How to leverage CX automation for customer retention

Personalized mobile shopping is on the rise, with retailers already leveraging its vast potential for enhanced customer experiences. This drive has been triggered primarily by mobile-first shoppers — Generation Z and millennials — who are falling out of love with traditional touchpoints such as websites and email. Instead, they are demanding a more personalized service delivered to their smartphones via messaging.

This demand shouldn't come as a surprise, really — after all, 98% of Gen Z own a smartphone, with more than 50% estimated to be using messaging apps like WhatsApp at least half the time they are using their phones.

But it turns out that’s not the whole story. According to Forrester Research, 88% of customers abandon their purchases because of a bad experience. And that’s the CX gap businesses need to address.

Savvy retailers are already leveraging 'conversational commerce' techniques to deepen customer relationships and compete with businesses that are still wedded to traditional CX channels. From fashion e-commerce and cosmetics retail to sourcing everyday household items, customers can now request information and order goods using messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

Why automate CX?

To cope with the volume of customer inquiries, most businesses are looking into leveraging CX automation to assist customers with common queries and improve customer interactions.

AI and chatbots power these personalized buying journeys for simple requests or human agents acting as 'personal shoppers' for a more bespoke service.

Automating CX is ideal for targeting mobile-first customers as they behave differently, expecting service to be quick, intuitive and seamless, and at the same time entertaining. They expect a degree of personalization and responsiveness.

Fast access to customer data is crucial to offer a seamless experience for this type of customer. This is where Microsoft’s Dataverse becomes extra valuable for CX technology integrations. The obvious challenge for most businesses is integrating their existing systems with the technologies that support mobile communication channels while also leveraging customer data they have in their CRM and additional data from external sources.