How to Use CX Data to Improve Marketing, Messaging & Conversions
TL;DR:
- Your support inbox is full of marketing gold. CX insights can sharpen messaging and inspire high-impact campaigns.
- Ticket data unlocks smarter segmentation. Use support interactions to build more relevant, behavior-based audiences.
- Chat campaigns work better with CX insights. Tackle objections in real time and lift conversions with proactive messages.
- Use objection data to reduce drop-offs. Identify common blockers and address them in product pages, ads, and chat prompts.
- Help Center stats guide better content. Turn top-searched questions into FAQs, landing pages, and ad copy.
Today’s best marketing starts with your customers.
According to Forrester’s 2024 research, “Customer-obsessed organizations reported 41% faster revenue growth, 49% faster profit growth, and 51% better customer retention than those at non-customer-obsessed organizations.”
Support teams interact with hundreds or thousands of customers every week, collecting valuable insights in the process. This voice of the customer (VOC) data is a goldmine for marketers, but it too often stays siloed among CX teams.
Ahead, we’ll break down how ecommerce brands can tap into CX insights to drive better marketing.
5 ways to use CX data to improve marketing
CX can play a crucial role in driving growth, but many brands aren’t leveraging it for marketing insights yet.
When connected to marketing, CX becomes a proactive engine that fuels better segmentation, sharper messaging, smarter campaigns, and more personalized content.
Support functions collect objections, complaints, compliments, and pre-purchase questions. When you capture and apply those insights, your marketing can target the precise roadblocks—and key sales differentiators—customers care about.
Here’s how to turn CX insights into a high-impact marketing strategy, with real examples from brands using Gorgias.
- Leverage ticket insights to improve messaging
- Segment customers based on support interactions
- Launch more targeted chat campaigns
- Reduce drop-offs and abandoned carts
- Monitor Help Center and Dashboard stats to craft smarter content
1) Leverage ticket insights to improve messaging
When you want to sharpen your brand messaging, there’s no better place to look than your support inbox. Your support inbox is a rich resource full of information specific to your brand and your customers.
Tools like Gorgias Ticket Insights help surface recurring themes, top questions, and friction points across all conversations. By analyzing these patterns, marketers can identify the exact words customers use to describe problems, questions, or product feedback and then reflect that language across ads, landing pages, and emails.
How to implement
Spikes in tickets around specific topics (sizing, shipping timelines, and materials, for example) are insights marketers can use to update and improve corresponding content.
This can increase confidence and conversion on key pages.
By incorporating the same terminology and phrasing customers use in support conversations, brands can also increase resonance across ads, emails, and social media. Messaging that mirrors the customer’s language builds trust and helps audiences feel understood.
Ask your CX team 💬 What product issues or themes have emerged this quarter?
For example, cordless heating cushion brand Stoov® used Ticket Fields in Gorgias to understand and resolve a ticket spike. By figuring out that some customers were dissatisfied with the battery life of its core product offering, the team was able to add an optional upsell. For €20, shoppers now have the option to purchase a larger battery.
The results were meaningful: the brand saw 50% of customers opt for this battery, resulting in a 10% increase in average order value (AOV). And while the team saw a significant increase in revenue, they saw no increase in support ticket volume.
2) Segment customers based on support interactions
Most marketers rely on transactional data—like past purchases or time since last order—to build audience segments. But support data reveals a whole new layer of context: behavior, concerns, sentiment, and urgency.
Tools like Gorgias’s Ticket Insights and Ticket Fields allow CX teams to customize different properties attached to tickets. Agents can fill these out to capture data more accurately.
Here’s how these types of tools work: tickets come with a mandatory field for return reasons, product feedback, contact reason, etc. Before the agent closes the ticket, they use a dropdown menu to fill out the ticket field.
How to implement
Studying support interactions helps answer key questions around why customers are getting in touch. This data can provide marketing teams with a way to build smarter segments for campaigns or personalized journeys.
For example, if one product is getting a large amount of inquiries, marketing teams could segment customers interested in those products and launch pre-sales education campaigns.
Fashion brand Psycho Bunny switched from Zendesk to Gorgias to improve access to reporting tools that surfaced customer patterns and support trends.
“By cross-referencing our Gorgias data with insights around basket size, product performance, and store performance, we can inform broader business decisions. For example, we can see if a certain store location generated more tickets or how many incoming queries are about a certain product,” says Jean-Aymeri de Magistris, VP IT, Data & Analytics, and PMO at Psycho Bunny.
By integrating insights like these with marketing workflows, teams can build more relevant segments that improve retention and engagement.
Ask your CX team 💬 Which customer segments are most likely to churn or repurchase?
3) Launch more targeted chat campaigns
Chat campaigns are proactive messages that trigger based on real-time behavior and context. You can use CX trends to design campaigns that directly address common objections, answer FAQs, or deliver tailored offers.
How to implement
Start by reviewing your most common pre-purchase questions with your CX team. Then, create chat prompts that address those concerns exactly where they arise. For example, a sizing guide prompt on product pages or a shipping FAQ in the cart.
Make sure your message feels helpful and not overly salesy. Conversational AI assistants like AI Agent can also tailor responses in real-time, helping customers get what they need without leaving the page.
Pepper, a size-inclusive bra brand, put this into practice by combining their AI Agent (named Penelope) with targeted chat campaigns to guide shoppers through one of their most common friction points: sizing. Thanks to insights from their support team, Pepper created messaging that helped customers find the right fit instantly. The result was an 18% uplift in average order value.
“With AI Agent, we’re not just putting information in our customers’ hands; we’re putting bras in their hands. With Penelope on board, we’re turning customer support from a cost center to a revenue generator,” says Gabrielle McWhirter, CX Operations Lead at Pepper.
Ask your CX team 💬 How are customers reacting to recent promotions or launches?
4) Reduce drop-offs and abandoned carts
When shoppers hesitate at checkout, it’s often because they don’t have the information they need.
Tapping into support conversations allows CX teams to identify common objections. They can then share those insights with marketing to refine product messaging, improve product pages, ads, and marketing campaigns.
How to implement
Use customer service data to identify the top three objections customers have before converting. These might be concerns about sizing, compatibility, delivery time, or product setup. Then, pair that knowledge with a proactive AI sales tool like Shopping Assistant to offer timely answers that move shoppers closer to purchase.
For example, TUSHY, a modern bidet company, found that many prospective customers were hesitant because they weren’t sure how difficult the installation would be. By using a real-time shopping assistant to address these concerns directly on-site, TUSHY was able to guide shoppers past uncertainty.
Ask your CX team 💬 What are the top three reasons customers contact us before they buy?
5) Monitor Help Center and Dashboard stats to craft smarter content
If you want to know what content your customers actually need, your Help Center holds the answers. Real customer questions are found right in Help Center search queries and article analytics.
By tracking which articles are most viewed, most searched, and most frequently updated, marketers can spot common knowledge gaps and fill them with high-value content.
How to implement
Start by reviewing your Help Center Statistics to see which articles are performing well, which ones are underutilized, and what terms customers are searching for.
If an article about “returns policy” is getting a spike in views, that’s your cue to simplify the policy or preempt questions with a dedicated email campaign. Marketing teams could also use this insight to build FAQ-rich landing pages, preempt questions in email flows, or even turn top-performing help content into organic blog posts or performance ad copy.
You can also use Gorgias's Dashboard to spot emerging trends across all your channels. This custom reporting feature lets you choose from various charts that reveal high-level patterns—like the most common contact reasons or sudden spikes in ticket volume—giving marketers early insight into shifting customer sentiment and trending topics across social platforms.
Ask your CX team 💬 Which articles in our Help Center are most searched right now?
Find alignment between CX and marketing teams
When support and marketing teams collaborate, you unlock a cycle of continuous improvement. CX teams surface the insights, marketing turns them into strategy, and both sides drive measurable results.
Here’s how to make it work:
- Set up recurring syncs between CX and marketing teams to review insights from customer service reports.
- Involve support in campaign planning to consider what customer objections might come up.
- Encourage CX to tag tickets based on themes or behavior that marketing can act on.
Unlock revenue by listening to your customers
We need to reframe CX as a proactive function that drives revenue.
Support teams already have the answers marketers are searching for. You just need the tools to tap into them. Gorgias makes that easy, with flexible reporting features, powerful AI, automated tagging, and integrations that bridge the gap between CX and marketing.
Want to connect your support data to better marketing?
Explore Gorgias’s analytics tools or book a demo to speak to a product expert about how to integrate your support strategy with marketing.
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TL;DR:
- Ecommerce brands not using AI are falling behind, as 77.2% already use it daily to boost efficiency and revenue.
- AI saves time and cuts costs, like Trove Brands saving $23K/month and reducing cancellations by 70%.
- Customers want speed and privacy—AI provides fast, judgment-free answers in sensitive categories.
- AI empowers support teams by handling routine tasks so agents can focus on high-value interactions.
Doing nothing when there’s rapid change happening in an industry is risky business.
Right now, according to our latest report, 2025 Ecommerce Trends, 77.2% of ecommerce professionals are already using AI in their day-to-day work. What happens if you’re part of the 22.8% that isn’t?
Inaction is action—one that’s a quiet drain on revenue, resources, and reputation.
Every minute spent on manual work is a minute your competitors are focusing on higher-value customer interactions, improving CX, testing offers, and scaling campaigns.
And the cost of falling behind is compounding fast. Here’s what you’re losing when you pass on AI.
Time lost = money lost
As support volume grows, so does the cost of inefficiency.
Nearly 80% of CX professionals say AI saves them time. In fact, 83.9% of support leaders using AI in Gorgias say it has made their teams more efficient.
Trove Brands experienced this firsthand:
- They reduced missed cancellations by 70%
- And saved $23,000/month in labor costs by automating repetitive support tasks
If AI can handle 70% of your support tickets, your team finally has the time—and headspace—to focus on the 30% that actually builds trust, drives repeat revenue, and improves the customer experience.
Trust when customers need it most
Hot take: AI isn’t impersonal. Not using it is.
In 2024, nearly one-third of CX leaders worried AI would make interactions feel less human. A year later, that number dropped by half.
Why? Brands started to see that AI wasn’t hurting the customer experience, it was removing friction from it.
For sensitive or personal products—think wellness supplements, intimate gifts, or anything a shopper might feel awkward asking about—AI creates space for honesty without judgment. And that can change the outcome entirely.
“Too often, a great interaction is diminished when a customer feels reduced to just another transaction,” said Ren Fuller-Wasserman, Senior Director of Customer Experience at TUSHY. “With AI, we let the tech handle the selling—unabashedly, if needed—so our future customers can ask anything, even the questions they might be too shy to bring up with a human. In the end, everyone wins.”
It’s a powerful point, especially for brands where discretion matters. AI removes that barrier.
You're losing trust if your support experience still makes customers hesitate. For many, that means being able to get an answer without needing to explain themselves first.
Revenue hiding behind unanswered questions
Every unanswered pre-sale question or missed upsell is revenue slipping through your fingers.
Product recommendations alone have the potential to increase revenue by up to 300%, boost conversion rates by 150%, and drive 50% higher AOV. But those results don’t come from hoping customers find what they need. They come from proactively guiding them.
That’s where AI comes in.
With Gorgias AI Agent and automation features, for example, Kirby Allison
- Increased conversions by 23%
- Grew sales from support by 46% in just two months
“Our favorite features are definitely Flows and Article Recommendations. They drive so much automation for us. Shoppers get answers to their questions by themselves—what’s the right size hanger, where is my order, what shoe polish would you recommend, etc,” said Addison Debter, Head of Customer Service.
Flows let Kirby Allison surface up to six commonly asked questions directly in the chat widget. When clicked, each one opens a relevant help article—no agent needed.
Auto responses also allowed the team to handle common inquiries like sizing, shipping, and order tracking before a human ever steps in.
If your support team isn’t set up to handle pre-sale conversations at scale, the cost isn’t just in time. It’s in all the revenue you never realize you’re missing.
A CX team stretched thin
It might sound counterintuitive, but AI gives your team more space to be human.
The myth that AI replaces agents is still floating around in some circles, but the reality inside fast-growing ecommerce teams looks different.
In fact, AI frees up time for your team to focus on what they do best: solving complex problems, building relationships, and creating moments that actually drive loyalty.
SuitShop is a perfect example of this in action. When the team adopted AI Agent, they paired automation with intentional escalation:
“We’re helping customers feel confident during some of the most important moments in their lives—weddings, proms, job interviews, and everything in between. Naturally, my biggest concern with introducing AI was: ‘Will customers feel like they’re getting the same level of care from AI?’ But learning that AI Agent would pull knowledge from our Help Center articles and Macros, which are already written in our brand voice, made me feel more confident,” said Katy Eriks, Director of Customer Experience.
AI was able to handle common pre-sale questions like shipping timelines and product availability, while human agents stepped in for customizations, wedding-specific questions, and tailored styling support.
The goal wasn’t to remove the human element. It was to give their agents the time and context to show up more meaningfully.
The longer you wait, the harder it is to catch up
In just one year, AI adoption among Gorgias users jumped from 69.2% in 2024 to 77.2% in 2025.
Excitement is rising, too: 55.3% of ecommerce professionals now rate their interest in AI as 8–10 out of 10, up from 45.6% the year prior.
AI is no longer in its experimental phase. It’s the standard, baked into everyday workflows across ecommerce.
If you’re still on the sidelines, 2026 is going to feel like a catch-up game.
The good news? You don’t have to overhaul everything to get started.
So while we’re on the topic of speed, let’s walk through how to start implementing AI for your brand.
