:

Maeve Condell is a solution architect at Ultimate, a customer service automation company. Her focus is on combining AI and conversation design to build personalized virtual agents.

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Kris Harrington

In today’s dynamic business environment, staying competitive requires a more dynamic approach to utilizing your organization’s valuable resources. As an original equipment manufacturer or after-sales leader, your teams should be focused on delivering exceptional products, enriching customer experiences, and driving revenue growth.

However, some companies still rely on outdated practices, operating as mere ‘order-takers’ and spending a significant amount of time on administrative tasks, rather than adding value to their customers. And adding value can make a massive impact for OEMs.

If your organization is more focused on order-taking tasks than creating value for your customers, you may be at risk of falling behind. Here are three telltale signs that your organization operates as an “order-processing center”:

● Customer service teams are spending most of their time responding to customer inquiries for parts identification, price, availability, and order-related tasks.

● The organization is relying heavily on manual workflows and paperwork to manage orders, returns, and warranty claims.

● The organization is not leveraging technology or automation to streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve customer experiences.

So, what can you do to move away from an order-taking culture and start focusing on value-adding activities? Here are five things that OEM and after-sales leaders should consider:

1–Implement a digital self-service platform. One of the most effective ways to reduce the burden of order-taking on your customer service teams is to provide customers with self-service options. This can include customer or dealer portals that allow customers to access product information, place orders, track shipments, and request support without having to engage with customer service representatives every step of the way. By enabling users to self-serve, you can reduce the volume of calls and emails your customer service teams receive and free up their time to focus on more strategic activities.

2–Automate order processing and fulfillment. By integrating EDI and ERP systems, businesses can streamline operations, reduce errors, and improve customer satisfaction. For example, automated order processing and fulfillment allow companies to allocate inventory, generate pick lists, and create shipping labels automatically. This automation helps reduce the burden on customer service teams and will let them focus on more strategic initiatives. Additionally, automation provides real-time visibility into inventory levels, order status, and delivery tracking, which enables businesses to manage their operations and improve customer service proactively.

3–Use data analytics to anticipate customer needs. Rather than waiting for customers to contact you with their needs, you can use data analytics to anticipate their needs proactively. By analyzing customer behavior and buying patterns, you can identify which products or services they are likely to need next and offer them personalized recommendations or promotions that encourage repeat business. This use of analytics can help you build stronger customer relationships, increase revenue, and reduce the need for reactive order-taking.

4–Invest in training and development for customer service teams. While digital self-service and automation can help reduce the burden of order-taking on your customer service teams, they still play a critical role in ensuring customer satisfaction. That’s why it’s important to invest in training and development programs that equip your customer service teams with the skills and knowledge they need to handle complex inquiries, resolve customer issues, and provide exceptional service. By empowering your customer service teams to add value, you can differentiate your organization from competitors and build a loyal customer base.

5–Create a culture of continuous improvement. Finally, it’s important to create a culture of continuous improvement that encourages experimentation, innovation, and collaboration across your organization. This can include regularly reviewing and analyzing customer feedback, identifying areas for improvement, and testing new processes and technologies to drive efficiency and customer satisfaction. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement, you can position your organization for long-term success and move away from a culture of order-takers to a culture of value-creators.

The pressure to deliver more value to your dealers and customers is greater than ever, and organizations that fail to prioritize this customer service strategy risk losing market share. By implementing the steps outlined in this blog, OEM and after-sales leaders can optimize their operations, improve customer experiences, and set themselves up for success in the years to come.

About the author

Kristina Harrington is the co-founder and CEO of GenAlpha Technologies, which provides digital commerce technology for manufacturers. Prior to GenAlpha, Kris worked for more than 10 years in leadership positions at two large multinational original equipment manufacturers, Bucyrus International and Caterpillar, supporting the mining industry. In her various positions, she worked with internal stakeholders, dealers, and customers to deliver business results both in aftermarket and equipment sales. She can be reached at kharrington@genalpha.com.

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Emily Newton

Many new ChatGPT supply chain applications are emerging as generative AI becomes more advanced. So how can industry professionals utilize this technology effectively? They can use ChatGPT in several critical ways, primarily communication and automation.

1. Supply Chain Customer Service

Customer service is one of the most promising applications for ChatGPT in the supply chain. The natural language processing capabilities of ChatGPT are among the most advanced ever developed for popular use. This makes it an ideal tool for navigating the complex communication required in customer service tasks.

Any developer can integrate ChatGPT into their apps today using OpenAI’s official API for the algorithm. ChatGPT’s language processing skills can be applied to any customer-facing application in the supply chain, whether B2B or B2C. For example, a supplier could create a ChatGPT app for its manufacturing customers to track shipments of materials and resources.

2. Translation and International Relations

Succeeding in today’s supply chain requires working closely with partners worldwide. Unfortunately, language barriers make this challenging, potentially hindering organization and efficiency. Luckily, translation is a great way to use ChatGPT in the supply chain.

Research shows that users don’t need to specify the source language of a text passage for ChatGPT to translate it successfully. The algorithm can autonomously detect the source language and translate it in seconds.

