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Ticket Volume: How to Measure It, Benchmark It, and Reduce It

Learn what ticket volume is, how to calculate contact rate, and which categories to target first to reduce unnecessary tickets.
By Gorgias Team
0 min read . By Gorgias Team

TL;DR:

  • Ticket volume is your support workload: It counts every customer inquiry across every channel in a given time period.
  • High volume signals friction in your business: Spikes usually point to unclear policies, product issues, or gaps in your website experience.
  • Every ticket has a real cost: Agent time, tooling, and overhead add up fast — and they compound during peak seasons.
  • Automation reduces volume without reducing quality: AI tools and self-service deflect repetitive questions while keeping customers satisfied.
  • Measurement drives improvement: Tracking volume by channel, category, and time period reveals exactly where to focus your efforts.

Your ticket volume number is probably wrong. If customers are reaching you through email forwards, Slack DMs, or channels that bypass your helpdesk, those tickets aren't being counted, and your SLA reporting is built on incomplete data. This guide covers how to get an accurate count, break it down by channel and category, and use your vertical benchmark to figure out whether your volume is actually a problem or just normal for your industry.

What is ticket volume?

Ticket volume is the total number of customer inquiries your support team receives across all channels — email, live chat, phone, social media, and contact forms — within a specific time period. It is the most direct measure of your team's workload.

Do not confuse it with contact rate. Contact rate = tickets ÷ orders (or customers). That normalized number is more useful for benchmarking and planning because it accounts for business growth. Raw ticket volume tells you how busy your team is. Contact rate tells you whether support demand is outpacing your business.

How to calculate your ticket volume

Start by looking at the last 30 days of customer conversations, no matter where they currently live.

Pull these four numbers:

  • Total customer questions received across all channels
  • Breakdown by channel (email, chat, social DMs, phone, contact forms, etc.)
  • Breakdown by category (shipping, returns, product questions, account issues)
  • Tickets or conversations per order during the same period — this gives you your contact rate baseline

Here’s how to pull that data depending on your setup:

Gmail or Outlook

Open your inbox or Sent folder and filter by the last 30 days. Count how many customer conversations came in during that period. You can also copy subject lines into ChatGPT or Claude to group conversations by topic.

Shopify Inbox

Go to Inbox > Conversations and review your recent conversations. Count how many messages you received and look for repeated themes or questions.

Any helpdesk (Gorgias, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, etc.)

Most helpdesks have ticket reporting or exports built in. Search “export tickets” or “ticket report” in your platform’s help center. From there, you can pull:

  • Total tickets
  • Channel breakdown
  • Top ticket categories
  • Tickets over time

If a large portion of customer questions are still happening in untracked places like Slack DMs, personal inboxes, or Instagram comments, your reporting is incomplete. Before optimizing support operations, route customer conversations into one shared system so you can accurately measure volume, response times, and recurring issues.

Why your volume breakdown matters more than the total

A raw ticket count tells you how busy your team is. The breakdown tells you what to fix.

Category

What high volume signals

What to do

"Where is my order?"

No proactive shipping updates; poor tracking page

Automate WISMO with AI Agent; add tracking link to order confirmation

Returns and exchanges

Confusing return policy; no self-serve portal

Add a clear returns page; enable self-serve exchange flows

Sizing and product questions

Weak product page content

Add size guides, FAQs, and fit notes directly on product pages

Account and subscription issues

Customers can't self-serve basic account changes

Build or improve your Help Center; enable self-serve account management

Payment and billing

Checkout friction or unclear pricing

Fix at the source — this is rarely a support problem

Run this categorization for your last 30 days. Your top two or three categories are your highest-leverage targets.

Track volume alongside these KPIs

Ticket volume only tells part of the story. Track it alongside:

  • Contact rate (tickets ÷ orders) — so you know if volume is growing faster than your business
  • First response time (FRT) — volume spikes show up here first
  • Average handle time (AHT) — high AHT + high volume = a capacity problem
  • Cost per ticket — total support costs ÷ total tickets, the clearest financial measure
  • Backlog size — a growing backlog is the earliest warning sign that volume is outpacing capacity
  • Deflection rate — tickets resolved through self-service or automation without agent involvement

How to reduce ticket volume without reducing quality

Once you know what is driving your volume, address each category at the source. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary tickets.

