Just like FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), which causes people to feel anxious about missing something important, WISMO (Where is my order?) triggers a similar sense of uncertainty and urgency in online shoppers. Both phenomena are fueled by the desire to stay informed and ensure they don’t miss anything crucial.
While FOMO causes people to constantly check their social media to stay informed, WISMO drives shoppers to repeatedly check their order status to ensure everything is on track. Six out of ten online shoppers check their order status daily, and 17% check it more than once a day. This highlights the need for an efficient and accessible solution for retailers to manage these and other frequent inquiries, such as GenAI bots.
Current challenges in managing order inquiries
The overload of inboxes or queues in chat and call centers with repetitive inquiries like WISMO requests is a common scenario in the retail industry. In addition to these issues, retailers also face challenges such as handling returns, customer feedback, and payments. The influx of WISMO inquiries means that agents have less time and fewer resources to address more complex issues like duplicate payments or complaints about defective products.
These challenges can reduce overall operational efficiency and lead to customer service staff burnout. Agents may feel overwhelmed and less motivated by these frequent inquiries, which can negatively impact their performance and the quality of service. On the other hand, customers expect quick responses to their questions, especially when it comes to something as crucial (and theoretically simple) as the status of their orders. Prolonged response times can result in a negative customer experience.
The importance of implementing GenAI voicebots in retail
To mitigate these issues, it is essential for retailers to consider implementing automated solutions such as voicebots and chatbots. Virtual assistants can autonomously handle repetitive inquiries, reducing the workload of human agents, improving response times, and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Why? Voicebots offer 24/7 support, providing quick and accurate order tracking information. This ensures that customers suffering from chronic WISMO have a solution available at all times.
Voicebots also enable the autonomous resolution of inquiries, conversing with customers in natural, human-like voices (in various languages and dialects, even using regionalisms). They use conversational language that resembles human speech, avoiding robotic phrases and adopting a more fluid and friendly communication style. This personalized interaction enhances the customer experience and facilitates effective communication.
As voicebots collect customer data, they can be implemented with robust security measures to protect sensitive information. They reduce the time spent on data collection and verification and speed up processes by integrating with CRM or ERP systems while ensuring compliance with relevant data privacy regulations.
Once an order is identified, the voicebot can provide real-time information about its status and assist with cancellations, returns, or modifications without processing bottlenecks or the need to wait for a human agent.
In addition to answering questions, GenAI voicebots can make proactive suggestions based on the conversation’s context thanks to its continued learning and knowledge base access.. For example, if a customer asks about their order status, the voicebot might offer additional information about potential delays or suggest return options if there are delivery issues.
The key to a successful implementation of these voice assistants lies in creating intuitive and engaging user experiences. It is essential to design conversational flows that are natural, informative, and anticipate user inquiries.
If you’re considering using a voicebot in your operations, ensure it understands a wide range of questions and phrases to provide a seamless user experience. If you’re unsure where to start or have questions about implementing bots, contact our team of experts in voicebots and Generative Artificial Intelligence.