How to get started with AI
You don’t need to automate everything on day one. The best CX teams start small, pick the right entry points, and give AI the same level of care you’d give a new team member. Here’s how to roll out AI in a way that actually works:
1. Vet your options thoughtfully
When searching for a new AI tool to help you manage CX, look for one that:
- Offers strong tone-of-voice control so your AI doesn’t sound like a chatbot from 2012
- Delivers consistently accurate responses, even as inputs and workflows evolve
- Provides real post-sale support to help your team troubleshoot, train, and scale usage
Price matters, but it shouldn’t be your only filter.
Also, AI should make your team feel more capable. If it feels like a bolt-on or requires constant developer help, it’s going to create friction, not solve it.
2. Make someone own it
The most successful AI implementations all have one thing in common: someone owns it.
“One of our CX Managers spent 30–40 hours a week building and refining AI. That ownership was critical,” said Sarah Azzaoui, VP of Customer Experience at Clove, when she was explaining how her team first got started with AI.
What many people don’t realize is that AI isn’t going to be perfect out of the gate. AI takes real time and intention to build out. Assigning a clear point person—or better, a small squad—ensures someone is tracking performance, making optimizations, and flagging edge cases.
3. Involve your CX team from the start
No one knows your customer conversations better than your support team. They see the full range of questions, tone, friction points, and emotional nuance every day.
Bringing them into the AI rollout early helps you:
- Identify which questions are repetitive and low-stakes
- Flag which issues should always be handled by a human
- Set realistic expectations across the org about what AI should handle vs. what it could handle
This step also builds trust. If your agents feel like AI is something being done with them instead of to them, adoption is smoother and the outcomes are better.
4. Start small with the right topics
One of the biggest mistakes brands make with AI is trying to do too much, too soon. AI rollout should feel like a phased launch, not a switch flip.
Start in a test environment if your platform allows for it. Roll out automation in stages—by topic, channel, or ticket type—and QA every step of the way.
We suggest beginning with high-volume, low-complexity tickets like:
- “Where’s my order?”
- Subscription pauses or cancellations
- Returns and exchanges
- Store policies and FAQs
Platforms like Gorgias offer tools like Auto QA that track whether AI responses hit the right tone, offer accurate answers, and resolve issues effectively. Use those tools to catch gaps early and monitor performance over time.
That slow, deliberate rollout pays off in performance. At Psycho Bunny, AI Agent now automates 30% of customer tickets, with custom messaging that reflects their brand tone and processes.
Once you’re ready to scale, you’ll feel more confident that the simple queries are handled correctly while you start to train the AI on more nuanced questions.
For example, Gorgias’s Guidance feature gives AI access to non-public SOPs so it knows how to respond or when to escalate.
“The Guidance feature is so important,” said Tosha Moyer, Senior Customer Experience Manager at Psycho Bunny. “We have a lot of processes that we definitely don’t want described in a customer-facing article, but we want AI Agent to be able to access that information and manage tickets accordingly.”
5. Prep your knowledge base
Even the best AI platform can’t succeed without solid inputs.
Before you roll out, take a hard look at your help docs and macros:
- Are they accurate?
- Are they clear and consistent in tone?
- Are they tagged so AI can understand when to use them?
Think of this step as training your AI. The stronger your internal content library, the more helpful and brand-aligned your AI will be across every channel.
6. Communicate with customers
Whether you disclose AI usage is up to you, but be intentional.
Some brands choose anonymity for a more seamless experience. Others find that transparency builds trust, especially when something goes wrong.
What matters most is that your approach aligns with your brand tone and customer expectations—and that clear escalation paths are in place if a conversation needs a human.
Research shows that 85% of consumers want companies to share their AI assurance practices before rolling out AI-powered experiences. Customers are open to AI. But they expect clarity when it counts.
7. Scale the program over time
Once you’ve built the foundation, scaling AI across your CX org becomes a lot easier.
“We started with cancellations. Now we’re rolling out warranty claims, retention campaigns, and more,” said the team at Trove Brands.
After proving value with one or two ticket types, look for opportunities to expand:
- Pre-purchase product recommendations
- Exit-intent offers via chat
- Predictive personalization
- Multichannel automation across email, SMS, and live chat
The goal is to implement smarter automation that makes your team more effective and your customers more supported.
The future is human + AI
The best CX teams aren’t choosing between AI and human agents. They’re choosing both and building stronger systems because of it.
“It’s not human agents vs. AI,” said the team at Clove. “Our team helped shape the AI strategy—and that changed everything.”
But ignoring AI? That comes at a cost. And it’s not just inefficiency. It’s:
- Missed sales from unanswered questions
- Slower support that erodes customer trust
- Burnt-out teams stuck in reactive mode
- Lower CSAT from inconsistent experiences
- And eventually, falling behind as the rest of the market moves forward
It’s time to build it into your workflows. Not just as a helper, but as a core part of your team.
Start using Gorgias AI Agent to reduce ticket load, recapture revenue, and deliver the kind of support that actually feels personal.
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TL;DR:
- Actions are tasks automatically performed by AI Agent for customers. From address changes and subscription pauses to order cancellations, Actions can fulfill requests for your customers, even when your human agents are offline.
- Actions connect directly to your ecommerce apps. Currently, Actions have native integrations with Shopify, ShipMonk, ShipHero, ShipStation, Stay AI, Recharge, Loop, Subscriptions by Loop, Skio, Seal Subscriptions, and Wonderment.
- Use pre-built Actions or build your own. There are 12 Action templates available, or you can build Actions using custom HTTP requests.
- Watch out for setup snags. Conflicting Guidance, multiple matching Actions, older orders, or broken logic can block an Action from executing.
Automated responses don’t actually resolve anything. In reality, they increase customer wait time.
What a customer really wants is immediate resolution, whether they’re looking to cancel an order, change a shipping address, or pause a subscription.
So, how do you go beyond automated text responses? AI Agent Actions.
Below, we’ll go over the 7 most common customer service requests you can resolve with AI Agent Actions, so your team gets time back to strengthen customer relationships, increase revenue, and improve your CX strategy.
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What are AI Agent Actions?
AI Agent Actions are tasks AI Agent can complete for your customers, such as canceling an order or updating a shipping address.
Instead of handing it off to a human agent, AI Agent resolves the ticket by connecting to your ecommerce apps and performing the action on its own.
You get maximum control over when and how Actions are executed. Before performing the Action, AI Agent asks customers for confirmation, respecting your processes and maintaining a high level of customer service. Once an Action has been taken, you can even share feedback with your AI Agent to reinforce its behavior or finetune it further.
Pro Tip: Unlike Guidance, which tells AI Agent how to respond in a conversation, Actions determine what happens. It’s the difference between saying “I’ll refund your order” and doing it.
Related: How AI Agent works & gathers data
Top 7 customer requests you should be automating with AI Agent Actions
Ready to resolve requests in seconds? Activate these pre-built Actions in Gorgias to keep your team efficient and your customers happy.
1. Customer wants to update their shipping address
Action to use: Update shipping address
Supported apps: Shopify, ShipMonk, ShipHero, ShipStation
Incorrect shipping addresses lead to costly re-shipments, delays, and even refunds. Catch errors early to keep customers satisfied and excited about their order.
Why do you need this Action?
The reality is your agents aren’t available 24/7. Unless you hire a team to cover night and weekend shifts (which is unlikely), requests will be missed. AI Agent fills in that gap, handling time-sensitive issues when your team is off the clock. Missing them isn’t just about poor customer experience—it can also lead to extra costs, like reshipping orders.
2. Customer wants to cancel an order
Action to use: Cancel order
Supported apps: Shopify, ShipMonk, ShipHero, ShipStation
Perhaps a customer ordered the wrong item, chose the wrong size, used the wrong card, or simply changed their mind. Allow them to quickly cancel their order and receive a refund in one go.
“Actions responds to tickets within about 30 seconds and is available 24/7. Regardless of when a customer places their order, the likelihood of quickly catching and canceling the order has increased by 70% since we started using Actions. It’s an exceptional result."
—Jon Clare, VP of Customer Service at Trove Brands
3. Customer wants to replace/remove an item in their order
Actions to use:
- Replace item, or
- Remove item
Supported app: Shopify
It happens—shoppers order the wrong size or color and want to change their order immediately. Regardless of the reason, make their new decision easy to implement. Quick, accessible order updates prevent returns, lost revenue, and, most importantly, customer disappointment.
Here’s what the replace order item setup looks like in Gorgias:
Pro Tip: If you have unique workflows, you can create advanced, multi-step Actions and connect to your tools beyond our default integrations. This option requires some tech know-how (like custom HTTP requests), so feel free to bring in your developers for assistance.
4. Customer wants to skip or pause a shipment
Actions to use:
- Skip next subscription shipment, or
- Pause subscription
Supported apps: Stay AI, Recharge, Subscriptions by Loop, Skio, Seal Subscriptions
Subscriptions shouldn’t be all or nothing. Let customers skip a shipment or pause their subscription, so they can come back when they’re ready. Giving them full control lets them manage their subscription on their own terms, reducing churn rate in the process.
Here’s how AI Agent handles a skip shipment request:
5. Customer lost or damaged their order in transit
Action to use: Reship order for free
Supported apps: Shopify, ShipMonk
No customer expects a lost or damaged order. Let customers know that you have their backs by reshipping a new order free of charge. Fast resolutions during unexpected events demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.
“An instant response builds confidence. We live in a world with short attention spans, so customers appreciate how quickly we can respond to their inquiries. Customers aren’t worrying unnecessarily for longer than they have to for an address change or order cancellation.”
—Mia Chapa, Sr. Director of Customer Experience at Glamnetic
6. Customer wants to know their return shipping status
Action to use: Send return shipping status
Supported app: Loop
Customers want to know that their return package is on its way to you, so they can redeem their refund. Easily send them a shipment tracking link to give them that peace of mind.
7. Customer wants to know about order status
Action to use: Get order info
Supported apps: Shopify, ShipHero, ShipMonk, ShipStation, ShipBob, Wonderment
Based on Gorgias data, order status ranks among customers' top 10 questions for support teams. Reassure your customers with quick updates on their orders, including product details, shipping progress, expected delivery date, and other helpful information.
What to know before turning on Actions
Here are a few helpful setup tips to make sure Actions run without a hitch:
- Guidance can override Actions. If conflicting Guidance exists, it may prevent an Action from triggering, even when all conditions are met. Review your Guidance to avoid overlaps, or write your logic into the Action description instead.
- Any Action that changes data requires shopper confirmation. Actions like canceling orders, updating addresses, or canceling subscriptions mean AI Agent will always ask the shopper to confirm before making a change.
- Currently, only one Action can run per ticket. If multiple Actions qualify, none will run, and the ticket will be handed off. Use conditions carefully to ensure only one Action matches per use case.
- AI Agent can only access the shopper’s last 10 orders. If the customer references an older order, the Action won’t trigger and the ticket will be handed over for manual handling.
AI Agent Actions speak louder than words
If you want…
- Fewer repetitive tickets
- Faster customer support
- Happier customers who get what they need instantly
- More time for your team to strategize
- Lower costs and higher efficiency
AI Agent Actions can get you there.
You’ve now seen how Actions can resolve tickets in a snap—no unnecessary handoffs, canned responses, or long response times.
Book a demo to see AI Agent Actions work in real time and start automating what you shouldn’t be doing manually anymore.
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How to Write Guidance with the “When, If, Then” Framework
TL;DR:
- AI Agent is only as good as the instructions you give it. Clear Guidance enables it to perform like your best support teammate.
- The “When, If, Then” framework makes writing Guidance easy and repeatable. Start with the scenario (when), define the conditions (if), and list specific actions (then) to create structured Guidance.
- Use Guidance to handle frequently asked questions, like returns, cancellations, or discount code inquiries, so your team can focus on more complex issues.
- If your Guidance isn’t working, formatting or logic gaps might be to blame. Check for missing conditions, unsupported tasks, or confusing formatting.
AI Agent is built to deliver fast, accurate support at scale, but like any teammate, it performs best when given clear and specific instructions.
That’s where Guidance comes in. Writing structured prompts that tell your AI Agent exactly what to do in a given scenario helps reduce escalations, speed up resolutions, and create a more consistent customer experience.
One simple, repeatable way to do that is with the “When, If, Then” framework.
In this post, we’ll show you how it works, using examples from our Gorgias Academy course, Improve AI Agent with Better Guidance.
You’ll learn how to write Guidance that results in:
- Fewer escalations
- Faster resolutions
- Smarter, more consistent AI behavior
Let’s break it down.
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What is Guidance?
Guidance is how you tell your AI Agent what to do. It’s a set of instructions that outlines how your AI Agent should respond in specific situations.
When Guidance is available, your AI Agent follows it first, even before checking your Help Center or website content.
That means if your Guidance is missing, unclear, or incomplete, your AI Agent might escalate the ticket, or worse, give a confusing or unhelpful response. Here’s an example:
Let’s say a customer wants to return an item. A human agent would send them a link to the return portal and explain the steps. But without that instruction in Guidance, your AI Agent might skip straight to escalation, turning a simple request into unnecessary work for your team.
That’s why clear, step-by-step Guidance is key to help your AI Agent respond the way your best support agent would.
Learn more: Create Guidance to give AI Agent custom instructions
Introducing the “When, If, Then” framework
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when writing Guidance. The “When, If, Then” framework gives you a simple, repeatable structure to follow, so there’s no need to guess.
Taking this approach mirrors how AI Agent processes information behind the scenes. When you write clear Guidance, your AI Agent can follow it step by step, just like a support teammate would.
Let’s walk through the three parts of the framework.
WHEN: Set the scenario
Start by identifying the situation your Guidance applies to. This is the trigger or scenario. Use it as the title of your Guidance so it’s easy to find later.
Example:
- WHEN a shopper asks to return an order
- WHEN a customer wants to cancel their subscription
Keep it simple and action-oriented. You’re setting the stage for what comes next.
