Press & Media

Voice Might Be The Most Important Technology You invest In For 2020

Voice control is the next evolution of human-machine interaction, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence, data collection, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

How Instagram’s New Checkout Will Impact Retailer’s and Advertisers

Instagram has long been a place for users to discover new brands through organic content and paid ads. Thanks to a new tool, users can now complete the entire customer journey without ever leaving the app.

Your Data Wont Get Results Without Context

In our digital world, customer centricity, the customer experience and personalization separate the winners from the losers. So it’s not a coincidence that the companies that invest in collecting customer data thrive.

How to Avoid Bias in Your AI Implementation

In most circles, the word “bias” has obviously negative connotations. Regarding the media, it means news is slanted one way or another. In science, it means preconceived notions led to inaccurate conclusions.

Facebook’s 24 + 1 policy and how it’s impacting brands

Incorporating the latest Messenger updates will help you drive business success

Progressing from One-Way Notifications to Two-Way Conversations

Retailers are finally grasping the significance of automated customer-service platforms and are ready to unleash them on the world.

The Evolution of Post-Purchase Solutions To Create a More Holistic Customer Journey

With the importance of customer experience (CX) firmly entrenched in their psyche, most successful retailers now understand that if they want to retain customers long term, they need to think about what happensafter shoppers hand over their credit card numbers.

Here’s 3 Ways To Build a Following Like Apple’s

Many business leaders focus on acquiring new customers when trying to grow. Although that’s an important component, it’s even more critical to retain the ones you have and give them a connection to your brand. Yet too many companies neglect this key concept of customer loyalty.

How Chatting on Social Media Could Bring Big Business Gains

With mobile sales at their highest point in history, experts are recommending that retailers invest in a strong mobile channel in order to stay competitive.

How the New Silo-Less Organization is Creating a CX Evolution

The customer experience (CX) doesn’t start when the customer arrives. Internal processes, methods and data are the building blocks — and perhaps the limiters — on the quality of every customer experience. To deliver experiences that will win customers back time and time again, brands are digging deeper than polished scripts, perfected web pages and better-branded communications.

The Ridge maxes customer experience with AI

The Ridge, a digitally native online retailer of proprietary, streamlined carbon fiber products such as wallets, phone cases, and backpacks, has chosen Linc’s AI-powered platform to provide shoppers with a cohesive experience across the whole buying experience.

4 Steps for Integrating Customer Care Automation Into Your Marketing Strategy

The era of noreply@brand.com is over—and the time for automated, conversational communications has arrived. Today’s consumers expect more from their most loved brands, and companies must evolve to deliver real-time engagement that satisfies customer needs and wants.

These three powerful brands are tapping into a powerful differentiator – and you can too

“Rising consumer expectations and increases in advertising expenses are driving the cost of customer acquisition and conversion through the roof. In fact, one study found an average increase of 65 percent in the past five years. This makes it tougher to compete, as it often means a net loss on the first order, and many customers never return. In order to stand out and strengthen profit-boosting customer loyalty, modern brands are turning to value-added services and automation to create an exceptional customer experience.”

The four-part plan for ‘hiring’ the perfect AI customer service agent

“The interview with a customer service applicant is underway. After looking at skills and background, it’s time to determine whether the applicant will be a good fit. You’ve conducted hundreds of interviews before, but this one’s a little different — you’re interviewing an agent that could handle thousands of conversations simultaneously and respond to customers in a personal way, without delay.”

Online health retailer gets real smart with AI-based customer interactions

“PureFormulas selected the Linc platform for its commerce-specialized natural language understanding, allowing the e-tailer to avoid the expense of developing a custom-built AI solution. Since launching AI-based, automated customer service, PureFormulas has seen increased customer engagement and conversions across more channels, improved customer experience as a result of instant order information and quicker resolution of questions, and heightened engagement from personalized recommendations and better access to customer data.”

The New Strategy For Lifetime Loyalty: Balancing ‘Products’ and Services’

“A company’s triumph in the modern “system” era depends more on customers’ experiences than how that company presents its brand. Consumers, then, shouldn’t have to decide between the “what” and the “how” of a brand: An engaging, interactive relationship is what’s needed to make customers feel that they’re a part of the organization.”

Six Challenges You Need To Conquer To Effectively Deliver Automated Customer Care

“As Forrester and other industry analyst firms predict, developing digital-first customer experiences that leverage the power of customer care automation to provide the highly contextual assistance is what’s need to meet today’s customers demand.“

5 ways to utilize chatbots for a better customer experience

“An opted-in, highly engaged audience that enjoys real-time service from preferred brands will set the foundation for the ROI that businesses need to see.“

Think Tank: Finding Your Brand’s Voice in the Age of Digital Assistants

“A majority of consumers that have bought voice assistants say there’s no way they would want to go back to their life before voice. The opportunity is real, but only for brands willing to step outside their traditional mind-set. Customers are ready and willing to build new habits and will be delighted by the services that can be offered through these familiar devices they use each day.”

Panel Discussion: Retaining and acquiring customers using AI

“We’re using AI not only to support customers in their transactional needs — like ‘Where’s my package’ or ‘Can I return a product?’ But we’re also using [bots] to acquire them again,” says Aarde Cosseboom, of TechStyle Fashion Group. “Some of our customers [contact us] to cancel, and we actually retain them with our AI machine learning bots.”

Perspectives: What AI Can, and Can’t, do for Retailers Today

Much of the buzz about the potential for artificial intelligence to transform retailing has little to do with reality. Here are some insights into how retailers can use AI today, and how to avoid getting sucked into hype-driven initiatives.

Voice Commerce: User First, Channel Second

“When working with an emerging technology – like voice-activated AI, for example – it is easy to get one’s head turned by novelty. The experience itself is highly novel – not to mention unique, noted Luke Starbuck, vice president of marketing at Linc Global – because unlike other attempts at digital navigation, it is not centered on a screen.”

Getting Tough On Returns is Hurting Retailers

“While retailers must figure out how to manage returns, getting overly tough with customers in such an environment could hurt their brand and impede opportunities to make the next sale, according to Linc VP of Marketing Luke Starbuck.”

Think Tank: This Holiday, Retailers Say Hello to Voice Commerce

“…according to our recent study in partnership with BrandGarage, 87 percent of the 104 retail executives we surveyed plan to increase the use of AI to service their customers moving forward.” –Luke Starbuck, VP Marketing, Linc

It’s Time to Take the Friction Out of Returns

“Instead of trying to stop returns altogether, retailers need to spend their energy embracing the natural behavior of returning as an opportunity to increase engagement and customer loyalty.” –Luke Starbuck, VP Marketing, Linc

And the winner of the latest Amazon-Best Buy deal is…

“Still, the Best Buy-Amazon partnership for Smart TV sales brings the companies closer than they had ever been before, according to Luke Starbuck, vice president of marketing at customer care automation platform Linc.”