Automate the highest-volume, lowest-complexity tickets first. WISMO inquiries, order status checks, and basic return initiations require no agent judgment. An AI Agent connected to your ecommerce platform can handle these end-to-end without a human stepping in. When a question is too complex, the AI escalates it with full context attached.

Build self-service content around your top categories. A Help Center that directly addresses your most common ticket types is the highest-leverage tool for sustained volume reduction. Start with your top five categories. Write one article per category. Surface those articles on relevant product pages, in checkout, and in post-purchase emails — before customers need to search.

Send proactive messages at the moments that generate the most tickets. Post-purchase is the single highest-value touchpoint: an order confirmation that includes a tracking link, estimated delivery window, and a clear link to your return policy eliminates a large share of inbound questions before they are ever submitted.

Measure deflection, not just volume. Deflection rate, the percentage of issues resolved through self-service or automation, is the metric that tells you whether your volume reduction efforts are actually working. Track it weekly alongside CSAT for automated interactions to make sure quality is holding.

Ticket volume benchmarks

The all-industry average is not your benchmark. Ticket volume per 100 orders varies 2.4x across verticals, so comparing yourself to a cross-industry number will either make you complacent or create false urgency.

According to Gorgias platform data from March 2026 across 14 verticals at the $10M GMV band, here is what tickets per 100 orders actually looks like by vertical:

Vertical

Tickets per 100 orders

Electronics

46

Vehicles & Parts

46

Hardware

41

Luggage & Bags

32

Home & Garden

32

Sporting Goods

32

Baby & Toddler

24

Business & Industrial

25

Animals & Pet Supplies

25

Apparel & Accessories

22

Health & Beauty

21

Arts & Entertainment

21

Food & Beverages

20

Toys & Games

19

Source: Gorgias Ecom Lab, March 2026

High ticket volume is not always a sign of poor CX — it often reflects product complexity. Electronics brands generate nearly one ticket per two orders because customers have more pre- and post-purchase questions about technical products. Food and Beverage brands generate about one in five. That gap is not a performance difference; it is a category difference.

The right question is not "are we below 10 tickets per 100 orders?" It is "are we above or below our vertical peers?" Find your row. That is your baseline. Then use the reduction tactics above to move below it.

How to predict ticket volume if your tool charges per ticket

If your ticketing tool uses usage-based pricing, where your bill scales with ticket volume rather than agent headcount, forecasting volume directly affects your budget.

The core formula is simple:

Projected tickets = projected orders × (tickets per 100 orders ÷ 100)

So if you expect 2,000 orders next month and your vertical median is 22 tickets per 100 orders, your forecast is approximately 440 tickets.

But a flat monthly estimate misses the real risk: peak seasons. A volume spike during BFCM that triples your order volume will also triple your ticket count — and your bill — unless you have guardrails in place.

To build a more accurate forecast:

  • Use your contact rate, not raw volume. Divide your tickets by orders for each of the last 12 months. This gives you a stable ratio that accounts for business growth and seasonal swings.
  • Apply that ratio to your order forecast. If your marketing team has a sales projection for November, multiply it by your contact rate to estimate support volume.
  • Separate your AI-handled tickets from agent-handled tickets. Some platforms bill differently for automated resolutions versus human ones. If you're using an AI Agent to deflect WISMO and returns, those deflected tickets may not count toward your billable volume at all — which changes the math significantly.
  • Build in a buffer for peak periods. Your contact rate tends to rise during high-demand periods, not just your order volume. First-time customers generate more tickets than repeat buyers, and BFCM brings a disproportionate share of first-timers.

Before signing any usage-based contract, ask two questions: What counts as a billable ticket? And is there a hard cap on monthly charges? Variable billing only works in your favor if you have clear definitions of what triggers a charge and a ceiling on how high costs can go during an unexpected spike.

If your platform bills per ticket resolved by a human agent (not AI), your deflection rate becomes a financial metric, not just an operational one. Every percentage point of additional deflection directly reduces your bill.

Start reducing ticket volume today

Begin by identifying your top ticket categories, then work backward to find the root cause of each one.