ChatGPT’s performance is also on par or better than most digital translation tools available today. The fact that it can process natural language, including advanced technical terminology, gives it a major advantage over competitors. Its accessibility makes it ideal for supply chain applications, which rely on quick turnaround times and clear communication.

Using ChatGPT for translation can strengthen collaboration with international supply chain partners, improving efficiency and organization for everyone involved.

3. Automating Business Tasks

Businesses can use ChatGPT in the supply chain to automate various everyday tasks. For example, it can summarize a sales report, extract the highlights from a spreadsheet or draft an email. These tasks might seem small, but they help supply chain professionals work more efficiently.

ChatGPT can even be helpful for complex logistics tasks. AI is already making advances in logistics. For example, algorithms can automate order processing and help managers identify important insights in their data. This could include tasks like analyzing a list of suppliers to find those with the best rates or assessing various packaging options for the most cost-effective solution.

ChatGPT takes existing applications for AI in robotic process automation a step further. Advanced natural language processing helps it handle more complex content and user requests. Even integrating it into a larger automated system could improve performance.

4. Personalized Employee Training

ChatGPT is a great tool for improving employee training. This is especially helpful today since many supply chain businesses are adapting to new technologies and grappling with labor shortages. Surveys show 57% of supply chain leaders report hiring and retaining employees as their top challenge. Additionally, 41% have issues upskilling or reskilling existing workers.

Supply chain businesses can help alleviate these challenges by integrating ChatGPT into their training programs. It can serve as a multipurpose assistant for trainees by answering questions, explaining complex topics, and creating practice tests and flashcards. Employees can use ChatGPT to get a personalized training experience catered to their needs and learning styles.

Some trainees might quickly grasp a new technology, while others will want more time to explore definitions, technical terminology and other background information. ChatGPT can serve various training approaches, making it a versatile tool for providing more efficient employee training.

5. Data Analysis and Visualization

Data analysis and visualization is a lesser-known application for ChatGPT in the supply chain. Most people think of it as a language-specific AI, but it can also process numerical data.

Rapid and accessible data analysis tools are vital today. Data-driven insights and decisions are a cornerstone of Industry 4.0, which is rapidly reshaping the supply chain. ChatGPT makes basic AI analytics quick and straightforward. Anyone can paste a set of unstructured information into ChatGPT and ask it to summarize or organize it into a table.

Automating this task allows supply chain employees to have a more efficient workflow and leverage data more easily. ChatGPT can’t do complex data analytics yet, but it can handle many basic processes that are helpful for quickly getting an overview of a data set.

6. Idea Generation

Idea generation is a unique application for ChatGPT in the supply chain. Businesses need creative solutions to new challenges as things become more complex. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT can be surprisingly helpful in the brainstorming process.

An AI might pinpoint unconventional solutions or ideas a human would not have considered. ChatGPT’s suggestions may not always be usable or feasible, but they provide a unique perspective that can spark creativity among team members.

Potential Drawbacks of ChatGPT

ChatGPT may be a powerful tool for certain applications, but it isn’t perfect. Business leaders should know about the drawbacks and challenges of adopting ChatGPT.

For example, ChatGPT has been known to give users inaccurate or completely made-up information. The AI’s language processing skills allow it to convey this false data convincingly, making it challenging to detect accuracy at a glance. Some groups, such as the coding help site Stack Overflow, are even banning ChatGPT due to the spread of misinformation.

This broadcast ofmisinformation is a huge problem in applications where users may be poorly equipped to verify that ChatGPT’s generated text is accurate. For example, using the AI for translating could lead to confusion if ChatGPT misunderstands the input or output language. Similarly, a new employee using ChatGPT for job training might learn incorrect information due to answer errors.

These issues may improve with time. The latest version of ChatGPT, GPT-4, is reportedly 40% more likely to give factual data, according to developer OpenAI. However, it will likely take years for ChatGPT to become a reliable source of information. Even then, there is always a chance the AI could “hallucinate” incorrect conclusions from the given data. ChatGPT’s output should always be fact-checked.

Adopting ChatGPT in the Supply Chain

There are many ways to use ChatGPT in the supply chain today, ranging from translation to employee training to logistics automation. Businesses can improve efficiency and productivity by integrating it into their workflows. OpenAI offers an API any developer can use to build ChatGPT into their app or website. In the years ahead, more supply chain applications will likely emerge as the technology advances.

About the author:

Emily Newton is an industrial writer reporting on how technology disrupts industrial sectors. She’s also the editor-in-chief of Revolutionized, covering innovations in industry, construction, and more.

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Rainbow Shops rank No. 710 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers by web sales. 

Detecting fraud requires sophistication

Rainbow Apparel used to flag suspected fraudulent orders manually, Cost says. Ten years ago, the retailer was rejecting about 2% of all orders. Today, Rainbow only rejects about one-half of a percent of orders.

The goal is to only reject legitimately fraudulent orders.

“There’s no other way for us to be able to accomplish that goal,” Cost says. It requires automation and AI on a large scale.

