Argos to use [24]7's predictive analytics to target wavering online customers with sales chat
Argos head of digital innovation Neil Tinegate claims the system will recreate the in-store experience online
Retailer Argos has is using [24]7's predictive sales system to offer customers live chat assistance using predictive analytics as they shop online.
Neil Tinegate, head of digital innovation at Argos, said that the solution enables the retailer to engage with customers online in a way that it had not been able to do previously. "It's all about offering that human assistance that you can find in-store but is more difficult to recreate across digital channels," he told Computing.
Argos signed a deal with [24]7 in early 2014.
According to [24]7, the platform targets specific customers with assistance using "behavioural and journey analysis". Those customers who are about to purchase but are stalling from making a transaction are offered assistance based on their supposed intent and connected to an adviser through an instant chat facility.
[24]7 said that without the predictive capability built into the solution, a sales chat would potentially "cannibalise self-serve conversions", by inviting customers who had every intention of converting unassisted. 24[7] claimed that its platform understands consumer behaviour and uses data-driven insights to predict which customers require help, when to engage and what to offer them.
"If we target customers in a relevant and timely way we will have more satisfied customers and also see improvement in our conversion figures," said Argos's Tinegate.
"Another way to look at this initiative is that it introduces Argos to thousands of online conversations every day, the actionable verbatim is invaluable," he added. According to Tinegate, customers tell the retailer that they appreciate the help, and therefore it will continue to offer the experience.