From there, layer in self-service content, automation, and proactive messaging to address those root causes directly. The result is a support operation that handles more customers and a team that spends its time on the work that actually requires human judgment.

Book a demo to see how Gorgias helps ecommerce brands reduce ticket volume and improve customer experience at the same time.

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min read.
AI Agent Pricing Explained

Gorgias AI Agent Pricing, Explained

Learn how Gorgias AI Agent pricing works, what counts as a billable interaction, and how to choose the right plan for your store.
By Gorgias Team
0 min read . By Gorgias Team

TL;DR:

  • AI Agent is priced per resolved interaction, not per seat or per message. You only pay when the AI fully resolves a conversation on its own.
  • Most plans are $0.90 per resolved interaction. Starter plans begin at $1. Plans include 90 to 2,500+ automated interactions per month.
  • If you go over your plan, overage fees apply per additional interaction. Rates vary by tier and are lower on annual plans.
  • Your automation rate emerges from usage over time. Start by estimating your ticket volume and pick an interaction allotment that fits.
  • AI Agent runs on email, chat, and SMS, and includes tone of voice customization, Actions, multi-language support, vision, and performance reporting.

If you're wondering what it costs to add AI Agent to your Helpdesk, you're in the right place. This article walks through how pricing works, what counts as a billable interaction, and how to think about the investment before talking to anyone on our team.

The good news: there are no seat fees, no per-message charges, and no token-based billing. You pay for conversations your AI actually resolves. If you've looked into other AI tools for customer support and found the pricing models confusing or hard to predict, Gorgias AI Agent works differently.

What is a billable interaction?

A billable interaction is counted when the AI resolves a customer conversation entirely on its own. The customer asks something, the AI handles it, the conversation closes. That's one interaction.

If the AI can't fully resolve a conversation and hands it to a human agent, that ticket shifts over to your regular Helpdesk plan. It becomes a standard resolved ticket. You're not charged for both.

A few things that don't count as billable interactions:

  • Emails that come in but no one replies to
  • Spam or filtered messages
  • Conversations resolved by a human agent

This matters most for brands coming from seat-based tools. With Gorgias, your whole team can work in the platform. Agent seats are unlimited. Pricing scales with what your AI is actually doing, not with how many people have access.

Understand the difference between seat-based vs. usage-based pricing.

How AI Agent plans work

AI Agent is an add-on to your Gorgias Helpdesk plan. The two are priced separately but work together. Your Helpdesk plan covers all the conversations your human agents resolve. Your AI Agent plan covers the interactions the AI resolves on its own.

When you choose a plan, you select how many automated interactions you want included per month. Depending on your plan, that ranges from 90 to 2,500+ interactions, with custom interaction numbers available for enterprise. You can see the full breakdown on the Gorgias pricing page.

Each resolved conversation costs $0.90 on most plans. Starter plans begin at $1 per resolved conversation. You only pay for fully automated interactions, meaning conversations the AI handles from start to finish without a human stepping in.

Choosing the right plan

The main input is your average monthly ticket volume. From there, you estimate how many of those conversations AI could realistically handle on its own.

Order status updates, return requests, and shipping questions tend to be the highest-volume ticket types AI resolves well. AI Agent actions shows the full range of what it can handle, which makes it easier to estimate your starting number.

Your actual automation rate, meaning the share of total tickets the AI ends up resolving, emerges from usage over time. Most brands start with their most repetitive ticket types and expand from there as they see results.

Related: Which Gorgias plan should you choose?

What happens if you go over your plan

You're charged an overage fee for each additional automated interaction if you exceed your plan's baseline in a given month. The exact rate depends on your plan tier and whether you're on a monthly or annual subscription.

Generally, the higher your plan tier, the lower your overage rate. Annual plans also carry lower overage rates than monthly plans. So if you're regularly going over, upgrading to a higher tier or switching to annual often works out cheaper than paying overage fees month after month.

If you're on a Support + Shopping Assistant plan, the overage rate is $1.50 per interaction across all paid tiers. If you're on a Support-only plan, rates range from $1.00 to $2.00 per interaction on monthly plans, and $0.83 to $1.67 on annual plans, depending on your tier.

For seasonal businesses, forecasting your customer service volume before peak periods is the best way to choose the right plan size and avoid unexpected fees.