For example, Rainbow has a large customer base in the Caribbean, but it doesn’t ship there. So a customer from Jamaica will make an order with their Jamaican billing address, but the order will ship to someone in Florida or Texas who then bulk ships several orders to the Caribbean, Cost says. That’s exactly the type of situation that can be difficult to determine if it’s fraud or not, he said. 

“AI over time has gotten so good that … we’re able to grab all that business that we can without really any downside of fraud,” Cost said.

For Rainbow, that AI expertise comes from Signifyd’s wide reach. As a vendor to 116 retailers in the Top 1000, Signifyd has access to about 450 million digital wallets, chief business officer Indy Guha said. That means it has access to data about consumer identities based on purchases from other retailers.

“We don’t have to guess if someone’s identity is breached. Once it’s compromised, that’s compromised everywhere in our network,” Guha said. 

Letting through legitimate customers is the biggest challenge

Guha and Cost emphasized the importance of allowing legitimate customers to make purchases despite fraud protections.

Non-fraudulent purchases from lower-income shoppers are more likely to face issues at checkout, Cost said. Rainbow Apparel primarily serves customers “in the lower half of the income spectrum,” he says. “Like a lot of other things in life, they get discriminated against, you know, more than most.” 

For example, sometimes a bank network will tell Rainbow to reject an order for lack of funds, when the customer actually does have money available on their credit limit, Cost said. Signifyd has relationships with those companies, and brought the problem to Cost’s attention. Every rejected order is reviewed by a member of Rainbow’s team, and can be resubmitted to Signifyd for a new check. Rainbow overrides Signifyd’s decisions only “a handful of times a week,” he said.

“Every day, it gets more expensive to acquire customers,” Cost said. “There’s no quicker way to lose a customer or squander marketing efforts than, you know, rejecting somebody’s order that’s legit because you think it’s fraud.”

Fraud more broadly

Retailers are adopting new measures to fight ecommerce fraud, according to the 2023 Global Fraud and Payments Report from the Merchants Risk Council. Just over one-third of 1,072 retailers surveyed reported instances of “friendly fraud,” meaning customers dispute seemingly legitimate purchases through their credit cards. 

Ecommerce retailers spend an average of about 10% of revenue managing payment fraud. The report says that number has been stable for the last three years. It seems to be paying off. The percentage of ecommerce revenue lost to fraud globally is down from 3.6% in 2022 to 2.9% in 2023, per the report. The order rejection rate for potential fraud was also down, from 3.4% to 2.7%. 

Fraud, and the orders rejected as potential fraud, still represent a big problem for the industry. Signifyd’s State of Fraud Report for 2023 found that for every $100 in fraudulent orders, retailers lose $207. That loss comes from the cost of processing, chargeback fees, fighting claims, and other charges. Global retailers turned down $24 billion of good orders for fear of fraud in the 2022 holiday season, according to the report.

Fraud doesn’t impact every industry equally. Signifyd found fraud attempts in 2023 are up in collectibles, luxury goods, and apparel. They were down in beauty, business supplies, and grocery.

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The ever-evolving technological landscape has left no stone unturned, and the retail industry is no exception to this transformative wave. One significant technological advancement in the industry is the emergence of self-service kiosks. With the introduction of these kiosks, customers can now purchase products and services without interacting with a salesperson. This shift from traditional sales approaches has led to the growth of unattended marketplaces. In this article, we will explore the emergence of self-service kiosks and how they have led to the growth of unattended marketplaces.

How self-service kiosks have revolutionized the retail industry?
Self-service kiosks have revolutionized the retail industry in several ways. Firstly, they have significantly reduced labor costs for retailers. With fewer salespeople needed, retailers can cut wages and channel the funds to other aspects of their business.

The deployment of self-service kiosks has led to an improvement in customer convenience by enabling faster checkouts. This has eliminated the need for customers to wait in long queues, significantly enhancing the overall shopping experience. Additionally, the self-service kiosks have empowered retailers to offer more personalized experiences to their customers. Using data, retailers can now analyze customer purchasing behaviors and provide tailored recommendations. This personalization has increased customer loyalty and improved the overall shopping experience.

The rise of self-service kiosks has led to the growth of unattended marketplaces. With the ability to purchase goods and services without the need for a salesperson, customers can now shop at their convenience. Unattended marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular, with many retailers embracing the concept. These marketplaces can be found in various locations such as airports, office buildings, and train stations.

How self-service kiosks are used in various industries
Self-service kiosks have found their way into numerous industries and have revolutionized the way businesses operate. With their versatility and user-friendly interfaces, kiosks have become an integral part of various industries, enhancing the customer experience and providing efficient solutions to meet their needs.

Retail
Self-service kiosks are commonly used in retail stores to allow customers to checkout and make purchases without needing the assistance of a cashier, enhancing the customer experience by reducing wait times and allowing customers to customize their orders. Sobeys, the second-largest food retailer in Canada, introduced smart carts with kiosks that can scan, weigh, and bill items as they’re added to the cart. Albertsons Companies introduced automated grocery pickup kiosks in Chicago, allowing customers to pick up their orders with ease. The combination of shopping from your phone while still having a real-life experience has been widely accepted and could become even more prevalent in the future.

