If you follow retail trends, you know that department stores are in trouble.<\/p>\n
As shoppers have headed online and to discount stores, traditional mall department stores are struggling to define their niche and halt falling profits. Many are now focused on creating a better in-store experience<\/a> in hopes of motivating customers to shop in person.<\/p>\n One of the most interesting customer experience initiatives<\/a> is coming from Macy\u2019s, which also announced last week that it is closing 100 of its stores<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 10 of its U.S. locations, Macy\u2019s shoppers can now use artificial intelligence<\/a> through their mobile devices to help them navigate the shopping experience<\/a>. The \u201cMacy\u2019s on Call\u201d service allows customers to type natural language questions into Macy\u2019s website instead of asking a sales associate. But unlike most online chat tools, this one is powered by IBM\u2019s Watson cognitive computing service. Over time, Watson will learn to give better answers and customize them to specific stores. Macy\u2019s officials say that by allowing customers to answer basic questions for themselves \u2013 like \u2018where can I find men\u2019s suits?\u2019 \u2013 sales associates will be free to focus on more complex customer requests, improving the customer experience<\/a> for everyone. In addition, Macy\u2019s is monitoring the ways customers use the service and plans to use that data to add additional features and learn more about store features and services that shoppers like best.<\/p>\n From a customer experience standpoint, this new initiative seems like a step in the right direction. It employs mobile devices that shoppers already use, but in a new way that has the potential to reduce stress and frustration that can be bad for sales. It would appear to be cost effective as well, allowing Macy\u2019s to improve its customer experience without hiring and training additional sales associates.<\/p>\n And it has the potential to help customers find items and even coordinate outfits much more efficiently than a human sales associate could. I for one would be delighted if I could give my virtual shopping companion my wife\u2019s picture and favorite color and have it tell me exactly what to buy her for her birthday!<\/p>\n But as a customer experience consultant, I recognize that artificial intelligence has its limits. We know from our research that more than 50 percent of a customer\u2019s experience is based on emotional factors<\/a> rather than rational ones. Macy\u2019s artificial intelligence program may do a good job of answering rational questions like where things are located and how much they cost, but it will likely be more limited in its ability to provoke emotions \u2013 particularly positive ones that help a company build long-term value and customer loyalty<\/a>.<\/p>\n A mobile app won\u2019t read facial expressions and visual cues to provide the kind of human interaction that can enhance positive feelings.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That means that Macy\u2019s also must deliver on its promise to have sales associates more available to provide hands-on human help when it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n In some of the stores testing Macy\u2019s On Call, shoppers can use the service to summon a sales associate. That\u2019s good, because as things stand now, you can easily wander around for five or ten minutes looking for a someone to ring up a purchase. However, the ability to call an associate also creates an expectation that someone will appear. If that doesn\u2019t happen, customers may grow annoyed and frustrated. These negative emotions not only decrease sales, they can destroy long-term value.<\/p>\n When we work with customers to design customer experiences, we recommend that they use customer experience assessments like customer mirrors<\/a>, to find out how customers feel about their interactions \u2013 both on mobile devices and in person. With over half of a customer\u2019s experience driven by emotions, if Macy\u2019s technology solution is going to help the company overcome its financial woes, the emotions it creates need to be good ones.<\/p>\n Will artificial intelligence revolutionize your shopping, or is it just another gimmick? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n Find out more about other successful Customer Experiences in our ebook: Unlocking the Hidden Customer Experience.<\/a>\u00a0LinkedIn followers can buy for $4.99 with promo code: Hidden50.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you found this article interesting, you might also like:<\/strong><\/p>\n Profit-Killing in Malls: Shocking Results!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Retail\u2019s Worst Nightmare \u2013 Virtual Reality!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Your Customer\u2019s Mobile Experience \u2013 Don\u2019t Ignore It!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Colin Shaw<\/em><\/a> is the founder and CEO of<\/em> Beyond Philosophy<\/em><\/a>, one of the world’s leading Customer experience consultancy & training organizations. Colin is an international author of<\/em> five bestselling books<\/em><\/a> and an engaging keynote speaker.<\/em><\/p>\n
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