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Integrating Ecommerce with Chatbots: An Experience-First Approach

11 Jul 2024
Sarah Marks
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As technology advances, so do customer expectations — 73% of customers expect better personalisation as a result of these innovations. Personalised interactions are a vital part of experience-first ecommerce because they meet these heightened customer expectations and enhance customer satisfaction, all while boosting sales and driving revenue.

AI-powered chatbots on ecommerce platforms effectively use new technology for personalisation, and customers are increasingly valuing their inclusion in the online shopping experience. A global survey from 2023 confirmed that 44% of respondents appreciated the help chatbots provide in finding product information before they make a purchase. Another 31% of those surveyed like chatbots for their ability to customise offerings — in other words, personalisation.

Airports that integrate chatbots into their ecommerce platform can create efficient, personalised experiences for passengers, leading to increased engagement, loyalty, and revenue.

Features of an experience-first chatbot

To truly enhance the passenger experience, an experience-first chatbot must offer a range of sophisticated features.

1. Supports different languages

A multilingual chatbot can cater to a diverse customer base by understanding and responding in multiple languages. This feature ensures that language barriers do not hinder support and interaction, enabling customers from different linguistic backgrounds to access services in their preferred language.

2. Integrates with multiple channels

Integrating chatbots across different channels and customer touchpoints, such as your airport’s website and mobile app, ensures that customers can access support and services through their preferred channel at any time. Whether passengers are on a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, they can expect a consistent and efficient experience across all platforms.

3. Offers personalised recommendations

Airport chatbots can use customer data to offer personalised product recommendations and enhance the shopping experience. By understanding individual preferences and purchase history, chatbots can quickly provide relevant recommendations, improving customer engagement and satisfaction. They can help passengers find and book services like parking, lounge access, or special offers in duty-free shops, making their journey through the airport more convenient and enjoyable.

4. Has a user-centric design

A truly effective chatbot is built with the user at its core. By focusing on intuitive interfaces and user-friendly interactions, chatbots can significantly enhance the customer experience. For airports, this means designing chatbots that guide passengers through booking tickets, reserving parking, and accessing lounges. The goal is to make every interaction smooth and efficient, reducing hassle and improving satisfaction

5. Learns continuously

Regularly updating the chatbot’s knowledge base and incorporating new products and services keeps their interactions with passengers relevant and effective. By understanding new trends and customer behaviours, chatbots can adapt to changing needs and expectations, providing accurate and timely support. For airports, this includes learning from frequent passenger enquiries to improve responses related to services and offers, as well as incorporating updates on new flight routes or new amenities available to passengers.

6. Generates data to drive insights

Customer interaction data is invaluable for refining chatbot performance. Through comprehensive data analytics that is fed into machine learning models, chatbots can offer more personalised and relevant support, closely aligning with customer expectations. For example, they can suggest items frequently browsed or bought by other passengers who purchased a specific item.

7. Offers contextual recommendations

Suggesting products that are based on the customer’s current needs, and only after resolving customer issues, ensures that upsell and cross-sell opportunities feel natural and helpful rather than intrusive. For instance, after assisting with a lounge booking, the chatbot can suggest related services like fast track security, upgraded seating, or duty-free shopping offers, making the additional options relevant to that specific passenger.

Benefits of an experience-first chatbot strategy

Chatbots are improving the way passengers interact with airport services, making the customer journey smoother and more efficient.

24/7 availability

Chatbots provide round-the-clock customer support, eliminating the constraints of business hours. Whether it’s late at night or during peak travel hours, passengers can rely on chatbots to help them find the information they need, book services, or resolve issues without any delay.

Instant responses

Chatbots can handle multiple queries simultaneously without any wait times, reducing passenger frustration and enhancing their overall experience. This immediacy helps maintain the flow of interaction, ensuring passengers get the information or help they need right when they need it, whether they are looking for flight updates, booking changes, or shopping in duty-free stores.

Consistency

Chatbots offer consistent service by following predefined scripts and guidelines. This reduces the variability in responses that can occur with human agents, maintaining a consistent brand voice and experience for customers. Passengers can trust that the information and assistance they receive will be accurate and uniform, regardless of when or how they interact with the chatbot.

Increased engagement

When chatbots provide timely, relevant, and personalised interactions, customers are more likely to stay engaged with the brand. This increased engagement can result in more frequent visits to your airport’s ecommerce platform, higher interaction rates with promotional content, and a greater likelihood of customers sharing their positive experiences with others.

Higher conversion rates

Personalised, data-driven recommendations and support can significantly influence a customer’s decision to make a purchase. By suggesting relevant services and products — such as fast-track security for business travellers who may be in a hurry, or discounts on parking options for customers who have previously booked parking slots — chatbots encourage passengers to complete their purchases and bookings. These targeted recommendations can be the deciding factor between a potential customer abandoning their cart and completing a purchase.

Customer loyalty

Loyalty is built on trust and satisfaction, and an excellent customer service experience can turn one-time buyers into loyal customers. Consistent, high-quality support fosters a sense of reliability and trust in the brand, encouraging long-term customer relationships and repeat business.

Challenges and considerations with implementing e-commerce chatbots for your airport

Implementing chatbots in an airport ecommerce platform comes with its set of challenges, but the right tools, strategies, and expertise can help overcome them.

Integration with existing systems

Getting chatbots to work seamlessly with existing ecommerce platforms and customer relationship management (CRM) systems can be tricky. You need to tackle technical compatibility issues, ensure smooth data flow between systems, and keep interactions consistent across all touchpoints. This process requires careful planning, thorough testing, and sometimes a bit of customisation to make sure everything aligns perfectly with your current systems.

To address these challenges, look for a chatbot solution that is designed for easy integration with your existing systems. Ensure that the solution offers robust APIs and has a track record of successful integrations. Engage in thorough planning and testing phases to identify potential issues early and customise the solution as needed. Collaborating closely with your vendor can also streamline the integration process, ensuring a smooth and cohesive user experience.

Privacy and security

Chatbots handle large amounts of sensitive information, making robust security measures non-negotiable Strong encryption, secure data storage solutions, and strict compliance with data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are a must to protect customer data.

To ensure the highest level of privacy and security, choose a chatbot solution that incorporates robust security measures and is transparent about sharing this information with you. Verify that the solution complies with relevant data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, and industry-specific standards like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Balancing automation and the human touch

While chatbots for airports are great for quick, routine inquiries, sometimes you just need a human touch. Chatbots should handle the easy stuff and seamlessly pass off more complex or sensitive issues to human agents so customers always get the care they need.

To achieve this balance, choose a chatbot solution that allows for easy handoff to human agents when necessary. Ensure the system can recognise when a query requires human intervention and facilitate a smooth transition. Training human agents to work effectively with chatbots is also essential, ensuring they can pick up where the chatbot left off and provide the personalised attention customers deserve.

Integrate chatbot into your airport’s ecommerce platform with Rezcomm

Integrating chatbots into your airport’s ecommerce platform enhances passenger interactions, making shopping, booking, and service access smoother and more personalised. Rezcomm’s chatbot solutions are designed to create efficient, seamless experiences that put passengers first.

Get in touch to learn more about how Rezcomm can transform your airport’s ecommerce platform with the help of chatbots that prioritise the passenger experience.