Healthcare
Kiosks are an essential element of the patient journey, facilitating check-in for appointments, wayfinding, and payments, completing health questionnaires, and accessing medical information. CVS, the American pharmacy giant, has also implemented automatic retail kiosks in convenient locations like airports, hotels, and college campuses, providing customers with over-the-counter healthcare products. Self-service kiosks offer anonymity, making them a preferred option for purchasing certain medicines and personal products.

Hospitality
In the hospitality industry, self-service kiosks allow guests to check in and check out of hotels or resorts, access information on local attractions and events, and order room service. Many fast-food chains also use self-service kiosks to speed up ordering and reduce wait times.

Banking
The financial world is still the most popular place for kiosks. Banks use self-service kiosks to allow customers to perform transactions such as depositing cheques, withdrawing money, updating account information, and paying bills.

Digital signage
Kiosks are the perfect medium for advertising and interactive wayfinding in malls, museums, and other public spaces, making it a convenient and engaging solution for customers or visitors.

Benefits of an unattended marketplace
Unattended marketplaces offer numerous benefits for both customers and businesses. They provide a convenient and efficient shopping experience, reduce costs, improve customer engagement and loyalty, and can help businesses reach a wider audience. They provide numerous benefits to businesses, including improved customer engagement, increased reach, reduced cost, enhanced productivity, and improved brand image. As we move towards a more digitized world, the unattended marketplace is set to become an even more significant part of our lives, with businesses and customers alike embracing the many benefits it has to offer.

Reduced Cost
Kiosks offer a cost-effective solution for businesses, as they eliminate the need for additional staff and reduce operational costs. Additionally, businesses can use data analytics to optimize their operations and improve their sales, which can further reduce costs and increase revenue. Kiosks can perform various tasks such as order processing, payment collection, and information dissemination, allowing businesses to streamline their operations and increase efficiency.

Improved Customer Engagement
Kiosks offer an interactive and personalized experience for customers, allowing them to browse products, place orders, and make payments at their own pace. This enhances customer engagement and satisfaction, as they can access information and services quickly and conveniently. Unattended marketplaces can also offer personalized recommendations and promotions based on customers’ browsing and purchase history, which can further enhance customer engagement and loyalty.

Enhanced Productivity
Kiosks are designed to perform specific tasks efficiently and accurately, allowing businesses to increase productivity and reduce errors. With the help of kiosks, businesses can automate various processes such as inventory management, order fulfillment, and customer support, freeing up time for employees to focus on more complex tasks.

Improved Brand Image
Kiosks offer a modern and innovative way to deliver products and services, enhancing the brand image and reputation. By offering a convenient and accessible service, businesses can create a positive brand image that resonates with customers which will lead to improved customer loyalty and repeated business.

Challenges and risks of unattended marketplaces
Operating an unattended marketplace can come with its fair share of challenges and risks. Here are some of the potential pitfalls to consider:

• Security Risks – Unattended marketplaces are vulnerable to security threats such as theft, vandalism, and unauthorized access. Without proper security measures, valuable goods and equipment can be stolen, leading to financial losses and legal liabilities.
• Technical Failures – Unattended marketplaces rely heavily on technology such as self-service kiosks and vending machines. Technical failures such as power outages, network connectivity issues, and system malfunctions can result in service disruptions and customer dissatisfaction.
• Maintenance and Upkeep – Unattended marketplaces require regular maintenance to ensure availability and optimal performance. This can be challenging, especially for remote locations with limited accessibility. Failure to maintain equipment can result in downtime, lost revenue, and customer dissatisfaction.
• Regulatory Compliance – When operating an unattended marketplace, it is important to adhere to regulatory compliance standards that govern the industry. This includes following health and safety guidelines, protecting customer data in accordance with data privacy laws, and complying with payment processing regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to legal liabilities, fines, and damage to the reputation of the marketplace. Therefore, it is crucial to stay informed about these regulations and ensure that the marketplace operates in a compliant manner.
• Customer Service – Unattended marketplaces rely on self-service technologies, which can result in limited or no human interaction with customers. This can lead to reduced customer satisfaction, as customers may require assistance or have questions that cannot be answered by a machine.

To mitigate these challenges and risks, it’s important to have a comprehensive plan in place that addresses security, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and customer service. With the right strategies and tools, unattended marketplaces can provide a convenient and efficient service while minimizing risks and maximizing customer satisfaction.

Why AirDroid Business MDM-powered kiosks are better
Interactive kiosks have become an indispensable part of modern business, serving various purposes, from providing information to making transactions. However, managing multiple kiosks can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to updating software, monitoring usage, and ensuring security. That’s where AirDroid Business comes in – a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution that makes kiosk management easier and more efficient.

AirDroid Business is an MDM solution that enables businesses to manage and monitor their kiosks remotely. It offers a suite of features that streamline kiosk management and ensure optimal performance. With AirDroid Business, businesses can manage all their kiosks from a centralized dashboard, deploy apps and content, and monitor kiosk usage in real time.

