How big brands are managing holiday shopping with AI

The increasing digitization of customer service has not diminished the importance of phone support, with call volumes expected to surge during the holiday shopping season, making artificial intelligence (AI) tools increasingly crucial for maintaining service quality.

Current landscape and trends: Customer care leaders globally anticipate a 20% increase in call volumes by 2026, with holiday periods like Cyber Week historically seeing spikes of up to 50% in customer support requests.

• Traditional phone support remains a preferred channel across age groups when self-service options fail to resolve issues
• UK research shows 84% of shoppers say positive Black Friday experiences influence their future loyalty to retailers
• The combination of increased sales and complex support issues creates significant challenges during peak shopping periods

AI-powered solutions and capabilities: Advanced AI tools are transforming customer service operations by streamlining processes and enhancing agent effectiveness.

• Text-based AI troubleshooting systems help manage basic inquiries, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues
• Generative AI interfaces enable quick searches through internal databases, providing agents with real-time insights
• Automated call summaries eliminate the need for customers to repeat their issues across multiple interactions

Sentiment analysis and emotional intelligence: Modern AI systems can now detect and analyze customer emotions in real-time, enabling more responsive and personalized service.

• Advanced language models can identify subtle changes in customer sentiment during interactions
• Live notifications alert supervisors when customers express negative emotions, enabling timely intervention
• Broader sentiment analysis across teams helps identify trends and optimize communication strategies

Implementation and practical benefits: AI integration into customer service operations provides tangible advantages for both businesses and customers.

• Automated systems help manage increased holiday call volumes without sacrificing service quality
• Real-time access to customer information and conversation histories improves response efficiency
• Data-driven insights enable more personalized customer interactions and improved service delivery

Future implications: As customer service demands continue to evolve, the role of AI in supporting human agents will become increasingly vital for maintaining high service standards, particularly during peak periods when the balance between efficiency and personalization is most challenging.