How to think about the cost

At $0.90 per resolved interaction on most plans, each AI resolution costs less than a human agent handling the same ticket. Once you know what a human-resolved ticket costs your business, the comparison becomes straightforward.

For brands building an internal case for the investment, how to pitch AI Agent to your boss covers the ROI framing in detail. 

To see what results look like in practice, how 10 brands transformed customer support into revenue has real ecommerce examples.

What's included with AI Agent

AI Agent comes with everything you need to set it up, customize it, and improve it over time:

  • Knowledge training — AI Agent learns from your Shopify data, store website, Help Center articles, URLs, documents, and custom guidance. The more content it has, the more accurately it responds.
  • Tone of voice — set instructions for how AI Agent sounds, whether that's professional, friendly, or something else, and it stays consistent across every conversation.
  • Actions — connect AI Agent to your other tools so it can complete tasks like cancelling an order, processing a return, or modifying a subscription without a human stepping in. See what AI Agent can do.
  • Multi-language support — AI Agent detects the language a customer writes in and replies in the same language automatically.
  • Vision — AI Agent can read and understand images, so it can handle tickets where customers share photos of damaged items or order issues.
  • Performance reporting — track automation rate, CSAT, first-response time, and ticket topics directly in the dashboard.
  • Testing — preview how AI Agent responds to real customer questions before going live or after making changes.
  • Handover to humans — AI Agent automatically passes conversations to your team when it lacks confidence, detects frustration, or encounters a topic you've marked for human handling.

Learn more: Gorgias AI Agent guardrails: What they are and how to configure them

Curious what AI Agent would automate for your store?

The best way to get a sense of what AI Agent will cost is to look at your own ticket volume and the types of questions your customers ask most. From there, the right plan becomes much clearer.

If you want to talk through the numbers with someone from our team, book a demo and we'll walk through it with you.

If you'd rather keep exploring first, here are a few good next reads:

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min read.
Introducing Helpdesk 2.0

Introducing Helpdesk 2.0: Built for How Agents Work

We rebuilt the Gorgias workspace around how agents actually work. Here's what changed and why.
By Christelle Agustin
0 min read . By Christelle Agustin

TL;DR:

  • Built directly from agent feedback, Helpdesk 2.0 fixes real workflow pain points. The redesign focuses on reducing friction and helping agents handle more context-heavy tickets.
  • A chat-style interface replaces the old email layout. Conversations are easier to follow and resolve in one view.
  • Customer context is shown beside the conversation in a right-side panel. Agents can view history, orders, and details without leaving the ticket.
  • AI handoffs come with clear summaries. Agents instantly see what happened, what was tried, and what to do next.
  • Navigation is simpler and faster across teams. Clean menus, structured queues, and multi-store access keep agents moving efficiently.

Helpdesk 2.0 starts with the people who use it most: the agents. 

We spent time understanding customer support from the agent's seat. What do they reach for constantly? What slows them down? What does a better workday look like? 

Everything we found is in this brand-new update.

Why we redesigned Helpdesk

Conversational commerce is the new standard. 

In customer support, this means customers expect context to remain intact wherever they reach out, whether a conversation starts on social, moves to email, or ends on a call.

This new approach to support has also changed the agent's role. Recurring tickets, like order status checks, shipping updates, and returns, are now handled by AI. What lands in the agent inbox are edge cases that require human judgment and troubleshooting, or tickets that require the full picture.

However, the original Helpdesk was built for a different era of support.

Context was separated across views rather than built into the conversation itself. It's something one in five Gorgias customers flagged, through support tickets, NPS surveys, and conversations with our team. So, we got to work. 

Helpdesk 2.0 is the result.

What's new in Helpdesk 2.0

Here's a look at everything that changed.

Read conversations the way they're meant to be read

Conversations have a natural rhythm, one that’s already found in every messaging tool we use. We brought that same layout into the helpdesk. 

Say goodbye to the 2000s email interface and hello to chat bubbles. This updated design changes how quickly you can orient yourself and resolve the ticket in one go.

Gorgias's Helpdesk 2.0 uses chat bubbles to format conversations.

Chats with customers now look like real conversations, using the speech bubble style you’re familiar with on popular messaging apps.