Here are some reasons why AirDroid Business MDM-powered kiosks are better:

Centralized Manage All the Kiosks from a Dashboard
AirDroid Business allows businesses to manage all their kiosks from a single dashboard, providing a comprehensive overview of all the devices. From the dashboard, businesses can monitor device health, update software, deploy apps and content, and track usage statistics. This centralized approach saves time and effort, as businesses no longer need to manage each device individually.

Kiosk Mode
AirDroid Business offers a kiosk mode that locks down the device to a specific app or website, preventing users from accessing other applications or features. This mode ensures that the device is used only for its intended purpose, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. Kiosk mode also provides a more streamlined user experience, making it easier for users to navigate the kiosk and complete transactions.

Remote Monitor & Control
With AirDroid Business, businesses can remotely monitor and control their kiosks, ensuring optimal performance and preventing downtime. The solution provides real-time monitoring of device health, network connectivity, and app usage, allowing businesses to identify and resolve issues before they become major problems. Businesses can also remotely control kiosks, such as restarting devices or updating software, without the need for physical access.

Apps Management Service
AirDroid Business provides an app management service that simplifies the deployment and management of applications across multiple kiosks. Businesses can deploy apps remotely, update them in real-time, and track their usage across different devices. This service reduces the time and effort required to deploy and manage applications, ensuring that the kiosks are always up-to-date and running smoothly.

Device Encryption and Remote Wiping
AirDroid Business provides device encryption and remote wiping capabilities, ensuring that sensitive data is protected in case of theft or loss. Device encryption secures data on the device, preventing unauthorized access or data breaches. Remote wiping enables businesses to wipe the device remotely, erasing all data on the device, in case of loss or theft. These features provide an extra layer of security, ensuring that businesses can protect their sensitive data.

Timely Alerts & Notification
AirDroid Business provides timely alerts and notifications, ensuring that businesses are informed of any issues or anomalies. Businesses can set up alerts for various events, such as low battery levels, device disconnection, or network connectivity issues. This feature enables businesses to respond quickly to any issues, reducing downtime and improving overall performance.

CONCLUSION

The emergence of self-service kiosks has led to the growth of an unattended marketplace, transforming the way customers interact with businesses. The unattended marketplace is no longer just a convenience but a necessity in today’s world. Customers want quick and easy solutions that are available 24/7, and self-service kiosks deliver precisely that. The benefits of unattended marketplaces are numerous, including cost-effectiveness, improved customer experience, increased revenue, and scalability. With the right technology in place, businesses can easily implement and manage self-service kiosks, offering their customers the convenience they desire while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

AirDroid Business MDM-powered kiosks offer a comprehensive and efficient solution for businesses of all sizes. By investing in AirDroid Business MDM-powered kiosks, businesses can increase their productivity, streamline their operations, and enhance their overall customer experience.

FAQ

Q: What is an unattended marketplace?
A: An unattended marketplace is a concept where consumers can purchase goods and services without the need for human interaction, typically through the use of self-service kiosks or vending machines.

Q: How do self-service kiosks benefit businesses?
A: Self-service kiosks can provide several benefits to businesses, including increased efficiency, reduced labor costs, and improved customer experience.

Q: What regulations do unattended marketplaces need to comply with?
A: Unattended marketplaces must comply with various regulations and standards, such as health and safety guidelines, data privacy laws, and payment processing regulations, to avoid legal liabilities, fines, and reputational damage.

Q: How can AirDroid Business MDM-powered kiosks help businesses manage their unattended marketplaces?
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The post [Sponsored Article] The emergence of self-service kiosks leading to the growth of an unattended marketplace appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.

Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights surveyed 1,060 online shoppers in January 2023. We found insights that retailers should heed when it comes to customer service.

Return dynamics resonate with online shoppers

Online shoppers don’t want to have remorse beyond what they bought. Topping the list of customer service policies and initiatives that drive conversion are free return shipping (55%) and a straightforward, easy return policy (42%). Nobody does that better than Nordstrom. The retailer calls out both in-store and mail return options, highlighting convenience and that it applies to any item.

Nordstrom’s customer-centric return policy.

From there, the flexibility to return to a physical location beyond the retailer where they made the initial purchase (36%) and the option to return to a retailer’s store (32%) are important to online shoppers. Amazon has been a leader in this regard given its lack of physical locations. Upon visiting my return options, I select the UPS store location, which means I don’t need a label — they handle the rest. Having tested the process a few times, I’d say it doesn’t get any easier.

Amazon enables UPS returns without requiring a label.

Older shoppers have greater expectations around returns

The age gap is instructive on the return front. Older shoppers tend to be more price sensitive and appreciate free return shipping, with findings for those 55-64 (73%) and 65+ (64%) coming in against a 56% average with a wide 38% gap between segments. They also convert more when a retailer’s return policies are straightforward and easy. Once again, when it comes to where they can return, the location flexibility also leads those 55+ to convert in greater numbers.

Appointments assume a secondary role

When it comes to customer service, the most important conversion driver is the quality of the interaction, which 24% of respondents cited. Easy access to on-site customer service information (21%) and the ability to contact customer service via multiple means (19%) are formidable while virtual appointments were least significant on this front at 8%.