IF: Add conditions
Once you’ve defined the scenario, add any conditions that determine what should happen. “If” statements help your AI Agent understand what to do based on specific details, like timing, order history, or customer tags.
Example:
- IF the order was placed less than or equal to 15 days ago
- IF the customer has a VIP tag in Shopify
Use as many “if” conditions as needed to guide different outcomes. Just make sure you cover all the possibilities so your AI Agent doesn’t get stuck.
THEN: Define the actions
This is where you tell your AI Agent exactly what to do. Be specific and use bullet points or numbered steps to keep things clear.
Example:
- Tell the shopper they’re eligible for a return
- Send them a link to the return portal
- Let them know they’ll receive a prepaid label once the form is submitted
The more clearly you outline the steps, the more consistently your AI Agent will perform.
The framework keeps your Guidance simple, structured, and easy to understand—for both your team and your AI Agent. When your AI Agent knows exactly what to do, it can deliver fast, accurate, and helpful responses that keep customers happy.
Put it all together
Say a shopper messages your store asking to return an item and you want AI Agent to send them to your return portal.
Here’s how this looks in a complete piece of Guidance:
WHEN a shopper asks to return an order:
IF the order was placed less than or equal to 15 days ago,
THEN
- Tell the shopper they’re eligible for a return
- Send them a link to the return portal
- Let them know they’ll receive a prepaid label via email once they submit the form
9 support scenarios made better with Guidance
These nine scenarios come up constantly in ecommerce support, and they’re perfect candidates for automation. They follow predictable patterns and are quick to resolve when your AI Agent knows what to do.
Use the examples below to jumpstart your setup. Each one is written using the When, If, Then framework and can be copied directly into Gorgias.
1. Where’s my order? (WISMO)
WHEN a customer asks about their order status:
IF tracking information is available,
THEN
- Provide the tracking number and link to the carrier's tracking page.
- Inform the customer of the expected delivery date.
IF tracking information is unavailable,
THEN
- Inform the customer that the order is being prepared for shipment.
- Provide an estimated shipping date.
2. What size should I order?
WHEN a customer inquires about product sizing for [item name]:
IF the customer asks what size to get, or mentions they’re unsure about sizing,
THEN
- Share the sizing chart or guide.
- Offer recommendations based on common fit feedback.
3. Can I change my shipping address?
WHEN a customer requests to change their shipping address:
IF the order has not been fulfilled,
THEN
- Confirm the new address with the customer.
- Update the shipping address in Shopify (or your chosen platform).
IF the order has already been fulfilled,
THEN
- Inform the customer that the address cannot be changed.
- Provide options for order interception or return.
4. Can I cancel my order?
WHEN a customer asks to cancel their order:
IF the order has not been fulfilled,
THEN
- Confirm that we can cancel their order.
- Tell them they’ll receive their refund in 5-10 business days.
IF the order has already been fulfilled,
THEN
- Inform the customer that the order cannot be cancelled.
- Help to initiate a return once the item is delivered.
5. How do I return an item?
WHEN a customer asks about returning an item:
IF the return is within the allowed return window of [x] days after the order was received,
THEN
- Provide the return instructions and link to the return portal.
- Inform the customer about the refund process.
IF the return window has expired,
THEN
- Inform the customer that the return period has ended.
- Offer alternative solutions if available.
6. Do you have any discount codes?
WHEN a customer inquires about discounts or promo codes:
IF there is an active promotion for [item name],
THEN
- Share the current discount code and its terms.
IF there are no active promotions for [item name],
THEN
- Inform the customer that there are no current promotions.
- Suggest subscribing to the newsletter or following social media for future promos.
7. I want to pause my subscription.
WHEN a customer requests to pause their subscription:
IF the customer has an active subscription,
THEN
- Provide instructions on how to pause the subscription through their account.
- Confirm the pause and inform them of the next billing date.
8. When will this item be back in stock?
WHEN a customer asks about product restocking:
IF a restock date is available,
THEN
- Inform the customer of the expected restock date.
IF the restock date is unknown,
THEN
- Offer to notify the customer when the product is back in stock.
- Suggest similar products.
9. Do you ship internationally?
WHEN a customer inquires about international shipping:
IF international shipping is available,
THEN
- Confirm that international shipping is offered.
- Provide estimated delivery times and any additional fees.
IF international shipping is not available,
THEN
- Inform the customer that shipping is limited to specific regions.
Pro Tip: Test out your Guidance by going to AI Agent > Test, and iterate as you go.
Troubleshooting: Why Guidance might not trigger
If your AI Agent isn’t following your Guidance, or it’s escalating tickets you thought it could handle, run through this quick checklist to spot the issue:
- Has a descriptive, easy-to-understand name: Name your Guidance based on the scenario (e.g. When a shopper asks about returns).
- Clear IF and THEN conditions: Make sure your Guidance spells out what to do when a condition is met.
- Covers all variations (no gaps in logic): Don’t leave your AI Agent hanging. Include fallback instructions for all scenarios.
- No wall-of-text formatting: Break things up with line breaks, headers, and spacing to help AI Agent scan quickly.
- Clearly written steps with bullets or numbers: Use lists to make actions easy to follow, like you would for a teammate.
- Doesn’t include unsupported tasks: Avoid unsupported instructions like “send macro,” “assign to agent,” or “delay the response.”
Bonus: Let AI do the heavy lifting
Don’t have time to write Guidance from scratch? The good news is AI can help with that, too.
AI-generated Guidance is available for all AI Agent subscribers. This feature analyzes your historical ticket data and uses it to generate ready-to-use, customizable prompts for your AI Agent.
Here’s what it does:
- Analyzes past tickets to identify common support scenarios
- Generates step-by-step Guidance based on what’s worked before
Ready to level up your Guidance?
Clear, structured Guidance is the key to unlocking better performance from your AI Agent. With just one well-written “When, If, Then” prompt, you can reduce escalations, speed up resolutions, and give your shoppers a smoother experience.
Not sure where to start? Try writing Guidance for one common question today—like returns, order status, or promo codes. Or, if you want to go deeper, check out our free Gorgias Academy course.
When Should You Migrate Helpdesks? 5 Signs to Watch Out For
TL;DR:
- Your helpdesk shouldn't hold you back. If your team is buried in tickets or bouncing between tools, your platform might be the problem—not your process.
- Rising ticket volumes, slower response times, and clunky integrations are signs you’ve outgrown your platform. Don’t wait for these issues to impact revenue or retention.
- You’re not alone—fast-growing brands hit these roadblocks too. Dr. Bronner’s, Psycho Bunny, and Audien Hearing all switched platforms to support bigger growth with less friction.
- Helpdesk migration doesn’t have to be scary. With the right migration support, you can move quickly, avoid downtime, and give your team a tool they actually want to use.
As ticket volume grows, even the best CX teams start running into roadblocks: limited integrations, repetitive manual work, clunky interfaces, and slower response times. You patch things together. You make it work... until you can’t.
Many growing ecommerce brands find themselves trapped in a system that demands constant workarounds just to function.
If your current customer service platform feels more like a burden than a backbone, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck.
In this post, we’ll walk through:
- The key signs it’s time to switch platforms
- What to prioritize when choosing your next one
- How brands like Pepper made a smooth move to Gorgias
The 5 warning signs you’ve outgrown your helpdesk
There’s a tipping point most brands hit as they scale. The signs are subtle at first—maybe your agents are taking longer to respond, or the volume of customer support tickets quietly outpaces your team. Then it starts affecting revenue, customer satisfaction, and retention. Big yikes.
Left unchecked, small inefficiencies can snowball into bigger operational challenges.
Catch these warning signs before they start costing you growth:
1. Rising ticket volume and slower resolution times
Support teams that are always playing catch-up rarely have time to focus on higher-value work. If your inbox is constantly overflowing or first response times are creeping up, it’s likely a sign your tools aren’t scaling with your business.
That’s exactly what happened with apparel brand Psycho Bunny.
“As we grew and expanded, we needed a tool that was better suited for Shopify, easier to manage, and offered better support to help us get the most out of the tool,” said Jean-Aymeri de Magistris, VP IT, Data & Analytics, and PMO at Psycho Bunny.
2. Agents constantly toggling between tabs and tools
If your agents are spending more time gathering context than solving problems, you’re losing time (and likely, patience) on both sides of the conversation. Fragmented tools can seriously undercut productivity.
Dr. Bronner’s experienced this firsthand, juggling Salesforce, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems.
“When I joined, we were logging calls and emails in Excel. It wasn’t scalable,” recalled Emily McEnany, Senior CX Manager at Dr. Bronner’s.
3. Clunky or missing integrations with your ecommerce stack
Some platforms require technical support even for small changes, such as custom workflows, new automations, or basic integrations. That may work at the start, but it becomes a bottleneck as your brand grows.
Disconnected systems strip away context, increasing the risk of mistakes. Whether it’s pulling up an order status or managing a return, agents need tools that work together, not against each other.
4. You’re stuck answering the same questions over and over
Every support team deals with repetitive inquiries. But without automation or self-service options, those tickets eat into your team’s time and keep you from focusing on higher-impact conversations.
Nude Project struggled to keep up with their ticket volume due to Zendesk’s lack of intuitive automation features. During Black Friday, the team received a record-high number of tickets—more than double their average volume.
“Connecting with customers through a screen is not always easy. With the high volume of messages, we need a tool that simplifies operational tasks while enabling effective communication and organization,” said Raquel J. Méndez, CX Manager at Nude Project.
5. Onboarding takes too long
Your platform should be easy for new hires to learn and for your team to evolve with. If ramping up agents takes weeks (or months), the platform might be getting in the way more than it’s helping.
Arcade Belts went through this process, trying one system, then switching back to one that better matched their needs.
“It just took a demo or two to realize what was actually going to support our team the way we needed,” their Ecommerce Coordinator, Grant, shared.
If any of these challenges sound familiar, you’re not alone.
The important part is recognizing when you’ve outgrown your current setup—and knowing that there are options out there to help you move faster.
What to look for when switching CX platforms
Switching platforms isn’t just about solving today’s problems. It’s about creating space for your team to be efficient, serve customers better, and turn support from a cost center into a real growth engine.
Need to migrate to a new platform? Look for the following:
1. A system that keeps up with rising ticket volumes
As your brand grows, support volume naturally increases.
Find a stable infrastructure that can handle that growth, has zero platform lag, and a robust engineering team that continuously makes the tool better for your needs.
To Psycho Bunny, Zendesk was a “legacy tool”—so they switched to Gorgias.
In just a few weeks, they migrated all historical conversations, tags, and Macros to Gorgias. Jean-Aymeri, their VP IT, credits Gorgias’s helpful onboarding specialists for making it effortless to integrate their apps and onboard their team onto a brand new tool.
Related: The engineering work that keeps Gorgias running smoothly
2. Automation for repetitive tasks (that maintains the human touch)
From “where’s my order” questions to return policies, prioritize AI tools that can automate repetitive inquiries.
Dr. Bronner’s implemented AI Agent to handle rising volumes of FAQs, allowing their team to focus on complex requests that require a human touch.
In just two months, they saw:
- 45% of all customer service tickets automated
- $100,000 saved per year by switching from Salesforce to Gorgias
- 4 days per month in team time savings
- 11% higher customer satisfaction score
By systematizing the simple stuff, they freed up bandwidth to focus on what matters most—building relationships and solving more nuanced problems.
3. Built-in features that turn support into sales
More brands are rethinking how support contributes to revenue. Look for a tool that combines support and sales. The most effective ones use AI to initiate upselling conversations, so your team can generate new revenue without needing to scale headcount at the same rate.
For jewelry brand Caitlyn Minimalist, which normally saw 30,000 tickets per month, AI Agent was the perfect fit. On top of answering FAQs, AI Agent also helped recommend products based on customer needs.
These conversations often begin as simple inquiries (“What should I get for my friend’s birthday?” or “What product suits me?”) and end in a purchase—handled entirely by AI. In fact, AI Agent’s conversion rates were 150% higher than the team average, proving that automation can support and sell.
4. A more efficient workflow—without relying on developers
The last thing scaling brands should have to worry about is relying on developers for basic changes. That includes being able to create macros and automations in-house and access key customer data without toggling across tools.
The platform should fit into your existing ecommerce stack—not fight against it.
That’s where Audien Hearing found themselves before switching to Gorgias.
“I’ve seen companies lose a lot of money because it’s not efficient,” said Zoe Kahn, former VP of CX. “You try to save money early on, but then you look at your helpdesk a year later and think, ‘Oh no, what’s happening?’”
Since switching from Richpanel, Audien Hearing’s CX team has been able to run CX on their own terms—without the bottlenecks.
They now resolve 9,000 tickets per month through self-service alone (including a customer knowledge base), cut first response times by 88%, and reduced return rates by 5%. With more time for one-on-one conversations, CSAT jumped from 80 to 86.
What migration actually looks like
“But migration sounds hard.”
We get it. Moving your entire CX operation can feel intimidating. But with the right partner (and the right platform), it doesn’t have to be.
Here’s how Gorgias makes switching smooth and stress-free:
- A dedicated onboarding team: Our team is with you every step of the way—from initial setup to post-launch optimization.
- A platform built for ecommerce workflows: Gorgias is designed to work the way ecommerce brands do, not the other way around.
- Fast setup and agent training: Most brands are up and running in days, not weeks. And because the interface is intuitive, teams can get comfortable quickly without heavy, time-consuming training.
- Full data migration support: Whether you’re moving from Gladly, Zendesk, or another platform, we’ll help you bring your history, macros, and workflows over smoothly.
Most Gorgias customers are fully live within just a few days—ready to serve customers faster, smarter, and with less manual lift.