Check customer history without losing your place

Checking a customer's history used to mean leaving the conversation, an extra step that interrupted what should have been a smooth workflow.

Now, past conversations open in a sidebar next to the active conversation. You can view a customer’s full history, search through their timeline, and open prior tickets without going to a new page.

The Customer Timeline allows you to scroll through past tickets, orders, and customer information.

Check past conversations, orders, and customer details in the brand-new Customer Timeline.

See order details the moment you open a ticket

Order information is easier to reference than ever. Open a ticket, and you instantly see the customer's recent orders, marked with product images and invoice details at a glance. Need to dig deeper? Click on an order, and the expanded information appears in the same panel.

For teams using custom integrations, apps are fixed in a quick-access integration menu on the right.

Orders include product images, number of items, total, time created, and the order number.

See order details, product images, and totals at a glance on the right panel, without leaving the conversation.

Pick up where AI left off

You shouldn't have to dig through a thread to figure out what AI already tried. Now you don't have to.

When AI Agent escalates a conversation, it includes a concise handover summary that mentions the issue, what actions were taken, and why it was passed to your team.

AI Agent includes a handover summary in the ticket thread.

Escalated tickets include a brief AI-generated handover summary, marked in yellow, for quick reference.

Move faster across every store and team

We restructured and simplified the navigation. The left sidebar organizes everything into clear categories: Inbox, AI Agent, Marketing, and Analytics, so anyone on your team knows exactly where to go.

To quickly update your knowledge base or adjust a workflow, both now live right in the sidebar. For teams managing multiple stores, switching between them is just as straightforward, accessible from the sidebar, so agents can move between inboxes without breaking their flow.

Gorgias Helpdesk 2.0 menu

Agents can switch between stores and their corresponding inboxes directly from the left menu.

A workspace that works the way agents do

Support comes down to the person on the other end of the conversation. We built Helpdesk 2.0 is to make sure they have everything they need to show up for that moment.

The best way to see the difference is to work in it. Start a free trial today.

min read.
Create powerful self-service resources
Capture support-generated revenue
Automate repetitive tasks

Further reading

Guide More Shoppers to Checkout with Conversation-Led AI

By Emily Hooker
min read.
0 min read . By Emily Hooker

TL;DR:

  • Shopping Assistant is your new AI sales closer. It jumps in when shoppers hesitate, delivering real-time, personalized support that drives conversions.
  • It boosts revenue by acting like your best salesperson. It knows when to recommend, upsell, or offer a discount, without being pushy.
  • It remembers what shoppers do mid-session. That means smarter conversations, better suggestions, and bigger order values.
  • It’s already delivering results. Brands using Shopping Assistant are seeing 62% more conversions, 10% higher AOV, and 5x ROI.
  • You control the strategy. Customize how it promotes discounts, when it steps in, and how it speaks.

What’s the common factor between shoppers debating between products and considering a splurge? Hesitation. 

Today’s shoppers are overwhelmed with choices. They don’t want to be left to figure things out on their own. They want guidance.

But most brands are missing that crucial piece of the puzzle. They lack a strategy that accompanies shoppers on their journey. A tool that encourages shoppers to proceed to checkout. And, ultimately, a customer experience devoid of a sales approach.

That’s why we built Shopping Assistant, an AI Agent that proactively engages browsers, offers context-aware product recommendations, and turns hesitation into conversions in real time.

And it’s working. Brands using Shopping Assistant are seeing a 62% uplift in conversion, 10% higher average order value, and 5x ROI.

Here’s a closer look at what’s behind the magic.

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AI-powered shopping, built for sales

Most traditional chatbots passively wait for questions and deliver answers that aren’t personalized to each shopper's preferences. 

Unlike these bots, Shopping Assistant reads real-time signals like pages viewed, cart contents, and conversation tone. This results in a solution that not only offers support but also offers personalized, proactive selling. This enables Shopping Assistant to continuously refine and adjust its playbook, evolving with each shopper as their journey matures.

Here’s how Shopping Assistant engages with customers across the shopping journey:

  1. Discovery: Gathers preferences and educates.
  2. Interested: Makes targeted product suggestions.
  3. Ready to Buy: Assists with checkout, nudges purchases with discounts.