In terms of demographics, it’s not surprising that 11% of those 18-29 and 14% of those 30-39 — vs. an average of 7% — gravitated to virtual appointments. When it comes to the quality of interactions, the 11% gap is narrower, with those 30-39 slightly more likely to convert (31%) vs. an average of 24%.

Email and live chat (human) interactions top customer service interactions that drive conversion

Before we dig into the findings, it’s worth mentioning that 19% of the participants had no customer service interactions at all.

Traditional options like email and phone calls still serve shoppers well in their likelihood to purchase at 40% and 26%, respectively. The possibility of converting after a text interaction is strong at 21%. Interactions via social media at 12% are much lower on the list.

Chat with a human being is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to conversion, coming in at No. 2 and a conversion factor for 37%. The bot option cannot drive the same level of conversion and saw a much lower 14% penetration.

Appointments, while a convenience under COVID-19 restrictions, may have lost some of their impact. In some instances, their presence has declined. And in our survey, virtual appointments came in at 10%. In terms of shoppers being likely to make a purchase, they are at the lower end, after in-store interactions at 18% and above an appointment with an associate at 6%.

The younger mindset tells the story

It is instructive to start with those 55+ when it comes to who prefers not to interact with customer service. The segments 55-64 (31%) and 65+ (33%) measure up against the 20% average.

The younger segment 18-29 favors text (33%) more than the 20% average across age groups. And, of course, interaction via social for this same audience (18-29) is 20%. Meanwhile, those 30-39 (20%) prefer it compared with the 11% average. Live chat with a bot also made younger segments more likely to convert, at 17% for those 18-29 and 22% for those 30-39 — a 17% gap. Virtual appointments also fell into the same 17% gap with segment numbers for those 18-29 (18%) and 30-39 (17%), each significantly higher than the 9% average.

Urban Outfitters plays to its audience with chat, social and text options, presenting them via their contact us page.

Urban Outfitters offers many customer service touchpoints

Nebraska Furniture Mart dedicates prominent real estate on its site to ensuring a personalized shopping experience. Both virtual and in-store touchpoints are available based on shopper interest.

Nebraska Furniture Mart embraces virtual and in-store appointments

One of the few where an older audience found greater conversion post-interaction was the phone call with customer service. There, segments 35-64 (31%) and 65+ (39%) preferred it compared with a much lower 18% average.

Retailers should revisit their customer service policies frequently to ensure they are in line with both competitors and the best in the industry. Interactions can vary by type, but retailers should be focused on the quality of each interaction. Lastly, it never hurts to know your shoppers and ensure you make available the touchpoints that matter to those segments. So always remember: strong customer service drives conversion.

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The post The Shopper Speaks: Customer service is critical for driving conversion appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.

Online shoppers favor free, from shipping to returns

69% of those online shoppers surveyed said free shipping was the No. 1 reason that pushed them to make a purchase. Direct-to-consumer sellers were aggressive in tempting shoppers. The pop-up approach pictured below was prevalent across many that I came across and would certainly be welcome if I planned on making a purchase.

Yeti’s marketing pop-up offers free shipping.

Along the same lines, we see heightened interest in free return shipping among online shoppers. The combination of customer convenience, money-savings and a risk-free purchasing experience is hard to beat. Canada Goose’s return information suggests that 30-day complimentary return labels are available with just a few contingencies.

Canada Goose offers free return shipping.

Second on the list of conversion drivers was product selection — a factor for just under half of all participants (47%). While we have come to expect that these sellers feature all of their products for sale, exclusive items give shoppers a distinct reason to visit these sites instead of going to a multi-branded retailer. Dyson calls out “only at Dyson” products so shoppers know they will need to make the purchase at the brand’s own site.

Exclusive products at Dyson.

Trust is foundational for conversion

Trust has an array of meanings, but for me, being able to talk with a specialist is important. Not surprisingly, 43% cited purchasing from the retailer in the past as a reason to convert a second time. Often, the products I’m considering are complicated, so I appreciate this opportunity. In this instance, when I click on Ask a Specialist, I have the option to chat online or place a call — even sign language support is available at the Apple store.

Apple’s Ask a Specialist facilitates customer service.

Trust also can come from a brand’s values, and no one was more of a pioneer than Patagonia in this regard. The retailer’s environmental stance always seems to take precedent over the products it sells. On the retailer’s 50th anniversary, it once again sends a powerful message about life on earth.

Patagonia puts forth a powerful brand message.

Can’t buy what isn’t available

High on the list of what causes customers to convert is finding in-stock products. It can be challenging in a category like shoes, so it’s nice to see Rothy’s is transparent with its availability. For the 45% who are pushed to convert based on stock status, this approach can help steer customers to a better option or at a minimum avoid disappointment.

Real-time inventory via Rothy’s product page.

With 39% of survey respondents appreciating the power of product reviews to convert, I thought Estee Lauder had a nice take on this element with its Glowing Reviews on the homepage. The retailer merchandised its five-star products and in particular this “power pair” embracing the customer point-of-view, which is near and dear to the shopper’s heart.

Estee Lauder highlights its five-star products.

