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Answer agreed questions using current product and order information, and pass exceptions to your team. You decide what the assistant can answer, what it must pass on and when a person takes over.
AI customer service for retail uses an assistant connected to your product and order data to answer agreed questions, such as order status, returns policy and stock, including outside opening hours. Questions outside its scope, refunds above an agreed limit and complaints go to your team with the conversation attached. How many questions it can answer depends on your query mix and the data it can reach.
See it run
Lead qualification agent in practice
The workflow as it runs day to day, with a person signing off at the end. Sample data.
- Reply with the qualifying questionsProperty, roof, energy use, budgetEmail
- Read the customer’s answersChecked for missing detailsEmail
- Score the leadAgainst the agreed criteriaCRM
- Write a brief for the sales teamPre-filled from the customer’s answersCRM
The opportunity
What AI customer service means in practice
AI customer service for retail uses an assistant connected to your product and order data to answer agreed questions, such as order status, returns policy and stock, including outside opening hours. Questions outside its scope, refunds above an agreed limit and complaints go to your team with the conversation attached. How many questions it can answer depends on your query mix and the data it can reach.
Many retail questions follow a pattern: where is my order, how do I return this, do you have this in another size. They can be answered from information you already hold, provided the assistant can read it.
When the assistant takes the repeated questions, your team has more time for the ones that need judgement, authority to resolve or a personal reply.
What it can handle
Questions an assistant can answer
Order status and tracking information read from your order system, after the customer's details have been checked against the order.
Returns eligibility explained from your policy and refund status reported. Decisions above the limits you set go to a person.
Stock, size and specification questions answered from your product catalogue. If the answer is not in the catalogue, the assistant says so and passes the question on.
When a question needs a person, the conversation and order details pass to your team so the customer does not have to repeat themselves.
How we help
Working with Reformat Labs
We design, build and support customer service assistants for retailers, connected to your order and product data.
Our page on AI for retail businesses covers other retail tasks we can help with.
Common questions
Questions about AI customer service for retail
What customer questions can AI handle?
Order status, delivery tracking, returns and refund status, product details, size and fit, and stock. The more consistent the answer is from one customer to the next, the better suited the question is.
What happens when a customer needs a person?
You agree the routes in advance. Complaints, disputes, refunds above your limit and questions the assistant cannot answer from your data go to a person with the conversation history. Outside opening hours, the assistant tells the customer when the team is next available.
Could an AI assistant harm our reputation?
It can if it gives wrong answers or makes it hard to reach a person. That is why we limit it to agreed questions, test it on real past enquiries before launch and make the route to a person easy to find.
How does AI customer service integrate with my existing systems?
The assistant needs to read your order system, product catalogue and helpdesk to answer accurately. Without access to live order data, it cannot answer order status questions. We check what your systems allow during scoping.
What does AI customer service for retail cost?
Costs usually include setup work and ongoing software or usage charges. We set out the costs for your expected query volume during scoping, so you can compare them with how you handle enquiries now.
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