Take this example below. When a customer vaguely asks “how to make up,” Shopping Assistant interprets it as a sign of interest in makeup products and recommends a starter kit.

Shopping Assistant helps a customer with makeup product recommendations.

Personalization that understands you

Where traditional bots reset with every message, Shopping Assistant does the opposite. It has built-in context-aware intelligence that remembers what shoppers have clicked, viewed, and added to their cart during a session. 

This enables natural, relevant, and persuasive conversations that truly resonate with each shopper. It goes beyond reading messages and observes behavior to adapt its responses.

That means it knows if someone has:

  • Viewed three red lipsticks but didn’t add to cart
  • Repeatedly checked sizing info for the same dress
  • Added two serums to their cart after browsing dry skin FAQs

With plenty of context to work with, Shopping Assistant is not only smarter but also more profitable than the average chatbot. It drives more conversions with product recommendations and lifts average order value with timely upsells based on what’s been added to the cart or viewed. 

Here’s what it looks like in action: When a customer engages through a product page, Shopping Assistant recommends a matching outfit, suggesting it’s aware of alternate product variants and the customer's likely interest in that style.

Shopping Assistant suggests a complementary product to the initial product a customer is looking at.

Dynamic discounts that convert without undercutting

Promotions are powerful, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. 

With Shopping Assistant, merchants can define their discount strategy to align with their brand. These strategies can range from offering no deals to using aggressive promotions. 

Once the strategy is set, Shopping Assistant waits for hesitation and customer intent to trigger a discount, firing it at the most conversion-worthy moment.

Proactive engagement in 3 ways

Shopping Assistant initiates conversations. It’s built to engage shoppers, spotting when they linger or show signs of confusion, stepping in with timely, personalized help.

Every second counts in ecommerce. If a shopper pauses on a product page or is left scrolling through an endless search results page, Shopping Assistant detects it in real-time and reaches out with a relevant prompt like:

  • “Need help picking the right shade?”
  • “Want to know our return policy before you buy?”

Here’s how Shopping Assistant reduces drop-off, builds confidence, and drives faster decision-making in three different ways.

1. Suggested product questions 

Shopping Assistant automatically triggers commonly asked questions depending on the product currently being viewed. In one click, shoppers can get the answer to the question they’re curious about. This combats hesitation caused by a lack of information, resulting in more confident conversions.

2. Ask Anything Input

When shoppers land on the homepage, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and not know where to navigate. The Ask Anything Input provides an easy way to start a conversation with Shopping Assistant and get the guidance they need.

Shopping Assistant can refine its response to the customer based on the page context. For example, when the customer is on a product page, Shopping Assistant knows exactly what product is being asked about.

3. Trigger on Search

Shopping Assistant can step in to offer pinpointed help based on a shopper’s search query. Instead of scrolling through a results page, Shopping Assistant triggers a message based on what the shopper entered, offering an easier and faster way to find what they need.

Smart recommendations and relevant upsells

Shopping Assistant’s suggestions are rooted in real context: what the shopper has viewed, added to cart, or asked about. Whether they’re exploring a specific product line or revisiting a category they’ve shown interest in, Shopping Assistant delivers relevant upsells and complementary items that make sense for the customer.

This personalized approach to upselling increases cart size without feeling forced—it’s smart, seamless, and sales-driven.

Shopping Assistant can even turn vague product questions into upsell opportunities. By asking questions, it learns more about an individual to come up with recommendations that best fit their preferences.

Try Shopping Assistant today

Shopping Assistant is transforming the way shoppers engage and helping ecommerce brands sell more effectively. Through smarter conversations and real-time personalization, it turns every interaction into an opportunity to convert, build trust, and drive revenue.

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Coach AI Agent in One Hour a Week: SuitShop’s Guide

By Tina Donati
min read.
0 min read . By Tina Donati

TL;DR:

  • Don't just turn it on, coach it. Treating your AI Agent like a team member, not a plug-and-play tool, is what makes it truly helpful and memorable.
  • One owner and one hour a week is enough to make a big impact. SuitShop’s Katy Eriks runs QA and training solo, using a repeatable system to log feedback and improve performance weekly.
  • Don't forget to pause and evaluate. SuitShop temporarily turned off AI to improve their help content, making automation far more effective when it came back online.
  • Let your best human agents guide your AI. Katie studied her top-performing teammate's tickets to teach AI the best responses and macros.
  • Brand voice matters as much as accuracy. SuitShop's AI Agent "Max" is trained to sound warm, helpful, and on-brand. Customers even thank it by name.