Promotions beyond free shipping resonated with 36% of online shoppers. While many sellers offer 10%-20% for one’s email or phone number for customer acquisition purposes, I found Levi’s approach more compelling. The retailer opted for a classic retail theme: Encourage shoppers to buy more and save more. The power of the presentation highlighting the range of the assortment is inspiring, and my interest in buying more is piqued.

Levi’s gets promotional showcasing a broad assortment of products.

Imagery and information guides decision-making

Product information and imagery have always been important when it comes to converting online shoppers. 28% of those surveyed said product information and imagery were important in terms of conversion. The voice in Harry’s marketing has a tone that maintains brand expectations. The retailer goes beyond the details with “what’s good about it.” Additionally, shoppers have the option to gather more information, which includes how products are designed and access to customer service touchpoints.

Harry’s includes comprehensive product information.

Information at Casper includes imagery about how the product is made. At this price point, sellers need to give online shoppers all the details so they can ensure this is the right item for them. Leveraging video helps bring the product to life in a way that’s almost impossible with static images.

Casper integrates videos on how products are made.

The last example from an information and imagery perspective is Tumi. The customer gets wonderful internal and external views of the product, which allows her to get a better sense of the real size and fabrications. Investments in photography can also help reduce return rates, an added benefit for the retailer.

Tumi uses imagery to inform decisions.

Help shoppers find products

Site search means shoppers are typically using standard search parameters like price, size or color. But more interestingly, it can mean focusing on what is unique about a retailer’s product and/or category. Vera Bradley is known for its beautiful fabrics, so allowing customers to view the collection by fabric is a welcome choice. 24% of survey respondents shared they’re likely to place an order as a result of site search, so I advise continuing to optimize that experience.

Vera Bradley offers shop by fabrication.

In the computer category, gaming, like many other aspects of their products, has unique needs. This example from Lenovo suggests some of the elements by which visitors can search: including price, screen size, memory, storage, operating system and even shipping, ensuring that online shoppers can find it their way.

Lenovo includes a broad array of search parameters.

Services are invaluable

Elf allows its shoppers to share with their beauty advisors their desired area of interest. Ideally, this directs the inquiry to a knowledgeable team member, saving everyone time in the process. These options to contact customer service by multiple means are a conversion factor for 19% of participants.

Elf guides those seeking customer service.

Trek promotes the message “Online bike shopping made easy.” The bike category is unique. As such, the services bike retailers make available support biker needs. Particularly interesting was Trek’s option to find a bike locally if one needs to ride the day of purchase. As fast shipping was an important conversion driver for 61% of those surveyed – in third place trailing only free shipping and the right price – this addresses the concern head on. For many who prefer professional assembly, fast shipping is an option with delivery of the shopper’s choice to follow. Trek’s 30-day no-hassle return policy is also welcome. It calls out its local services and support, giving the customer the confidence she needs for a wonderful bike-buying experience.

Trek promotes its capabilities and services.

Retention is essential to growth, and loyalty programs have played a pivotal role in this regard.

28% of survey participants indicated loyalty programs were a factor in placing an order. Lululemon positions the value of its membership, which includes being able to get early access to the newest gear. If you are a fan, that certainly would be a perk of particular interest.

Lululemon’s membership program has its perks.

GoPro has a subscription service that is a time saver and of great value to those who use the brand’s products and services. The automatic upload of your footage to the cloud ensures you never lose that valuable photography. The discount certainly is appealing, at up to 50% on the site. Knowing there is a guaranteed camera replacement makes this brand’s customers confident in the investment they are making when subscribing. The cost is $49.99 per year.

GoPro’s subscription service is benefit-rich.

Direct-to-consumer brands can send a powerful message to their customers. Branding and customer service will help them drive conversion. The choices they make, from free shipping to a free returns shipping policy, also will be integral to securing an order. Investments in information and imagery will pay dividends guiding online shoppers accordingly. While customer acquisition might be their initial play, retention tactics will be key to keeping customers coming back, converting and spending more.

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The post How conversion manifests itself: D2C brands merchandise to convert appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.

Prosenjit Sen

In my first article in this series, I discussed how, despite the huge promise of B2B commerce, this space faces significant challenges for both pre-sales and post-sales due to the limitations of traditional technologies like “search.” In the second article, I discussed how you can skyrocket product discovery on your B2B site using the latest AI/ML technologies. In the third article, I discussed how you can provide top-tier post-sales support to keep customers happy at a low cost.

In this article I will focus on how, as a B2B commerce company, you can use AI to drive sales with a quick and frictionless path to purchase.

The purchase journey

Imagine you are a customer looking to buy a thermostat. You know of the manufacturer Warmup and have some idea of the specs (open temperature, close temperature, etc.). You need the B2B commerce site to help you make the right purchase with all necessary attributes of the thermostat.

Search is not ideal for such an experience. Consider a smart chatbot (Chatbot 2.0), which is capable of having a sophisticated conversation leveraging all your relevant reference data — in databases, HTML/PDF/Word docs, and applications like SAP and then performing mathematical computations in real time.

Here is a sample interaction:

YOU (asking the Chatbot): I am looking for a Warmup thermostat with open temperature > 60 C and price < $200.

CHATBOT: (Returns a list of 30 such thermostats, with Price and a Link to Purchase for each item.)