How Pepper made a smooth switch to Gorgias
When fast-growing intimates brand Pepper outgrew their old CX platform, they knew they needed a system that could scale with them—without sacrificing speed or quality.
“Gladly didn’t offer any automation or inbox organization features. Our queue got really messy. We got 400 tickets a day during Black Friday, and we didn’t clear that backlog until the following Spring. We knew we couldn’t do that again,” explained Gabrielle McWhirter, CX Operations Lead at Pepper.
With Gorgias, Pepper was able to:
- Fully migrate their workflows and history
- Train their team quickly on the new platform
- Launch their AI Agent ("Penelope") to automate more than 50% of support tickets
And the results spoke for themselves:
- 16.5x ROI on AI-driven sales interactions
- 90%+ decrease in first response and resolution times
- 18% uplift in average order value
See how Pepper made the switch happen (and why they’re never looking back):
Is it time to make the switch?
If you’re seeing the warning signs, here’s a quick gut check:
- You’re drowning in tickets and toggling between tabs
- You can’t track or tie support to revenue
- You need better integration with your tech stack
- You’re not using automation, or it’s not actually saving time
- Your team dreads logging into your current tool
The right platform won’t just help your team work better. It’ll help you drive more revenue, boost customer retention, and actually make customers want to talk to you.
See what switching to Gorgias could do for your brand. Book a demo today.
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11 Ways CX Teams Can Turn Customer Touchpoints Into Revenue
TL;DR:
- Your CX team drives revenue: Build trust, remove friction, and influence buying decisions across the customer journey
- Optimize existing processes: Automate tasks, address concerns proactively, and create efficient handoffs
- Spot risk early: Use tagging and sentiment detection to re-engage customers before they churn
- Protect VIPs: Prioritize loyal customers, create moments of delight, turn supporters into advocates
Rising tariffs. Shipping delays. Unpredictable price hikes. For ecommerce, it's an understatement to say the pressure is rising. If you're on the CX team, you're already facing the fire head-on — all the customer frustration, confusion, and hesitation.
CX teams are on the frontlines of support and sales. You're shaping customer trust, buying decisions, and brand loyalty.
From pre-sales conversations to loyalty programs, it’s time to rethink the customer journey, so you can turn every interaction into an opportunity to grow your revenue.
Reframe CX’s role across the customer journey
Customer service isn’t just about reacting to problems. It can be a proactive and strategic function that helps you stabilize and even grow your revenue.
Think about it this way: you have the power to turn everyday customer moments into wins.
At every stage of the customer journey, you can turn:
- Purchase hesitation -> confidence to buy (pre-sales)
- Concern → relief (post-purchase)
- Disinterest -> re-engagement (loyalty)
- Returning customers → brand advocates (advocacy)
This isn’t about being pushy for sales. It's about anticipating needs and putting systems in place that protect customer relationships and revenue.
As you update your CX workflow, keep these two questions in mind:
- How can I positively influence revenue?
- How can I reduce the risk of losing it?
1. Resolve pre-sales hesitation with education
Most pre-sales hesitation is rooted in uncertainty: What’s the return policy? How much is shipping? Will this fit? Will it arrive in time?
Reduce customer effort and build confidence with automation as your CX team’s first line of defense. Anything else more complicated, your agents can take care of.
Automate repetitive questions
Start by setting up automated answers for the questions your team responds to every day, especially the ones that delay conversions:
- Where is my order?
- Do you ship internationally?
- How much is shipping?
- Do you accept returns?
- Are your prices affected by tariffs?
There are a few ways to automate these questions in Gorgias:
- Flows: Automated conversations designed to resolve common inquiries without agent intervention
- AI Agent: Conversational AI that answers customer questions in chat and email, trained on your internal documents and brand voice
- Help Center: A self-serve, customer-facing knowledge base of help articles, FAQs, guides, and product resources
Read more: How to optimize your help center for AI Agent
Proactively guide shoppers
Be the compass for the wandering window shoppers and browsers. They might not know exactly what to get, but with the right nudge, you can guide them toward the right product and a fuller cart.
Try these chat prompts:
- Don’t know what size to get? Check out our sizing guide to get your perfect fit!
- Need help choosing the right carry-on? Here’s a quick comparison of our top sellers.
- We offer free shipping for orders over $60!
- What’s your skin type — dry, oily, or combination?
Offer discounts based on shopper intent
Sometimes, a discount is all a customer needs to take their order to checkout. Instead of storewide promo codes, use AI to offer tailored discounts to shoppers who show strong intent to buy. This can help reduce abandoned carts and leave customers with a great impression of your brand.
Here are some of the best times to offer a discount:
- A first-time shopper is hesitant because of the price
- A shopper adds an item to their cart, then asks about shipping or return policies
- A shopper asks if they should wait for a sale
Recommend products in real time
If shoppers can’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave. Real-time product recommendations help resolve indecision and increase average order value.
Examples of when real-time suggestions drive conversions:
- A shopper asks for jeans in medium — AI suggests bestsellers in their size
- A returning customer mentions loving a nude-colored top — AI recommends similar or matching items
- A product is out of stock — AI suggests alternatives based on color or style
Hand off high-intent shoppers to live agents
High-intent questions are usually specific and goal-oriented — things like:
- What size should I get?
- How soon can this ship?
- Is this item still in stock?
When customers ask questions that directly impact their ability to purchase, it’s a strong buying signal. If they don’t get a fast response, they’ll probably abandon their cart.
So, how do you encourage shoppers to keep shopping?
Activate chat on your website and equip it with automated features, such as Flows, and/or conversational AI, like AI Agent.
No matter what setup you choose, always have a protocol ready to hand off to a human agent when needed.
In Gorgias, you can set up Rules or use AI Agent handover rules to automatically route conversations based on specific keywords, topics, or customer behavior.
2. Alleviate post-purchase concerns
After buying, customers may want to change their order or just need reassurance that everything is on its way.
If customers feel ignored during this critical window, you risk losing their business.
The easy fix? Eliminate friction, reassure customers, and make it easy for them to stay excited about their purchase.
Automate order status updates
Customers expect full visibility into their orders. Give them full access to this information, and you'll receive fewer WISMO requests.
Integrate your helpdesk with your 3PL or shipping provider to automatically send real-time updates on order status. If customers have an account portal, give them a tracking link.
Pro Tip: If delays are expected, automate messages to let customers know ahead of time. Being proactive keeps customers informed and reduces the need for reactive support.
Turn negative experiences into retention moments
When something goes wrong, like a delay, a lost package, or unexpected fees, it's how you respond that matters most.
Empower your CX team to act quickly. For example:
- Offer store credit, loyalty points, or free shipping perks to impacted customers
- Prioritize VIP or first-time buyers for fast-tracked resolutions
- Escalate critical post-purchase issues to senior agents
You can also use sentiment detection to flag frustrated customers early. Gorgias has built-in customer sentiment detection that automatically identifies tones like urgent, negative, positive, or even threatening language. You can create Rules that tag these conversations and route them to the right agent for faster handling.
Read more: Customer sentiments
3. Re-engage at-risk customers and reduce churn
Just because a customer is at risk doesn’t mean you’ve lost them. Identifying and re-engaging at-risk customers is one of the highest-impact things you can do to protect revenue.
Spot risk early
Pay attention to repeat patterns that signal dissatisfaction. Common early indicators include:
- Multiple shipping complaints
- Frequent refund or return requests
- Negative or urgent sentiment in support tickets
- Long periods of customer inactivity after purchase
Use sentiment detection and Ticket Fields (ticket properties) to tag these signals automatically. With this data identified, you’ll start to spot patterns that can help you address issues, giving customers a reason to stay.
Build recovery flows
Once you’ve identified your at-risk customers, use win-back strategies, like:
- Offering discount codes, loyalty perks, or free returns
- Sending personalized emails or messages acknowledging the issue and offering solutions
- Prioritizing conversations for your most experienced agents or account managers
When handled thoughtfully, a churn-risk customer can become one of your strongest advocates because you showed up when it mattered most.
4. Build loyalty by surprising your best customers
Don’t forget, there are already customers who love you! These loyal customers don’t just come back to buy again — they bring friends, amplify your brand, and give your business stability when you need it most.
Identify and prioritize VIPs
Use customer data to identify customers who purchase frequently, spend more, or have referred others. Tag them as VIPs in your helpdesk so that their requests are prioritized.
For example, in Gorgias, you can use Customer Fields (customer labels and properties) to group your customers under:
- VIP
- Repeat purchaser
- High lifetime value
- Promoter
When you know who your top customers are, you can offer more personalized service and make sure every interaction strengthens their connection to your brand.
Create brand advocates through small gestures
You don’t need to offer huge discounts to let customers know you appreciate them. Small, thoughtful gestures often make the biggest impact:
- Send handwritten thank-you notes with their orders
- Offer a free gift, upgrade, or loyalty perk after a milestone purchase
- Include a referral code they can share with friends
- Feature loyal customers on your social media channels (with their permission)
If you’re using macros and automations, you can even trigger some of these surprise-and-delight actions automatically, making it easier to scale while keeping the personal touch.
Make revenue your outcome at any time
We know how overwhelming uncertain times can be. It’s easy to think you need to reinvent your entire strategy just to keep up.
But the truth is, you already have what you need. You have a team that knows your customers. You have conversations happening every day that can protect, nurture, and even grow your business.
By grounding yourself in what’s already working and creating proactive systems, you can turn uncertainty into strong and steady growth.
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Further reading
2025 Ecommerce Trends: AI Adoption and Smarter Tech Stacks
TL;DR
- Ecommerce teams are overwhelmed by app overload, with 42% using six tools daily—leading to inefficiencies, rising costs, and poor customer experiences.
- Top brands are consolidating their tech stacks, choosing deeply integrated, ecommerce-specific platforms to simplify operations and lower costs.
- AI adoption and excitement are accelerating, with 77.2% of ecommerce professionals using AI daily and 55.3% rating their excitement as an 8-10 out of 10.
- Gorgias powers AI-driven support and sales in one platform, through a single workspace that helps ecommerce teams resolve faster, sell smarter, and operate more efficiently.
At Gorgias, we work with over 16,000 ecommerce brands and one common challenge emerges over and over:
Ecommerce tools are essential, but too many tools becomes a burden.
With different teams responsible for different functions, brands risk creating a disconnected tech stack that causes inefficiencies, reduces productivity, and ultimately impacts profitability.
Ecommerce teams are shuffling between tabs, copying and pasting order numbers, searching for customer data, and trying to piece it all together. It’s not only inefficient—it’s expensive, frustrating, and unsustainable as you scale.
So we dug into that data.
Our 2025 Ecommerce Trends Report surveyed ecommerce professionals across industries and job roles to understand what they really think about tech stacks and AI’s role in it.
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Ecommerce professionals are approaching app overload
There is now an ecommerce app for every possible use case a brand could need. But as businesses adopt new technologies for each part of their customer journey, their teams end up working out of dozens of platforms.
The study found that 42.28% of ecommerce pros use at least six apps daily to perform their role. Regardless of the number of apps used, integration and compatibility are a must. When technologies don’t talk to each other, you spend time context-switching instead of focusing on customer experience.
For Audien Hearing, Gorgias’s open API allowed them to create an integration with its warehouse software to manage returns directly in Gorgias rather than a shared Google spreadsheet. This integration helped them reduce returns by 5%, protecting their margins and leading to higher customer satisfaction.
Read more: How Audien Hearing Increased Efficiency for 75 Agents and Reduced Product Returns by 5%
Consolidation is the smartest move a brand can make
The most successful ecommerce brands aren’t necessarily using more tools—they’re using smarter tools. Leading businesses are opting for platforms that are deeply integrated, AI-compatible, and built specifically for ecommerce needs.
A growing tech stack also comes with a growing tech budget. Each new app has new costs, including subscriptions, set-up, management, and development fees. They quickly add up.
Nearly 40% of ecommerce professionals spend $5,000 to $50,000 annually on their tech stack.
Different roles have different priorities
We asked ecommerce professionals what they actually value in their tools. Unsurprisingly, the answer changed based on who we were talking to.
Top tool benefits included:
- Revenue growth for support leaders, revenue-focused roles, and founders
- Simplified workflows and time savings for support agents
There’s a clear difference between what ecommerce leaders and agents value in a tool and considering both is key to success.
Why brands hesitate to consolidate
Despite the benefits of using fewer, well-integrated tools, there are a few things that hold brands back from consolidating their tech stacks.
We asked respondents:
What, if any, are the biggest deterrents to consolidating your tech stack?
Top concerns are:
- Compatibility issues with existing software (52.4%)
- Direct costs (fees for software licenses, subscriptions, or customizations) (47.6%)
- Time required (40.3%)
AI adoption is accelerating—and it’s driving results
AI is dominating the world of ecommerce. It impacts every aspect of the customer journey, from brand discovery to the post-purchase experience. AI is actively reshaping the way ecommerce professionals work, so we wanted to know how they feel about it.
- 77.2% of ecommerce professionals use AI and automation to perform their role in 2025, compared to 69.3% in 2024.
- 55.3% of respondents rate their excitement for AI as an 8-10, compared to 45.6% in 2024.
Despite growing usage and excitement, teams still have their concerns with AI:
Read more: 8 AI Trends in Ecommerce: What’s Changing and How to Prepare
The AI shift—From just a support tool to a sales engine
The most impactful use cases we’ve seen aren’t just about reducing support ticket volume. AI is now driving revenue, increasing conversion rates, and enabling 24/7 coverage without expanding headcount.
Gorgias’s AI Agent is now capable of virtual sales assistance through personalized product recommendations, dynamic discounts to reduce cart abandonment, and cross-sells and upsells.