The most coachable team member on your support team might not be human.

Brands that want to keep up with rising customer expectations are turning to AI to help meet demand. But as SuitShop’s Director of Customer Experience, Katie Eriks, will tell you, great results don’t come from flipping a switch.

They come from coaching.

Since implementing Gorgias AI Agent, SuitShop has reached a 30% automation rate, all while maintaining a lean CX team and giving every customer the tailored experience they expect (literally and figuratively).

“I consider myself its boss,” said Katie, who runs the entire coaching process solo. With under an hour of weekly maintenance now, SuitShop’s AI Agent runs efficiently, accurately, and on-brand.

Katie spoke at Gorgias Connect 2025 to share exactly how she got there. You can watch her full session below:

The case for coaching your AI Agent 

When brands think about automation, they often imagine flipping a switch and watching repetitive tasks vanish. But in practice, it’s not that simple, at least not if you care about customer experience.

Gorgias encourages brands to treat their AI Agent like a junior teammate — someone you onboard, train, observe, and coach over time.

Brands that do this well are already seeing massive gains:

  • 60%+ of customer conversations fully automated
  • First response times under 30 seconds
  • Consistent CSAT scores of 4.5 and above
  • Major cost savings during high-volume seasons

For SuitShop, automation was about creating space for their small team to focus on specialized service. Space to scale without scaling headcount. And space to do it all without losing their voice.

SuitShop uses Gorgias AI Agent to allow them to answer repetitive questions directly on their website.

Step-by-step: SuitShop’s AI coaching workflow

Katie and her team had been longtime Gorgias users, but when they turned on AI Agent in August 2023, the results were unremarkable. The responses weren’t inaccurate, but they weren’t helpful enough either.

What Katie learned was to “Be hands-on early. Use downtime to train. And never stop refining.”

So she got to work, not by replacing the tool, but by going deeper into it. Here are her coaching tips: 

One owner, one hour a week

Katie made herself the sole point of contact for training and QA. That might sound like a lot, but over time, it became a light lift.

“At this point, it’s definitely less than one hour per week,” she said. “In the beginning, it was more time-consuming because I needed to create help center articles and Guidance regularly. Now I’ve got it down to a pretty quick thumbs-up, thumbs-down kind of process.”

Katie uses Monday mornings to review AI Agent tickets from over the weekend, when fewer human agents are available and AI takes the lead.

Read more: Why your strategy needs customer service quality assurance

Pause and perfect before scaling

Unlike many retail brands, SuitShop’s busiest time isn’t the holiday rush — it’s wedding season in the summer and fall. So when things quieted down in December, Katie used that time strategically.

She temporarily turned off the AI Agent to regroup.

“I decided to turn it off and really beef up our Help Center,” she explained. “I went back to the tickets I had to answer myself, checked what people were searching in the Help Center, and filled in the gaps.”

She built out content with a mix of blog knowledge, internal macros, and ChatGPT. Once she felt confident the content base was solid, she turned AI back on.

Read more: How to optimize your Help Center for AI Agent

Use data to guide your coaching plan

Once SuitShop’s foundational content was in place, Katie didn’t just sit back and hope for the best. Instead, she built a repeatable feedback loop grounded in data — one that helped her spot opportunities for improvement before they became issues.

Rather than combing through tickets at random, Katie created custom views inside Gorgias to zero in on the most impactful coaching moments:

  • Low CSAT tickets: Any conversation that ended with a customer satisfaction score below expectations got flagged. These were clear indicators that something about the tone, accuracy, or clarity of the AI response had fallen short.
  • High handover rates: Katie looked at the tickets AI Agent was regularly handing off to humans. Many of these were actually answerable. The handover just meant that guidance was missing, miscategorized, or too vague.
  • Agent-tagged tickets: To make this scalable, Katie empowered her team to flag any strange or impressive responses from the AI. By using a tag like AI_agent_feedback, team members could drop tickets into a coaching queue without needing to write a full explanation.

