This year, Black Friday is scheduled for November 29, with that, retailers and consumers eagerly await the advantages and promotions of the period, which in recent years has become one of the most anticipated in the retail calendar, equivalent to dates like Christmas. The big difference related to buying behavior is that on Black Friday, the purchase is often made immediately and not consultative, as customers directly seek the price, meaning that whoever has the best offer sells.
To deal with this high volume of demand and scale its service power, the retailer would need high costs, in addition to training. On the other hand, with conversational artificial intelligence, a quality service standard is promoted regardless of the customer and time. A.I. after Black Friday, for example, is a major point when mentioning the importance of this service.
Impulsiveness at the time of purchase also generates a lot of cart abandonment. This is where abandoned cart recovery campaigns come in, promoting new contact so that the consumer can recover what they left. Furthermore, thinking about this client’s end-to-end experience, AI-driven customer service for exchanges, doubts, or returns contributes to keeping the consumer happy.
Artificial intelligence does not replace people but enables the company to allocate its employees to more strategic locations. The focus is that the standard of all the service that A.I. brings, retains the customer, who knows that regardless of the moment of contact, whether proactive or reactive, it will be of quality. Additionally, the technology ensures accessible service since it can handle different languages, formats, and communication styles.
According to a survey by Neotrust and ClearSale, the Black Friday 2023 revenue in the Brazilian e-commerce reached R$ 5.23 billion, representing a 14.6% decrease compared to the previous year. With the decrease in the online sales rate, many retailers are seeking new methods to stand out in a competitive market and cater to an audience that craves innovations, in addition to digital convenience. The study ‘Artificial Intelligence in Retail’ from Central do Varejo, conducted in 2023, shows that 47% of retailers already use AI, while 53% have not yet implemented this technology.
“On Black Friday, commerce aims to achieve in one day what it usually earns in a whole month. For e-commerce, there is a higher volume of consumers on the websites. Therefore, the use of AI should focus on adding quality throughout the customer journey, from research to post-sales, creating a standard of service regardless of the time or language style, assisting customers with questions that are part of their entire shopping experience,” says Viviane Campos, Global Head of Business at Connectly.ai.
However, AI is already a reality in the retail sector, but many need to adapt to keep up with innovations. ‘The retailer who understands the power of AI and the meaning of standardized service will foster loyalty compared to those who do not use it. Furthermore, AI benefits businesses of all sizes, as it involves a low financial cost in the long term,’ adds Viviane.