Top brands are already leveraging these new capabilities and seeing results. For example:
- TUSHY uses a Gorgias AI Agent to accurately answer pre-sale questions, leading to a 15% conversion rate, with AI Agent driving 2x more sales than human agents.
- Trove Brands enabled an AI Agent named Wally that cut misshipments by 70%, meaning reducing unwanted charges, avoidable fulfillment costs, high return rates, and customer frustration.
- Caitlyn Minimalist uses AI to reduce response times by 99% and saw a 150% increase in ticket conversions.
Gorgias: A one-tab tool for Conversational AI
We asked one final question to make ecommerce folks really reflect on how they work:
How many tabs do you currently have open?
The average ecommerce professional works with 22 open tabs. We’re not here to judge, but if you’re looking to close a few of those tabs, Gorgias might be what you’re missing.
Gorgias replaces all that complexity with a single workspace. From support to sales, order management to automation, it all happens inside one platform.
Ecommerce businesses can now leverage Gorgias’s Advanced AI for both support and sales. Within the same AI Agent, ecommerce brands can
- Fully resolve customer inquiries, not just respond
- Provide order tracking details
- Cancel, edit, and manage orders in Shopify and integrated apps
- Process returns and exchanges
- Provide tailored product recommendations
- Drive conversions
- And much more!
Get your copy of the 2025 Ecommerce Trends Report
This blog just skims the surface of what we uncover in our 2025 Ecommerce Trends report.
Want the full story?
Download the complete 2025 Ecommerce Trends: AI Adoption & Smarter Tech Stacks report to access:
- Data-backed insights and trends from ecommerce professionals
- The biggest barriers to consolidation—and how to overcome them
- Real-world case studies from leading brands like TUSHY, Caitlyn Minimalist, and July that are winning with AI
- Tactical recommendations to future-proof your ecommerce stack through AI-powered consolidation
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5 Holiday Onsite Campaigns to Maximize Year-End Sales
Not sure where to go once the Black Friday and Cyber Monday excitement settles down? Don't worry—you're not alone. Many ecommerce brands will celebrate the uplift in sales from the four-day shopping frenzy without realizing there's a huge opportunity to keep the momentum going.
The holiday shopping season is your final chance to drive sales, delight customers, and end the year strong. These five proven campaigns will help you capture last-minute shoppers, increase repeat purchases, and maximize results.
1. Gift finder campaign: make gifting easy 🎁
Help shoppers find the perfect gift or gift bundle by linking existing resources in the campaign or offering pre-sales assistance through a conversational campaign (recommended).
Shoppers love personalized recommendations. A gift finder campaign highlights curated suggestions that simplify their decision-making.
- How it works: Trigger a message when shoppers spend over 15 seconds on a product page.
- Example message: “Looking for the perfect gift? This [product] is a fan favorite and pairs perfectly with [accessory]. Complete your gift with just one click!” OR;
- Example message #2: “Not sure what to get? We can help! Click here to chat with us about finding the perfect gift.”
- Why it works: Gift bundles increase average order value (AOV) by 20%.
Pro tip: Highlight top-rated products or seasonal bestsellers to build trust.
2. Last-minute shopper campaign: create urgency ⏰
Encourage quick action as deadlines approach.
Last-minute shoppers are in a rush, so combining urgency with a discount is the perfect motivator.
- How it works: Use an exit-intent popup during the final shopping days.
- Example message: “Still need gifts? Use code HOLIDAY10 for 10% off and get delivery by [date]. Hurry—time is running out!”
- Why it works: Exit-intent campaigns double engagement and reduce bounce rates by 37%.
Pro tip: ”You can also set a cart value threshold, ensuring that tailored offers are only provided to shoppers once they’ve added the minimum to their cart. You can also use a unique discount code rather than a generic code to drive a higher CTR.
3. Post-BFCM re-engagement campaign: boost loyalty 🔄
Turn Black Friday shoppers into repeat customers.
Reconnect with returning buyers by rewarding them for their loyalty.
- How it works: Display a personalized offer when previous shoppers return to your site.
- Example message: “Thanks for shopping with us on Black Friday! Here’s an exclusive 15% loyalty discount for your next holiday purchase.”
- Why it works: Repeat customers typically spend more, with a 10% boost in gross merchandise value (GMV).
Pro tip: Use the customer’s previous purchase to recommend complementary products.
4. AI-powered product recommendation: upsell effortlessly 🤖
Suggest relevant items to increase cart value.
Use AI to offer personalized product recommendations based on what shoppers are browsing or have in their cart.
- How it works: Show a message at checkout or when shoppers add an item to their cart, utilizing our tagging conditions to create highly targeted audience segments.
- Example message:“Love [product]? Add [related item] to complete the set! Customers who bought this also loved [product 2].”
- Why it works: Personalized upsell recommendations increase AOV by up to 15%.
Pro tip: Highlight frequently bought together items or exclusive bundles for the holidays.
You can easily set up product recommendations shown on your cart page with Gorgias Convert:
5. Holiday new arrivals campaign: spotlight seasonal exclusives ✨
Build excitement with fresh, holiday-themed products.
Shoppers love discovering new arrivals, especially during the holiday season.
- How it works: Target homepage visitors or holiday collection browsers.
- Example message: “Just in time for the holidays! Explore our exclusive [product line] and find the perfect gift.”
- Why it works: Announcements for new products increase conversions by 6%.
Pro tip: Use festive visuals and emphasize limited availability to drive urgency.
Don’t forget to A/B test your campaigns 🧪
Testing helps you discover what works best for your audience. Experiment with different offers, visuals, or CTAs to optimize results.
- Example: Test two versions of a free shipping upsell campaign.
- Version A: “Spend $15 more to get free shipping!”
- Version B: “You’re $15 away from free shipping. Add [product] to your cart now!”
- Result: Version B may outperform because it includes a clear product recommendation, reducing customer effort.
Pro tip: Track key metrics like click-through rate (CTR) and AOV to measure success.
These holiday campaigns are proven to boost sales and customer engagement during the busiest time of year. Use tools like Gorgias Convert to launch, personalize, and optimize your strategies seamlessly.
Don’t wait—end the year strong with campaigns that deliver results!
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How to Leverage Tools to Manage a High Volume of Sales on TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop generated 68.1% of gross market value sales across all social media platforms in 2024 and $3.8 billion in sales in 2023. Clearly, it’s becoming a massive channel with abundant opportunities for sellers.
To effectively harness TikTok Shop, however, brands with high-volume sales need to understand the specific challenges they will face when launching on the social platform.
Many of these are operational, like maintaining an accurate inventory list between platforms, supporting customers efficiently, and fulfilling a large number of orders.
When used together, AfterShip Feed and Gorgias can help you overcome these operational hurdles and start selling on TikTok Shop sooner.
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Streamline order management & customer support on TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop is the commerce-enabled side of TikTok, where brands and creators can list their products for sale. Shoppers then make a purchase through shoppable (in-feed) videos, live shopping, or product showcases. The app aims to provide a “frictionless checkout experience,” enabling shoppers to engage with their favorite accounts and add-to-cart in a flash.
While setting up a TikTok Shop is relatively simple, if you already run an ecommerce store that does a high volume of sales, adding TikTok Shop as an additional channel will be a little more complex. Thankfully, tools like AfterShip Feed and Gorgias can help you solve many operational issues and provide the same best-in-class customer experience on TikTok Shop as you do on your other channels..
Here’s a highlight reel on how you can implement both tools to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction, tackling issues like fulfillment or customer support inquiries from the same customers on different channels.
Centralize customer support with Gorgias
800+ Gorgias customers currently use the TikTok Shop integration. It’s quick and easy to connect. With it, you can:
Manage all customer interactions in one place
Coordinating customer support across different channels can be a pain. With Gorgias, however, you’ll be able to manage inquiries more efficiently and handle all shoppers’ messages by responding to TikTok Shop inquiries directly from Gorgias using text, images, and videos.
Additionally, you can address order-related issues and manage cancellations, returns, and refunds from TikTok Shop in the same Gorgias dashboard you use for your existing channels.
Automate ticket creation
Leverage Gorgias’s automated ticket creation to reduce First Response Time (FRT) and ensure that you don’t miss a single customer inquiry from TikTok Shop. Save time by handling repetitive tasks (like order status updates) with automation.
Enhance customers’ experience
Enabling the Gorgias TikTok Shop integration will allow you to maintain better control over communication and provide a consistent customer experience. Customers shopping via TikTok Shop will benefit from quicker responses, improving overall satisfaction and boosting brand loyalty.
Simplify operations with AfterShip Feed
AfterShip Feed is a reliable TikTok Shop management tool with 1,800 customers. It auto-syncs products, inventory, and orders between TikTok Shop and ecommerce platforms.
Partner AfterShip Feed with TikTok Shop to:
List on TikTok Shop more efficiently
AfterShip Feed makes listing high volumes of products on TikTok Shop easier through bulk uploads and editing, enabling you to update up to 10,000 SKUs at once.
It uses AI to add key product details and keep your product listings accurate and consistent. Tools like category templates and product ID generation make it even easier to list your full catalog.
Safeguard your revenue
AfterShip Feed has several features that will help you avoid lost revenue, especially during busy times like BFCM.
Inventory threshold
Inventory threshold helps you determine the minimum amount of inventory you need to have on hand to avoid selling out or buying too much. You can also set a fixed amount of inventory aside for TikTok Shop.
Price rules
Price rules help you set the ideal prices for each item you sell to protect your profit margins.
Fulfillment hold
A fulfillment hold stops an order at the fulfillment stage to ensure sufficient funds on the customer side, sufficient stock on yours—or to solve another issue behind the scenes. TikTok Shop has a standard 1-hour fulfillment hold, which can cause issues with inventory syncing on your main ecommerce platform.
Streamline order management
AfterShip Feed supports multiple fulfillment methods and integrates with many returns solutions. Sync orders from TikTok Shop with your existing fulfillment systems, ensuring timely and accurate deliveries. You can sync up to 24,000 orders to Shopify per hour.
Other features include order ID, shipping method, and product-SKU mapping.
Which are the top-grossing TikTok Shop industries?
Two industries in particular see massive sales from TikTok Shop: beauty and personal care, and womenswear and underwear. According to a 2024 report from Statista, the beauty category saw over 370 million sales and women’s fashion 284 million sales in 2023.
The beauty category alone has generated almost $2.5 billion in GMV, while the womenswear category has seen $1.39 billion.
If your brand belongs to one of these categories, including Gorgias and AfterShip Feed in your TikTok Shop toolkit could be a great fit for you.
Gorgias and AfterShip create better experiences
Pairing Gorgias and AfterShip Feed will help you deliver a fantastic customer experience and grow your business on TikTok Shop.
How to Pitch AI Agent to Your Boss
TL;DR:
- AI Agent reduces workload and prevents burnout for CX teams. It handles routine queries and allows your human agents to focus on providing a higher level of service where it's needed most.
- AI Agent is secure and compliant with industry standards. Gorgias uses a zero data retention policy and follows strict security regulations, including SOC 2 Type II certification.
- AI Agent delivers personalized, on-brand responses. Custom Guidance and data from sources like Shopify allow AI Agent to maintain brand consistency while providing tailored customer interactions.
- Real-world success stories show tangible results with AI Agent. Brands like Psycho Bunny and Baby Gold have seen significant improvements in response times and resolution rates by implementing AI Agent.
AI changes the way CX teams operate. But we firmly believe that it’s a good thing.
It will help you improve your team’s workload, say goodbye to burnout, and create a more consistent and speedy experience for your customers.
Here’s the process we recommend for pitching Gorgias AI Agent to your boss, complete with an FAQ section for quick answers.
Jump to a section:
- Start with the benefits
- Outline the data & security safeguards in place
- Highlight its brand accuracy and personalization
- Share success stories
- Set expectations
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Start with the benefits
Gorgias views AI as an extension of CX teams, and that’s how many of our customers see AI Agent as well. Baby Gold calls theirs Michelle, Psycho Bunny calls theirs Lisa.
These autonomous agents allow your human agents to focus on more complex and nuanced issues, providing a higher level of service where your customers need it most.
Here are some other things that make AI Agent a great addition to your team:
- ⏰ 24/7 availability: AI Agent operates around the clock, ensuring that customer inquiries are addressed promptly at any time, including weekends and holidays.
- 🏔️ Scalability: AI Agent can handle a high volume of inquiries simultaneously without any decrease in performance. This scalability is particularly valuable during peak times like BFCM.
- 🚀 Efficiency and speed: AI Agent can process and respond to queries much faster than human agents, leading to quicker resolutions and improved customer satisfaction.
- 🦎Adaptability: AI Agent can quickly adapt to new information, products, or changes in policies immediately – all you have to do is add them to your knowledge docs and to the Guidance you set.
- 🦾 Full control: You stay in full control of how AI Agent behaves in specific scenarios. Give AI Agent custom Guidance to ensure that each interaction with your customers reflects your brand’s values, policies and tone.
📚 Further reading: Our AI Approach: Onboard, Automate, Observe, and Coach
Outline the data & security safeguards in place
Rest assured that AI Agent and Gorgias operate under a zero data retention (ZDR) policy. Once data is used, it isn’t stored.
We’re SOC 2 Type II Certified and follow strict regulations in regards to data security.
You can view the terms that cover the data we collect and how we use Artificial Intelligence by reading Our Master Service Agreement (MSA) and Data Processing Agreement (DPA).
🎯 Resource: How AI Agent works & gathers data
Highlight its brand accuracy and personalization
AI Agent provides consistent, accurate, and on-brand responses based on the information in your Help Center, Shopify order data, Macros, handover instructions, and the actual custom Guidance you set for it.
It might just surprise you with just how specialized it can get.
“Sometimes agents forget personal details to call out when communicating with our customers, like birthdays or weddings,” says Sindi Melgar, the Customer Service Manager at Baby Gold.