YOU now need to zoom in based on some of the other attributes of the thermostat but are not sure what the attributes are. So, you ask:

YOU: Give me the important attributes of Warmup thermostat.

CHATBOT: Returns the main attributes Open Temperature, Close Temperature, and Current Rating.

YOU: Help me find the thermostat with Close Temperature < 100 C and current rating < 5A.

CHATBOT: Returns 3 thermostats that meet this criteria (including previously specified Open Temperature > 60 C and price < $200). The results include the Price and a Link to Purchase each item.

YOU now want to shop around. So, you ask:

YOU: Do you have other comparable manufacturers that meet the same specs and are in the same price range?

CHATBOT: Returns 2 similar thermostats by Blodget, with Price and a Link to Purchase for each item.

YOU: give me the datasheets, and please send me the compliance and warranty information.

CHATBOT: Returns the necessary information. It also gives you a link the “Buy Now,” “Speak with an Agent” and “Buy Local.”

In this above conversation, the Chatbot is doing a lot of sophisticated AI-based processing (discussed below). Note, at every stage as it helps you find the right products, it gives you the option to close the sale.

Similar conversations are possible with a voice bot, though it would be harder, given some of the limitations of voice related technologies today.

Detect buyer signals and remove any friction

During this conversation with the Chatbot, you can use AI to continuously detect buyer signals based on the nature of the conversation and even understand the customer’s sentiment. Based on these — if at any time you sense the customer is not happy, confused or ready to buy — offer to transfer to a live agent, especially if it is a pricey product. Again, AI can help.

And, have all the necessary information that the customer may need so they don’t leave the discussion for later. Provide information on features, information on configuration/ installation, return policy, warranty, compliance, promotions, and more.

If they leave the chatbot to look up this additional information, prompt them to bring them back. If they leave, send them an email inviting them to click on the provided link and re-engage.

Post-purchase

Once a customer has made a purchase, it is important to have their loyalty. The best way to do this is again with prompt service; provide the customer any information that can help them post purchase. Provide an easy path to getting the status of an order, cancel, change order, recommend additional items that are complementary, and keep them posted with new product announcements.

Keep them informed, keep them happy.

After market

For most companies, after market is equally attractive. This is not only a big business, if the customer can buy the necessary parts and add on items easily it keeps them happy and loyal.

Technology

As discussed in previous articles, the key to providing all this functionality is to first bring together all possible reference data – structured data in relational databases, unstructured data in HTML, PDF, Word, and PPT, and data in applications like SAP.

You need a platform that can process data as follows:

• Connect and ingest data from different data sources: product specs, features, warranty, compliance, upsell information, price, inventory and more.
• Perform data cleanup: the data in different data sources often needs to be cleaned up or transformed for it to be meaningful to the AI engine. This data science work is often most time consuming and sometimes difficult.
• Provide data to the AI Engine: in real time, work with the AI engine to get different elements of data from all these different data sources, combine the various data elements, and even transform them so the relevant AI models can use them to prepare and even perform computations to arrive at the right answers.

AI technology, as discussed in previous articles, has evolved in many ways in the last 3-4 years. With large language transformers (including GPT) you can now do all sorts of sophisticated processing. In this solution outlined above, AI is needed at every step: to handle the dialog or conversation with the customer, identify the necessary data and then get results from structured data, get answers from unstructured data, detect buyer signals for purchase, detect customer sentiment, and more.

Language transformers allow you to detect patterns in large amounts of data — which can be used to now get the correct answers from your reference documents (features, compliance, warranty, etc.). Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-3) can take this to the next level by providing an answer from the learnings of the reference documentation.

Conclusion

We are now at a very exciting time in the evolution of AI technology. With the availability of cheap computing power, you can bring automation to all customer support processes — pre-sales and post-sales. AI based platforms can bring you drastic efficiency and customer loyalty, at a lower cost than what you may be spending today. But it is important to be able to use the right AI technologies to accomplish the job, and most likely you will need a platform as opposed to just a tool. Watch out for platforms that require elaborate custom training of the AI models — this can become very expensive. The whole purpose of the recent AI advancements is to prevent such inefficiencies.

About the author:

Prosenjit Sen is a serial entrepreneur and  currently the CEO of Quark.ai, an “autonomous support” platform that uses deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision (CV) to bring automation to sales support and field support. He was previously employee No. 5 as part of the founding team of Informatica, a pioneer in online data integration technology. Prosenjit is a mentor for the Alchemist Accelerator and the Bay Area IIT Startups Accelerator. And he is the co-author of the book “RFID for Energy & Utility Industries.” Contact him at Prosenjitsen10@quark.ai.

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The post Become Amazon in your space with AI/ML: Using AI-based language transformers to boost sales appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.

Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights surveyed 1,023 consumers in January 2023 about their shopping habits for the 2022 holiday season.

2022 holiday shopping insights

This infographic includes consumer insights on where they shopped and why, how they adapted to inflation, what they thought about the promotions and what online shopping services and features they plan to use more of in 2022.

More Charts & Data Stories

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The post Consumer insights: 2022 holiday shopping appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.

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