"Hello, I have a question for you." This sentence has been used by almost every customer who has ever turned to a merchant for advice on choosing a product, making a claim or returning it. What communication channel do Czechs prefer to use if they need advice from a trader or want to solve a problem with him? And how does artificial intelligence intervene today?

In the extensive Consumer Survey, which was prepared by the marketing agency Acomware together with Ipsos and Zásilkovna, respondents had, among other things, select the three most preferred channels, through which they prefer to ask e-shops or merchants various questions. E-mail, telephone contact and chat have thus entered the ranking of the Top 3 communication channels.

Most like and most often a Czech customer seeks communication with a merchant by e-mail, this method of communication is preferred by 74 % respondents. Just behind e-mail is telephone contact in the ranking of communication channels, the third most popular is live chat with an operator on the website.

That it is e-mail communication by a popular communication channel both for questions directed at the merchant and for communication from the merchant to the customer, companies today can effectively use not only in communication, in working with customer data, but also in customer care itself.

"The key competence of today's digital age is the art of keeping customer data from various communication channels in a clear and usable form, thereby responding in time to the potential danger of a 'dissatisfied' customer, whose negative feedback can undermine the credibility of your business," says David Vurma, CEO of Marketing agency Acomware.cz.

That's why today more and more companies are asking for and integrating so-called Customer Data Platforms (customer data platforms). They are the ones that allow you to work with customer data in real time.

Data is available in one place, real-time platforms provide information on customer behavior and they also record the type of communication, i.e. through which communication channel the customer was contacted (e.g. e-mails, SMS, paper letters). They can also be used for satisfaction surveys, for obtaining and clarifying feedback, for example by connecting a call center or using them to prepare automated personalized campaigns according to specific customer behavior. 

How are social networks doing?

“The survey showed that likes to communicate with traders via social networks used by 25 % respondents, with the younger generation the share is even larger, in the age group of 25 to 34 years, up to 35 % people prefer this communication channel.

As for the link with education, people with higher education rely less on telephone contact and value the web form significantly more," says Václav Stříteský from the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Economics in Prague, who participated in the survey from a methodological point of view.

It can be expected that in in the area of social networks, these numbers will continue to grow.

"This is mainly due to the fact that sales through social networks are growing year by year, and not only on Facebook. TikTok is also experiencing its boom as a sales channel. Companies should respond to this fact in time and be prepared for it in their marketing mix. For many of our clients, this year we compared to last year, they recorded an increase in sales through social networks, for some up to 30 %,Pavel Paradýs, head of the Blueglue creative agency, adds to the trend in social media.

Artificial intelligence shuffles the cards

According to the consumer survey, people still do not much prefer automatic conversation with a robot on the web (chatbot), only 13 % respondents are looking for it.

There have often been situations where a marketer has deployed simple chatbots programmed for a few of the most common scenarios. At the moment when the customer's request went out of the script, the chatbot referred him to the infoline. In addition, the answers were often too general and formal, leaving the customer feeling shortchanged and frustrated when he needed to solve his question or problem.

However, with artificial intelligence and GPT-type chatbots, everything can be different.

“Chat bots can simulate a conversation to make it seem like it's between two real people. In addition, the program can work both with pre-learned answers and use machine learning to create tailored answers. We can therefore expect a completely new generation of chatbots or virtual assistants, who will help not only with the order process or the return of goods, but also, for example, with the selection of suitable goods exactly according to the customer's requirements. Today, companies (whether small, medium or large) have understood that automation in the field of communication is becoming inevitable for them," thinks Vurma. 

The Packeta group, owner of the shipping company Zásilkovna, already has extensive experience with artificial intelligence.

"We see a great future in the use of artificial intelligence in customer communication. Already in 2021, we launched an intelligent voicebot that can talk to hundreds of customers at once. They do not have to wait on the line, because the voicebot responds to their request immediately. It significantly helps us manage, for example, the huge rush of calls in the pre-Christmas season. Our test shows that 85 % customers served exclusively by the voicebot are satisfied with its response. Of course, our customers can use all other available communication channels to communicate. We realize that our target group is broad and that everyone is comfortable with a different way of communication," says Helena Kodýmová, Head of Customer Experience of the Packeta group.

The consumer survey has been taking place regularly for several years since 2014, this time it was conducted among more than 1,000 respondents in the age category of 15+ across the entire Czech Republic. He mainly investigated attitudes towards shopping on the Internet and in brick-and-mortar stores, the main motivations and barriers to shopping, requirements for communication with e-shops and carriers, and interest in technological innovations when shopping online. The survey was created with the cooperation of the marketing agency Acomware, the transport company Zásilkovna and the leader in the field of research Ipsos. 

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Media Contact:

Jitka Gráfová – Marketing Communications Manager Acomware, jitka.grafova@acomware.cz

About Acomware  

Acomware is a marketing agency for e-commerce and digital marketing. It has been active on the market for over 20 years and helps companies achieve the best possible results in its environment. It increases sales, builds new brands or improves customer care. It prepares personalized campaigns directly tailored to customers, creates content that catches the eye, shoots video spots, takes care of clients' social networks and ensures the purchase of media space. The company's services are used by retail chains, e-shops and manufacturing companies. The Czech e-commerce scene is a home for Acomware, which it is actively trying to develop and cultivate. He participates in the development and implementation of new tools and technologies, trains experts and enthusiasts. He is the organizer of the Eshopista series of networking events. It also includes the creative agency Blueglue, which recently received awards in the Internet Effectiveness Awards 2022, IMC Czech Awards and the prestigious European creative competition Impact Awards. More at acomware.cz.