“But I noticed on a few different occasions where AI Agent (ours is named Michelle) is highlighting these things and is saying, ‘Congratulations on your wedding!’ Just the tone of voice that Michelle is able to adopt is definitely on brand for us.”
Ensure certain topics are handed over or excluded
When you set up AI Agent, you’ll also let it know the types of topics you’d like it not to answer.
AI Agent automatically hands over tickets to your team whenever it lacks confidence in an answer or detects an angry customer.
But you can also use handover rules to choose how AI Agent behaves when it passes tickets to your human team, and add specific topics that it should always hand over to your team.
🎯 Resource: Customize how AI Agent behaves
Provide feedback on responses
Don’t like something AI Agent said? Or, did you love an answer it gave?
It’s easy to let AI Agent know by telling it you liked the response, saying it should have pulled from a different resource, or reporting an issue.
🎯 Resource: How to coach AI Agent and give feedback
Prioritize your team’s docs
AI Agent uses your Shopify order data, Macros, your brand’s webpages, as well as your Help Center to give your customers accurate and on-brand responses. It also prioritizes any Guidance that you set.
🎯 Resource: Why having a quality knowledge base is essential to using AI for CX
Share success stories
We wouldn’t expect you to onboard a new tool without some actual statistics and reviews. Below, browse three success stories and the fantastic metrics that AI Agent helped their teams achieve.
After just one month of implementing AI Agent, the team at VESSEL not only increased the number of emails automated via AI Agent by 20%, but reduced first response time to 58 seconds and saw their resolution time decrease to one minute and six seconds.
When Baby Gold implemented AI Agent, they achieved a 49-second first response time, a one-minute and four-second resolution time, and answered 1,361 tickets. They also quadrupled their email automation rate.
Psycho Bunny saw a 99.8% faster first response time, 99.4% faster resolution time, and 26% of tickets resolved by AI Agent.
“Our customer support KPIs are already fantastic: we're already leading in the industry,” said Tosha Moyer, Senior Customer Experience Manager at Psycho Bunny.
“To improve on that, we need AI—it’s not physically or financially possible with human agents alone.”
Set expectations
AI Agent isn’t going to find lost packages, pick up the phone, or fix damaged products. While this might seem obvious, it’s important to understand AI Agent’s core capabilities, as we want this to be an exciting and useful addition to your team.
“AI Agent does a great job of efficiently handling returns and exchanges, and split shipment tracking info,” shares Tosha Moyer. “The overall tone is good and some of its responses are really excellent.”
Below, find the top use cases for AI Agent, as well as the specific actions you can configure for it within Gorgias.
AI Agent use cases
These are the top AI Agent use cases that we recommend:
- Where is my order? (WISMO) inquiries
- Product-related questions
- Returns
- Order issues
- Cancellations
- Discounts (including BFCM)
- Customer feedback
- Account management
- Collaboration requests
The specific actions you currently can configure for AI Agent include:
- Cancel an order in Shopify
- Edit a shipping address in Shopify
- Send Loop Returns portal deep link
- Send return shipping status from Loop Returns
- Cancel a subscription in Recharge
With more to come! And to quiet any worries, it’s worth mentioning that AI Agent will not perform any actions without you confirming them first.
Enhance your brand reputation and build trust
Offering fast, accurate, and 24/7 support can significantly enhance your brand reputation and build customer trust, which can translate into higher customer loyalty and increased revenue.
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10 Must-Know AI Agent Use Cases for Instant Resolutions
TL;DR:
- Gorgias AI Agent handles a variety of customer inquiries. These include order tracking, returns, cancellations, discounts, account management, feedback, collaboration requests, and complex topics.
- Use Guidance to train AI Agent to handle each type of inquiry. Guidance acts like a built-in training manual, helping AI Agent follow your brand’s guidelines in every interaction.
- Test and refine Guidance to keep responses accurate. Use Test Mode to ensure AI Agent follows instructions, reflects your brand’s tone, and escalates when needed.
- AI Agent can provide 24/7 support. Even when your agents are offline, AI Agent can respond to customers, reducing response times and keeping customers satisfied.
For support teams, sending the right answer at the right time, every time, is the ultimate goal. But with limited resources and operating hours, how can you be there for your customers 24/7? We’ve got an answer.
Designed specifically for ecommerce brands, AI Agent is conversational AI that steps in where human agents are stretched thin: handling repetitive tickets. AI Agent is trained on your brand’s policies, voice, and instructions, helping you resolve customer inquiries like your agents — but faster.
We’ll cover 10 types of inquiries AI Agent can resolve instantly, complete with template instructions (Guidance) and real-life examples. Plus, keep in mind five best practices to get the most out of your new AI teammate.
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10 AI Agent use cases, templates, and examples
Each use case comes with a template for Guidance instructions that acts like a built-in training manual for AI Agent. Then, see how AI Agent uses those templates to respond to real customer tickets.
Note: Guidance are special instructions that tell Gorgias’s AI Agent exactly how to handle customer questions, including when to hand them off to your human agents. This gives you control over AI Agent, so every AI interaction is always aligned with your brand’s protocols.
1. Where is my order? (WISMO) inquiries
90% of shoppers want to be able to track their orders, according to DispatchTrack. Easily fulfill those neverending WISMO requests with one comprehensive Guidance that detects a customer’s current order status to give them the best answer.
Include these key elements in your where is my order? Guidance instructions:
- Detect if a tracking number is available: If the order has a tracking number, provide the link to the tracking page.
- Provide delivery time: Automatically calculate and share the expected delivery date based on the shipping method.
- Check order status: Inform the customer whether the order is processing, shipped, or delivered.
- Handle delivery delays: If the system detects a delay, apologize and offer an updated delivery estimate.
- Escalate complex issues: If the order is missing or has incorrect tracking info, escalate the ticket to a human agent for further review.
Here’s an example of a where is my order? Guidance setup, available as a template in Gorgias:
Here’s how AI Agent uses that Guidance to assist a customer with their order inquiry:
💡 Pro Tip: Can’t find AI Agent? Double-check that you have an active AI Agent subscription and connect Shopify to Gorgias. To do this, go to Settings > My Apps > Shopify > Update app permissions. You must be an Admin to complete this task.
2. Product-related questions
Shoppers ask product questions to get the clarity they need before buying. These pre-sales questions can make or break their decision to buy your product. Close the gap from browsing to checkout by using AI Agent to deliver quick, accurate answers that help them make confident decisions.
Here’s an example of a product-focused Guidance setup:
Here’s how AI Agent uses that Guidance to assist a customer with their product inquiry:
💡 Pro Tip: AI Agent can also learn information from your web pages. Go to AI Agent > Knowledge > Public URL sources to sync key web pages like sizing guides, blog posts, and more.
3. Returns
Answering ecommerce return requests can be time-consuming. Requests can range from a simple what is your return policy? question to customers wanting to go through the return process. Regardless, return inquiries can easily be handled by AI and handed off to a human agent if necessary.
Include these key elements in your returns Guidance instructions:
- Determine return eligibility: Check if the order is within the return window based on your policy.
- Identify non-returnable items: Inform customers if their item is non-returnable due to your specific policies.
- Guide through the return process: Provide instructions on how to initiate a return, including steps like entering an order number or using a return portal link.
- Inform about processing times: Share estimated times for processing returns and refunds.
- Escalate complex cases: If the return involves exceptions, like damaged goods or international returns, escalate the ticket to a human agent.
Here’s an example of a returns inquiry Guidance setup, available as a template in Gorgias:
Now, look at how AI Agent uses this Guidance to assist a customer with their return request:
💡 Pro Tip: If you’re using Loop Returns, set up AI Agent to automatically send a returns portal link to customers. This Action fully resolves returns inquiries by directing shoppers straight to their orders.
4. Order issues
Order issue tickets often require back-and-forth. The customer states their problem, you ask for photo verification and check if the customer has tried all the different solutions — the list goes on. Let AI Agent cover the bases for you every time, and if needed, escalate the ticket to your team.
Include these key elements in your order issues Guidance instructions:
- Express empathy for any inconvenience caused: Show that your customer’s happiness and experience are priorities.
- Handle damaged products: Provide instructions for customers to submit photos of damaged goods, then process a replacement or refund based on your policy.
- Correct incorrect shipments: If the wrong item was sent, guide the customer through returning the incorrect item and arrange for the correct product to be shipped.
- Escalate the issue: Route the ticket to a human agent for further handling.
Here’s an example of a Guidance setup for handling order issues, available as a template in Gorgias:
Here’s how AI Agent follows this Guidance to resolve a customer’s order issue:
5. Cancellations
Canceling orders is pretty much a race against order fulfillment and your third-party logistics. The key is to catch these inquiries as soon they hit your inbox. The problem? Tickets can come late at night or outside of your business hours. However, when you let AI Agent handle them, customers can rest assured that their request will be dealt with.
Include these key elements in your cancellation Guidance instructions:
- Check order status: Determine if the order is eligible for cancellation based on its shipping status.
- Process cancellation: If eligible, guide the customer through the cancellation process and confirm the order has been canceled.
- Handle shipped orders: If the order has already shipped, instruct the customer on how to return the item once received, or escalate the case to a human agent.
- Escalate exceptions: For complex or time-sensitive cancellations, escalate the ticket to a human agent.
Here’s an example of a cancellation Guidance setup, available as a template in Gorgias:
Here’s how AI Agent follows this Guidance to handle a customer’s cancellation request:
💡 Did you know? You can let AI Agent cancel an order when the customer and order meet certain conditions. For example, the Action will only be performed if the fulfillment status is still empty. Go to AI Agent > Support Actions > Create from Template > Cancel order.
6. Discounts (including BFCM)
Come holiday season, including Black Friday, you’ll be swamped with loads of discount inquiries. Whether it’s customers asking about discount codes not working or if you have any codes available, these repetitive inquiries are best resolved by AI.
Include these key elements in your discount Guidance instructions:
- Provide active discount codes: Provide customers with a list of current discount codes and their eligibility criteria.
- Assist with missed discount codes: Help customers who forgot to add a discount code by offering guidance on how to apply it retroactively or escalate to an agent.
- Troubleshoot code issues: Guide customers through common reasons why a discount code might not be working, like expiry dates, minimum purchase requirements, or product exclusions.
- Upsell by offering alternatives to discounts: If no active code is provided, offer alternative available promotions or direct them to sign up for the latest offers.
Here’s an example of a discount inquiry Guidance setup, available as a template in Gorgias:
Here’s how AI Agent follows this Guidance to handle a customer asking for coupons:
7. Customer feedback
Acknowledging feedback, good and bad, can make customers more willing to keep doing business with you. Maintain an honest rapport with customers by letting them know you’re always listening.
Include these key elements in your feedback Guidance instructions:
- Acknowledge positive feedback: Respond with a thoughtful, genuine thank-you message, reinforcing customer appreciation.
- Request a public-facing review: Encourage customers who leave positive feedback to share their experience further, such as writing a product review or sharing their thoughts on social media.
- Escalate negative feedback: For negative feedback, escalate the ticket to a human agent.
Here’s an example of a customer feedback Guidance setup:
Here’s how AI Agent uses this Guidance to respond to positive feedback:
💡 Pro Tip: Let AI Agent automatically tag feedback tickets for you by going to AI Agent > Settings > AI ticket tagging. This way, your agents can find all customer feedback organized in one place.
8. Account management
Account management tasks like updating details or managing subscriptions are tedious, time-consuming, and often things customers can do themselves. Let AI Agent handle these tasks to speed up resolutions.
Include these key elements in your account management Guidance instructions:
- Provide instructions: Provide clear instructions for updating account details like email, shipping address, or payment methods.
- Verify identity for security: Include steps to verify customer identity before making sensitive changes, like account or subscription modifications.
- Escalate complex issues: For issues like account access problems or billing disputes, escalate to a human agent.
Here’s an example of a Guidance setup for account management, available as a template in Gorgias:
Take a look at how AI Agent uses this Guidance to help a customer with managing their rewards:
💡 Pro Tip: Use Recharge Actions to automate subscription cancellations or skip shipments with AI Agent. Go to AI Agent > Support Actions > Create from Template > Cancel subscription or Skip next subscription shipment.
9. Collaboration requests
Influencer marketing is on the rise as customers look to social proof when deciding what products to buy. With the right Guidance, your AI Agent can easily manage collaboration and marketing partnership inquiries.
Include these key elements in your collaboration requests Guidance instructions:
- Gather social media profiles: Prompt customers to share their social media profiles and relevant platforms for review if they haven’t.
- Request collaboration details: Ask for specifics about the type of collaboration or partnership they’re interested in (e.g., influencer campaigns, sponsorships).
- Provide next steps: Let the customer know their request will be reviewed and what they can expect in terms of timing.
- Escalate complex or high-value inquiries: For more significant partnerships, escalate the request to your marketing or partnerships team.
Here’s an example of a collaboration request Guidance setup:
See how AI Agent uses this Guidance to respond to a collaboration request from a content creator:
10. Complex and sensitive topics
AI Agent isn’t designed to handle all tickets. For highly complex and sensitive topics, instruct AI Agent to reroute them to your human agents who are equipped to handle certain subjects with more caution and context than AI.
For example, a makeup brand would disable AI Agent from taking on tickets about allergic reactions or health concerns so customers receive safe advice.
Here are other messages you should prevent AI Agent from answering:
- Messages that mention legal actions
- Messages that mention allergic reactions or health issues
- Messages where customers report negative reactions to products
- Messages that mention unsubscribing, stop messages, stop emails or stop texts
Take a look at how AI Agent escalates a ticket about a damaged product:
Note: AI Agent automatically escalates messages with angry language and sentiment to your support team — no Guidance needed.
