Physical distancing and confinement measures have accelerated already growing trends in online shopping. By the end of May 2020, online orders had, on average, more than doubled year-on-year in North America and were up by 50% in Europe. In turn, this massive increase triggered similar growth for the courier services market. In CEE, this shift in consumer behavior led to average growth rates in the package delivery volumes of 20%, with some months even surpassing this percentage.
This compelled the market’s main players to move in response to consumer expectations and make changes not only on the operational side but also to support bigger volumes. Instead, they moved to transform their customer support and interaction processes to deal more efficiently with the growing number of people using the services.
Stuck at home, with little possibilities to get the products they needed without the help of couriers, stringently demanding consumers now needed constant information and a better way to communicate instead of waiting on the line for minutes on end to get in touch with a customer support agent. As the market leader, Fan Courier saw in this restrictive situation the opportunity to pivot and make fast changes to help it regain the trust of its consumers and position it for a later win, even as the emergency nature of the period would wear off.
The leading courier service provider in CEE, FAN Courier, decided to implement DRUID technology and AI virtual assistants to enhance its customer service.
The assistant, available on a 24/7 basis, offers customers up-to-date information regarding packages (tracking and expected delivery times), shipment insurances, payment methods, returns policy info, shipment registration program, domestic or international deliveries, freights, reimbursements, collect points, and many more. The capabilities of the virtual assistant were subsequently extended to cover the Self-AWB ability, making it possible to ensure faster delivery, track parcels entirely digitally, and import and track multiple AWBs in complex cargo shipment scenarios.
Nowadays, customers’ experience with a service provider is increasingly shaped by digital interactions and the interfaces that enable them. The adoption of conversational interfaces is probably one of the most significant shifts, allowing a consumer to interact with a business seamlessly and naturally, with an extraordinarily positive impact on satisfaction levels and, subsequently, loyalty.
This transformation of businesses will lead to virtual assistants becoming a critical communication channel for customers over the next few years. Industry leaders are seeing the opportunity to set the stage for incorporating artificial intelligence throughout their customer facing technologies to anticipate tomorrow’s demands. The mounting use of intelligent assistants in customer support services has become prevalent.
And while the shipping and delivery industry may have assimilated the trend more gradually than some other industries, it is beginning to appreciate the potential they offer, and implementation rates are likely to accelerate.