Have you ever felt trapped in a phone maze, listening to endless hold music only to be transferred multiple times, repeating your request to each new representative? The after-sales experience can be a real headache for many people, especially in retail, a sector that naturally deals with a high volume of demands. However, in a market where customer satisfaction is the main differentiator, it is urgent to invest in solutions that improve this service, ensuring the satisfaction and loyalty of more and more consumers – and this is where voice bots stand out as excellent supporters.
After-sales is the golden moment to strengthen the relationship with the customer. After all, when a brand takes good care of its customer after the purchase, it builds loyalty, becomes a reference, and even increases the chances of being recommended to others – the famous "word of mouth" marketing. In the current competitive market, this care makes all the difference in keeping the customer close, showing how much they are valued and that their relationship with the brand does not end with the transaction.
According to studies by Harvard Business School, as proof of this, a mere 5% increase in customer retention rate can lead to a profit growth of between 25% and 95%, depending on the sector. This is because loyal customers tend to spend more and more frequently. But how do voice bots fit into this?
They arrived to revolutionize after-sales with various functions at retailers' fingertips: 24/7 support, which allows quick resolution of common questions such as order status, exchanges, or returns, at any time; instant feedback, listening to what the customer thinks of the experience and making necessary adjustments; request tracking, scheduling repairs, exchanges, or support easily; and personalized service, recognizing the customer by name, checking their history, and guiding their journey in a way very similar to a human.
With the expansion of artificial intelligence, these voice agents are becoming even more accurate and optimized, constantly improving their knowledge base to assist each customer in the best way possible, being much more active and receptive in resolving these demands. And what are the results of all these advantages? More satisfied consumers, loyal to the brand, and much more likely to recommend it to others.
After all, even if there is some problem with your purchases, it is the retailer's stance of caring to help you, with agility and quality, that will make all the difference in avoiding greater frustrations and damage to the image. However, for each retailer to redefine their after-sales service and enjoy all these benefits, it is clear that some precautions cannot go unnoticed in the process of integrating the tool.
First of all, understand with utmost clarity who your audience is and which pain points are most recurring based on your products or services. Thus, in addition to programming the voice agent to address these issues, it will also be able to enable the integration of this agent with other support channels, so that each customer can continue the service through their preferred medium. Don't hesitate to offer here a conversation with a human being, as many may still choose to talk to a professional to help them.
Personalize and train the bot whenever possible, so that it conducts after-sales with increasing accuracy. Keep the conversation light, natural, and quick as well, aiming for the best customer experience so they don't waste time on this resolution. Here, real-time data management is crucial, performing curation that monitors the results of these services aiming for continuous improvements that bring greater efficiency.
Create a first-time integration with your internal systems, ensuring a smooth journey rather than a robotic one, and tailored to the specificities of your business. And, without a doubt, there is no way to overlook investment in information security, something essential nowadays in light of regulatory standards like LGPD.
The voice bot is not just a technological tool, but a solution capable of transforming frustration into satisfaction, and casual buyers into loyal customers – without the need to wait in a service queue or wait for a reply by email. For retail, it is a valuable tool for building lasting relationships based on trust and a seamless experience, from the first click to the last post-sale interaction.