Keep these 5 Guidance best practices in mind
While AI Agent answers most customer inquiries, you’ll still need to be there to provide it with the barriers to keep its answers on-brand and accurate.
Here are five best practices to keep in mind when creating Guidance instructions.
1. Include Guidance for your top 5 most FAQs
Prime AI Agent with essential brand information by creating Guidance for the top five most common customer questions:
- Order status and tracking
- Returns, exchanges, and refunds
- Order cancellations and edits
- Discounts and promos
- Subscription/account management
You can automate a significant portion of customer support and save time for your team just by letting AI Agent answer these tickets.
2. Use a descriptive Guidance name
Always use clear and descriptive names for your Guidance. AI Agent relies on this information to identify whether the Guidance is relevant to the customer’s question.
For example, instead of naming it “Shipping,” use something like “Shipping policy – domestic & international” to help AI Agent choose the right response.
3. Include examples in your instructions
It’s important to include detailed examples to help AI Agent detect the intent behind your incoming tickets. Clear examples let AI Agent match customer inquiries with the correct response more reliably.
For instance, instead of just saying, “Answer shipping questions,” give it an example: “For domestic orders, say: ‘Shipping takes 5-7 days. For international orders, it takes 10-15 days.’” This helps AI Agent detect when a question is about shipping timelines and respond appropriately.
4. Review and update your Guidance
Customer needs and products change over time, so it’s important to check back on your Guidance to make sure it’s relevant. AI Agent’s responses should reflect any changes to your policies, products, or processes to provide customers with up-to-date information.
5. Test new and updated Guidance in Test Mode
Before going live with new or updated Guidance, use Test Mode to make sure AI Agent is responding as expected.
Here are key things to check in Test Mode:
- Help Center articles: Verify that AI Agent is pulling from the correct Help Center resources.
- Guidance instructions: Test your updated Guidance to make sure AI Agent follows the protocols you have laid out.
- Excluded topics: Ask AI Agent questions about excluded topics to make sure it escalates the inquiry as needed.
- Tone of voice: Check that AI Agent’s responses are in your brand’s tone.
Lead conversations to faster resolutions with AI Agent
Right out of the box, Gorgias includes Guidance templates to help AI Agent manage your FAQs, like returns inquiries, shipping questions, and more.
Equip your AI Agent with Guidance and watch your support team thrive with more time to nurture your customer relationships and handle complex tasks.
See how AI Agent can transform your support team within minutes by booking a demo today.
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Guide To Creating and Managing A Customer Knowledge Base
Let’s be clear: a customer knowledge base is not a landing page full of frequently asked questions.
Sure, FAQs can live in your knowledge base, but they can do so much more than simple Q&A.
A well-crafted Help Center is a strategic asset, propelling your conversion goals by easily guiding customers through the sales funnel.
We’ll walk you through what a knowledge base is, how it can support your bottom line, and everything you need to know to create yours successfully.
What is a customer knowledge base?
Customers love having the power to solve problems independently and on their schedule. That's precisely what a knowledge base delivers.
Your knowledge base isn’t just a static library of articles — it's an interactive portal connecting your customers to sales and customer service. That means making it easy for them to find answers before purchasing and helping them troubleshoot any possible issues afterward.
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How a knowledge base can transform your customer service (and customer experience)
Now that we've introduced the concept of a knowledge base, let's dive deeper into how these helpful landing pages can drive revenue by leveling up your customer service game.
Zero-touch resolutions
90% of consumers worldwide consider issue resolution as their top priority for customer service. And with a knowledge base, you can make their dreams come true with 24/7 self-service support.
Think of a customer knowledge base as your company's information powerhouse that includes helpful articles, FAQs, contact methods, and more ––– all readily available 24/7 for your customers to tap into whenever they need help.
And the magic word that describes why a knowledge base is so powerful? Self-service.
Nail this experience, and your knowledge base will serve as a revenue-driving machine for acquisition- and retention-based goals.
No more waiting in line, playing phone tag, or being told the customer support team is “offline until tomorrow.” As long as customers can easily locate the information they’re after (more on this later), they get an immediate response to their questions.
Reduce support burden (and response time as a result)
Your support team deals with a mountain of questions every day:
- "Where's my order?"
- "What's your refund policy?"
- "How long does shipping take?"
…These are the classics.
Imagine dramatically cutting down the number of repetitive inquiries your team handles or eliminating them entirely. Your knowledge base can make this happen. By leveraging data to pinpoint the most frequently asked questions, you can create help articles that address these issues and showcase them at the top of your knowledge base.
But how do you identify the most common questions? Two straightforward solutions are already at your fingertips in the Gorgias Helpdesk.
1. Monitor commonly used tags: Tags are labels for categorizing tickets by topic or customer intent. Regularly reviewing tags helps identify common customer inquiries. Generally, the more a tag is used, the greater the need for clarity on that topic.
On Gorgias, navigate to Statistics > Ticket Insights > Tags to see the frequency of tag usage. This view gives you an overview of popular tags. You can adjust the view by filtering by app integration, channel, and date range.
2. Review your intent statistics: Intent Statistics provide valuable insights into why customers contact support. You can understand the primary reasons behind customer queries by analyzing these statistics.
On Gorgias, go to Statistics > Ticket Insights > Intents to review the usage frequency of different customer intents.
This feature provides a clear bar graph view of customer concerns frequently mentioned in messages. You can also change the view using channel and date range filters.
The result: Customers don’t have to search through your articles, and your support team frees up time to focus on providing better customer experiences.
Questions answered, problems solved.
Final tip: To streamline the creation of your Help Center, we created 50+ ready-to-use article templates on key topics like shipping, tracking, account setup, and product details. See the templates here.
Turn inquiries into sales
Customers browsing your store often need help deciding between options or understanding how your product works. Don’t let them leave with uncertainty.
A knowledge base isn't just for answering questions about shipping or order tracking — it can also function as a personal shopper, guiding customers toward the perfect fit or style.
With Gorgias Convert, you can engage customers at key moments with personalized, persuasive messaging. Offer exactly what they need while they’re viewing a product, such as a helpful guide from your knowledge base that:
- Clarifies product details
- Increases brand awareness
- Encourages them to explore more of your catalog
Take TUSHY, which highlights an article on their toilet compatibility page when customers show a 30-second delay on their bidet product page.
As another example, if a customer asks, "I have wide feet. Will your shoes fit me?" don’t just respond with a simple "yes." Take it further by sharing helpful links to articles about your shoe size and fit. This approach answers their question and boosts their confidence in purchasing.
Reinforce your brand
Delivering information in a consistent tone across all customer interactions builds trust and leaves a lasting impression. You can easily do this in your knowledge base by staying in line with your brand's tone and style and communicating your company’s values.
Let’s run through an example: Let's say you sell organic skincare products, and you want to use your knowledge base to establish your expertise and the brand values you share with like-minded people.
Health-conscious consumers often have specific concerns about product safety, ingredients, and potential side effects. Your knowledge base is the ideal platform to address these concerns transparently. How?
Explain the benefits of organic ingredients, the absence of harmful chemicals, and how your products contribute to healthier skin.
Proactively addressing these concerns promotes a lifestyle choice centered around happy skin and well-being. Doing so will set you up to be seen as a trustworthy source of information about safe beauty.
Everything you need to know about creating & managing a customer knowledge base
Next, we’ll walk you through creating and managing your customer-facing knowledge base.
How to set up a knowledge base
These initial steps are the foundation of a successful knowledge base, ensuring long-term success.
1) Identify your customer’s frequently asked questions
To lay the groundwork for your knowledge base, you need to know your customers like the back of your hand. A few ways you can kick off this research:
Review key questions and phrases from your previous conversations with customers: Dive into your customer support history, whether it’s through email, live chat, or social media.
Look for recurring questions, common issues, or patterns. For example, those should be high-priority topics if you're constantly fielding inquiries about sizing or return policies.
You can learn these by looking into the reasons for contact with Gorgias. This AI-powered feature identifies a ticket's contact reason from its message content. Reasons could range from cancellations and refunds to shipment issues and feedback. The Contact Reason is conveniently located at the top of each ticket, as shown in the image below.
Use customer satisfaction surveys to discover what burning questions are on your shoppers’ minds: To view satisfaction scores on Gorgias, navigate to Statistics > Support Performance > Satisfaction.
This section provides details on surveys sent, response rates, average ratings, and response distribution over three months. Filter for scores of 3 stars or below. Analyzing lower ratings and their accompanying comments will help you pinpoint the topics your Help Center articles should address.
Any customer data you have available becomes your roadmap to creating valuable knowledge base content.
The research step is crucial, and here’s why: In 2022, Deloitte Digital conducted research with Twilio about the business value of trust. The results showed that when companies make it easy to do business with them, 96% of consumers trust the brand more.
When asked how companies can make it easier to do business with them, customers said the following factors are the most important:
- Making sure issues are resolved quickly
- Being able to easily get in touch with a real person for help (and not getting bounced around from person to person when trying to solve a problem)
- Being able to simply find answers and get information as needed on their own.
Your knowledge base can help with all three factors. As a result, Deloitte’s research found that customers are more likely to reward that trust by making more frequent and higher-value purchases.
2) Use templates to streamline page creation
Starting a Help Center can be daunting, especially when you're strapped for time already.
Creating a Help Center involves research, brand consistency, copywriting, and page structure. Luckily, platforms like Gorgias provide templates that eliminate the guesswork and lighten the load.
These ready-to-use templates are crafted from successful Help Centers across various industries, giving you a proven framework to structure your own content confidently.
3) Customize the look of your knowledge base
Your knowledge base isn't just a sidekick. It's a key part of your brand's identity. No matter if a new customer lands on your knowledge base through your main site or via a Google search, it should feel like they're interacting with the same business as they jump between the knowledge base and your main site pages.
That’s why you need to ensure your knowledge base’s branding seamlessly matches your website, creating a cohesive experience for your customers.
A few elements to consider:
- Add your logo to the header
- Match the header design to your main website
- Edit fonts and use your preferred typeface
- Use similar iconography and images as you would on your other website pages
Princess Polly’s customer knowledge base ties in all of these elements well. Even though the knowledge base is on a separate subdomain, it doesn’t feel any different from the brand’s main domain from a user’s perspective.
Princess Polly's knowledge base design matches its main homepage, keeping the user experience cohesive.
Platforms like Gorgias allow you to edit fonts, logos, and headers for your Help Center without any coding required. If you're craving more customization, you can dip into HTML and CSS to tailor specific elements.
4) Make your pages categorizable and searchable
Remember, the goal here is to make things effortless for your customers. If your knowledge base is a maze of articles without clear categorization, it's not user-friendly — it's a Q&A jungle that nobody wants to venture through.
Organize all your articles with crystal-clear categorization — think "Shipping," "Returns," "Loyalty Program," and "Sizing." Don't forget to add a smart search bar that understands keywords and common phrases to recommend relevant articles.
"We have a great Help Center that attracts tens of thousands of monthly visitors who are then redirected back to the main site and in this circular motion where we don't want those customers to drop off. Two critical aspects drive this success: ensuring accessibility so customers can easily find the answers they need, and providing direct contact options for our team. We don't want you to have to go searching for your answer to the point where you're frustrated and you stop that purchasing experience." —Colin Waters, Leading at The Feed & former Associate Director of Customer Experience at BrüMate
Turn your knowledge base into an interactive Help Center
Once you’ve gone through the foundational steps, you can work on taking your knowledge base to the next level. This will enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.
5) Create automated and interactive FAQs
In a world where 65% of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences, proactive customer service is essential. One way you can satisfy this expectation is to use automated and interactive FAQs via chatbot that adjust to customer needs.
For example, with Gorgias Automate, you can use Article Recommendations in Chat to help customers out without live agent help. When they type in the Chat, they'll automatically receive a relevant Help Center article suggestion.
The goal is to answer the customer’s question without having to pull in a support agent.
What if automation doesn’t answer a customers’ question? Glad you asked! At the end of the flow, if the customer still requires help then a ticket is then created for an agent to follow up.
6) Offer self-serve order tracking
Order tracking is a hot topic for customers, so don't be shy about it. Add more than one CTA that customers can click to track their order without having to get in touch with your team.
Feature an order tracking CTA prominently in your knowledge base's header, via chat, and as a main option on the Help Center page.
See the screenshot from Parade below, for example: This may seem overkill, but we promise it’s not. The data to prove it: merchants who use Gorgias’s automation tools reduce support tickets in their helpdesk by 60%.
7) Go multimedia
When it comes to crafting a comprehensive knowledge base solution, text alone might not always suffice. Customers often prefer visual cues, and research has shown that visual content can significantly improve understanding and retention of information.
Think about any time you’ve built a piece of furniture that you bought online. Those manuals are confusing enough as is — even with the images added to every step. Imagine how much head-scratching you’d be doing if you didn’t have the images to accompany you.
That’s why images, videos, and other iconography are useful to include in your knowledge base, so you can eliminate confusion and boost user confidence.
Check out how Loop uses videos along with written instructions for tutorials:
8) Make contact forms easily accessible
Yes, one of the key objectives of a knowledge base is to empower customers to find answers and solutions independently. However, there will always be situations where customers require personalized support — like when an order arrives damaged, for example.
Integrating contact forms directly into your knowledge base provides a straightforward channel for customers to reach out for assistance. But these inquiries can be difficult to keep up with when you have multiple forms living on various parts of your site.
💡 Tip: Add a “contact us” CTA in your knowledge base. If a customer clicks it, they’re redirected to the main contact page on your website. You can also create a knowledge base form that’s separate to track traffic from the Help Center page alone.
Here’s an example from BrüMate, which features its “contact us” form directly on the Knowledge Base domain:
9) Add flexible communication options
It’d be nice if you could promptly answer every customer’s question, but sometimes, a self-service knowledge base isn't enough. Unique situations will arise, and that's where the human touch comes in.
A staggering 83% of customers agree that they feel more loyal to brands that respond to and resolve their complaints. So, be prepared to chat live when the need arises.
Concerned about managing live chat support? A few ways to make it easier for strapped CX teams:
- Only implement live chat on specific web pages, so it’s not featured on all pages on your site.
- Set realistic SLAs for when your customer support team is online, so if it’s outside working hours the customer shouldn’t expect an answer until the following day.
- Highlight your most prominent FAQ articles as soon as someone opens the live chat window, so they can find certain answers without contacting your team.
Here’s another knowledge base example from Princess Polly, which features a live chat widget on its knowledge base page and highlights key FAQs.
⚡ Key Takeaway: Every customer has a different preference for how they want to be communicated with. It’s important that you offer various methods to satisfy those preferences.
Keep your knowledge base updated
Your knowledge base is an ongoing initiative. As you expand your product line and discover new information, you’re going to want to adapt your knowledge base to continue meeting the needs of your buyers.
So lastly, let’s talk about maintaining and evolving your knowledge base to ensure you continue providing a high-quality and effective experience.
10) Track knowledge base analytics
Your knowledge base is an evolving entity. Using analytics to your advantage will help you continue to improve it over time.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- Are some queries or questions more popular than others? Use this to improve your content hierarchy by placing the most relevant information upfront.
- Is one method of communication preferred? Customers naturally scan left to right and top to bottom. Line up your most popular contact options with that in mind. For example, if you’re placing email, live chat, and phone number options left to right, feature email first if you know that’s the most popular contact option.
- What time of day do you see an uptick in engagement on your knowledge base? Trigger a customer service email workflow that shares FAQ pages to send during these times.
- What common questions can you place on other areas of your website? If customers are asking how your products are sustainable, it might be worth just adding that information directly to your homepage, product description pages, or on social media. Plus, you can pass this feedback to other teams like marketing, which can delve deeper to solve these problems at the root.
Gorgias's cloud-based integration with Google Analytics makes tracking engagement a cinch, helping you uncover the most-viewed questions, peak activity times, and top-clicked links.
11) Get feedback from customers
Metrics from your analytics tools is helpful but becomes even stronger when you combine it with qualitative data. This type of information has to be collected directly from customers, which you can do via feedback forms.
After each support interaction, simply ask customers how you can improve. Some questions you can ask are:
- Did they know your Help Center existed?
- Was it easy to find?
- Did they have trouble finding the answer they needed?
12) Optimize your knowledge base for search
Did you know your knowledge base can be used as an acquisition tool by driving organic traffic to your website? Optimize it for search engines by framing questions as main headings.
For example, article titles can be formatted like, "What is your return policy?" This way, when potential customers search Google for answers, your article will appear.
When building your knowledge base in Gorgias, you can even customize your meta title and description for an extra SEO boost. Check out ALOHAS’ knowledge base as an example. For customers who search “What is Alohas’ return policy?” in Google, this article will show:
The ALOHAS Help Center is the highlighted result on Google thanks to search engine optimization.
13) Regularly audit articles
We all know things won’t stay the same forever. Products change, ingredients shift, and branding gets a makeover.
When information changes, It's essential to shift the information in your knowledge base too.
What if you decide to change your shipping policy, so it’s only free after a customer spends $50 versus $25? The last thing you want is an irate customer pointing to an old article that mentions the $25 rule.
This is why you must regularly audit and quality check your articles to ensure they're as recent as possible. Failing to do so can impact customer loyalty.
Examples of a full-fledged interactive knowledge base
Now that you have the full scoop on building a successful customer knowledge base, looking at specific examples may help.
Here are a few businesses that have integrated automation, clear categorization, and user-friendly interfaces to empower customers to find answers and solutions efficiently.
BrüMate
BrüMate's Help Center stands out for its customer-centric approach. Here's what makes it effective:
Directly addresses key questions
Right at the top of the page, BrüMate addresses two of the most common customer queries: the returns policy and compatibility with their products. This ensures that customers can find answers without scrolling.
Directing customers to the right product
BrüMate goes a step further by offering a personalized product finder quiz. This interactive element helps customers discover the perfect BrüMate product that suits their needs without the hassle of extensive research.
“We’ve started pushing people towards resources that are in our Help Center. We're trying to help our customers self-solve.”
—Colin Waters, leading at The Feed & former Associate Director of Customer Experience at BrüMate
Accessible support
The Help Center features easily accessible header links, including options to track packages and return to the main site. The chat bubble is readily available, and if the customer service team is offline, customers can access helpful articles.
ALOHAS
ALOHAS’s Help Center excels in providing quick and convenient access to information. Here's what sets it apart:
Top questions featured
Just like BrüMate, ALOHAS prioritizes customer needs by featuring top questions prominently at the top of the page. This means customers don't have to scroll to find answers.
ALOHAS puts its most frequently asked questions about refunds and shipping at the top of its knowledge base.
Effective use of iconography
ALOHAS uses icons effectively for Call to Action (CTA) buttons related to orders, including tracking, returns, cancellations, and reporting issues.
ALOHAS makes it easier to navigate their knowledge base with icons and emojis.
User friendly categorization
The Help Center is well-organized with clear categorization of articles, making it easy for users to navigate and find relevant information.
Powerful search function
ALOHAS' search function is highly effective, pulling relevant information based on key phrases, further enhancing the user experience.
ALOHAS includes a search bar to allow customers to find their specific questions quickly.
LUNO
LUNO takes a minimalist approach that proves simplicity can be highly effective:
Simplicity
LUNO demonstrates that sometimes less is more. The Help Center is clean and uncluttered, ensuring customers can find what they need without distractions.
LUNO's knowledge base is simple without extra decorative elements like images or icons.
Dedicated product information
Many articles are dedicated to specific product questions, such as compatibility, user manuals, and repair guides. It serves as a virtual manual for customers.
Turn your customer service knowledge base into a conversion machine
88% of customers already search your website for some kind of knowledge base or FAQ. It's your chance to transform those searches into conversions.
All of the knowledge base tools mentioned today are available with Gorgias, which you can try for free for 7 days.
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How AI Agent Works & Gathers Data
TL;DR:
- No data is stored. AI Agent follows a zero data retention policy and complies with regulations like GDPR and CPRA.
- Learns from your store’s data to provide personalized support. AI Agent pulls from sources like Shopify, your Help Center, and internal documents to respond with relevant, on-brand answers. The use of internal knowledge rather than public databases helps to avoid generic answers.
- Constructs sentences using a mix of different large language models (LLMs). AI Agent uses OpenAI, Anthropic, and other models to form natural-sounding responses.
- Feedback helps improve AI Agent’s performance. Support teams can review AI Agent’s responses, while Gorgias also monitors feedback from thousands of brands to optimize back-end prompts.
AI Agent is a conversational AI support assistant designed specifically for ecommerce brands. Trained on your store’s Shopify data, policies, and brand guidelines, AI Agent responds to customer interactions with personalized, high-quality answers.
But is it the good type of AI?
As AI emerges more and more as a necessity for CX teams, there are a few common concerns among leaders. Worries that it will steal customer data, use data to enhance OpenAI’s LLM, or leverage shopper data for things outside of its scope are just a few.
To quell those concerns, we’ll go into the specifics of how AI Agent actually collects and uses data.
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Jump to an answer:
- How does AI Agent collect data?
- Does AI Agent store data?
- Is AI Agent trustworthy?
- How accurate are the support responses?
- Do you have to legally disclose that you’re using AI?
How does AI Agent collect data?
Gorgias’s AI Agent uses merchants’ unique data, including orders, ticket information, product catalogs, and store content, and then uses a blend of state-of-the-art LLMs, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to help it construct natural, human-like responses.
AI Agent uses the following as data sources:
- Custom Guidance
- Shopify order data
- Your Help Center
- Public webpages
- Macros
- Handover instructions and excluded topics
How AI Agent handles Shopify order data
The information AI Agent has access to is approximately the same data as the one presented in the Shopify widget in the Gorgias helpdesk. We push this same information to AI Agent to compute the next step for the customer.
Some of the data permissions that AI Agent has when integrated with Shopify include access to all orders, all draft orders, order edits, fulfilments, products, customers, themes, discounts, scripts, and content.
The Customer Sidebar displays Shopify data.
How AI Agent chooses data between different data sources
AI Agent processes the information from the ticket to understand where to pull the relevant data from, such as correlating information from the account associated with the interaction as well as the intent of the message. Here’s how it works.
🎟️ Ticket analysis
AI Agent first analyzes the content of the ticket to identify the key information and intent behind the customer's inquiry.
📊 Data correlation
It correlates this information with the available data sources, such as Guidance your team sets up (which takes precedence over other knowledge sources), Help Center articles, Macros, and any other integrated knowledge bases.
🤔 Context understanding
AI Agent understands the context of the message and retrieves relevant data. If there are multiple sources of information, it determines which source is most pertinent to the query.
💬 Clarifying questions
If the ticket has vague or insufficient information, AI Agent will ask clarifying questions to ensure it pulls the correct information.
✅ Internal QA process
Before sending the response, AI Agent undergoes an internal QA process where it verifies the information and creates an internal note for the merchant. This note includes information on what knowledge and Shopify data was used, and shows "reasoning" for the event if the QA failed.
🗣️ Feedback loop
Merchants or admins can provide feedback on whether the resolution was good or bad, and AI Agent uses this feedback to improve future responses.
Does AI Agent store data?
Gorgias and AI Agent do not store shopper or customer data.
AI Agent operates under a zero data retention (ZDR) policy, meaning that once the request is processed, the data is not stored.
📚 Further reading: Our Master Service Agreement (MSA) and Data Processing Agreement (DPA) govern the use of all Gorgias services, including AI Agent. If you’d like to learn more, these terms detail the data we collect and how we use Artificial Intelligence.
AI Agent prioritizes data security
Data privacy and security are top priorities for us, and our systems are designed to handle data in a secure manner without retaining personal or sensitive information.
AI Agent uses language models developed by OpenAI. OpenAI does not use customer data to train their models, and there is a zero data retention policy. Any data sent through the API is not stored beyond the duration needed to serve the request pulled.
Gorgias is SOC 2 Type II compliant and adheres to strict regulations and standards to ensure the privacy, security, and proper handling of sensitive data.
AI Agent does not use shopper data to enhance its LLM
AI Agent and Gorgias comply with stringent data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), ensuring that shopper data is handled securely and responsibly without being used for model enhancement.
This approach ensures that shopper data remains private and is not utilized beyond the scope of providing immediate customer support.
“We were initially nervous about using AI, but it has quickly proven its worth. Our community members have even mistaken the AI Agent for a real person, which speaks volumes about how well it aligns with our brand voice.”
—Zoe Cranney, Community Experience Expert, LSKD
Is AI Agent trustworthy?
Yes! AI Agent was built not only to provide instant and accurate responses, but also with transparency in mind. For every interaction that AI Agent has, it provides you with an internal note that covers:
- The Guidance/Articles/Macros it used
- The source of the account information it pulled
- A prompt for your feedback to improve future responses
How accurate are the support responses?
While no AI tool is capable of perfect accuracy 100% of the time, we put several safeguards in place to keep AI Agent from sending inaccurate information.
Trained on your knowledge — not generic information
When AI Agent responds to a customer, it pulls from your team’s specific documents. Aside from the Guidance you set, which it prioritizes, AI Agent uses your Shopify order data, Macros, your brand’s webpages, as well as your Help Center.
Using AI Agent is unlike only relying on ChatGPT for answers, which uses broad information. AI Agent draws from your data only, making its responses highly accurate and personalized to your brand.
We use multiple LLMs for natural language processing
LLMs like OpenAI and Anthropic’s main role in AI Agent is to recognize and form natural-flowing responses. It can speak in different languages and tones to align with your brand voice. This, combined with your own internal knowledge sources, helps add that human touch that sets it apart from automated emails and bots.
Topics can be excluded or handed over
As another layer of control, we let you define topics that AI Agent should completely ignore and hand over to your team.
For example, some topics — such as medical questions or legal threats — are too sensitive to handle with AI. You can add these to your Exclusion or Handover topics to ensure AI Agent does not respond to them.
Teams can provide feedback on resolutions
You can improve AI Agent’s responses by providing feedback on how it handled tickets. You can either approve of its behavior or suggest adjustments to improve future interactions.
For example, when an influencer reached out to hip toddler carrier brand Wildride and said, “I really love you guys,” AI Agent replied, “Love you too ❤️❤️”.
Amber van den Berg, Head of Customer Experience, found this really funny, as it was exactly the type of response the team would have given. But if that response wasn’t quite right, or wasn’t on brand, they could have given AI Agent that feedback.
Do you have to legally disclose that you’re using AI?
You have the choice of whether or not to disclose your use of AI in response generated by AI Agent.
However, for maximum legal protection, we recommend using your email signature to indicate that the message your customers receive has been created with AI.
- In email: Use the Email Signature setting to disclose your use of AI.
- In chat: Use the Privacy Policy feature to disclose your use of AI.
Note: Some laws, such as the California Bolstering Online Transparency Act, prohibit misleading consumers about the use of automated artificial identities.
Give better support to your CX team & your customers
"I saw how well AI Agent was replying to customers and really started to think about how we could optimize it to work for us even more,” said Amber van den Berg, Head of Customer Experience at Wildride.
“Within one month, AI Agent was answering 33% of emails, which is quite impressive." This was essential for Wildride’s CX team after viral social media content bumped 1000 tickets per month to 1000 tickets per week.
Now, the team is freed up to focus on more complex issues, and AI Agent can fill in the rest.
Book a demo to see how AI Agent can work for you.
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