To keep all of this actionable, Katie logs insights in a shared spreadsheet that functions as a live to-do list. Every row includes:

  • A link to the ticket
  • A summary of the issue
  • The resolution (e.g., new Guidance or macro needed)
  • A status tracker (not started / in progress / completed)
  • A link to the resource she created in response

These insights are also available in Gorgias’s dashboard, where you can identify the top issues customers had.

Gorgias's Top Product Insights can show which products customers talk about most.

“Sometimes I do it all in the moment. Other times I’ll log it and come back later when I can take the time to do it right.”

By combining frontline feedback with structured ticket views, Katie turned scattered QA into a consistent coaching system — one that ensures SuitShop’s AI Agent keeps getting smarter every week.

Learn from your human agents

One of Katie’s most effective strategies comes from her own team.

Like many CX leads, she noticed that some agents consistently resolved tickets in a single touch. That pattern, Katie realized, wasn’t just a win for customers, it was a roadmap for an AI-driven support strategy.

Her teammate Tacy quickly became her go-to signal for what the AI Agent needed to learn next.

“I pull her tickets often to see what she’s responded with. It helps AI learn from her directly.”

By reviewing Tacy’s ticket history, Katie identified standard replies that didn’t yet exist as macros or Guidance. If Tacy was writing the same sentence repeatedly or copy-pasting a reply manually, that meant it could (and should) be taught to the AI Agent.

She also tracked Tacy’s macro usage rate. If Tacy frequently used a macro for a certain issue, but other agents weren’t, it flagged an opportunity to standardize responses across the team and the AI.

The key insight? If it only takes one touch for a human to answer, the AI can be trained to do it too.

These small efficiency wins added up quickly, especially during peak season, when the ability to automate just a few extra conversations per day created meaningful breathing room for the rest of the team.

Related: How to automate half of your CX tasks

Make your AI sound human (and on-brand)

Automation without brand voice feels robotic. Katie made sure SuitShop’s AI Agent sounded like a natural extension of the team, and that started with a name: Max.

“We get replies like, ‘Thanks Max!’ from customers who think it’s a real person.”

Using AI Agent’s tone of voice settings, Katie went deep on personalization. She customized everything from sentence structure and greeting format to whether or not emojis and exclamation marks should be used (they shouldn’t, in SuitShop’s case).

SuitShop customers can talk to AI Agent across the website including product pages.

Her AI Agent instructions include clear direction on:

  • Tone: Warm, empathetic, clear, especially with high-stress wedding-related issues
  • Structure: Shorter responses for chat, slightly more detailed for email
  • Dos and Don’ts: Specific words or phrases to use or avoid, pulled from real team responses
  • First/last name use: Always first name only, to keep things friendly but respectful

Katie also made sure she instructed AI Agent to acknowledge customer emotions — especially frustration — and to offer reassurance when things went wrong.

And because AI responses are written at lightning speed, she regularly reviewed messages to ensure they didn’t come off as cold or abrupt, especially in sensitive situations like delayed wedding orders or size issues close to the event date.

Live coaching: What it looks like in practice

In the workshop, Katie walked through two real support tickets where AI missed the mark and how she used those moments to improve.

In one case, a customer asked a common question: “The navy suit I’m looking at says ‘unfinished pant hem.’ Will the pants need to be hemmed?”

Despite having help articles and macros explaining this exact issue, AI Agent responded: “I don’t have the information to answer your question.”

That was a red flag.

Katie immediately stepped in to coach the agent by:

  • Applying the correct existing resources
  • Writing an ideal sample reply as an internal note
  • Checking tone, empathy, and phrasing
  • Testing the fix by pasting the same question into the test environment

“I like to write a short internal note, so if I see that ticket again, I know exactly how I coached it.”

In another case, AI Agent was incorrectly handing off a sizing question about jacket sleeve length. Katie realized that a previous broad handover topic ("sizing and fit questions") was causing confusion by flagging issues that the AI should have been able to handle.

So she deleted the handover topic and replaced it with a clear guidance article — complete with example questions, macros, and links to sizing resources.

AI Agent successfully answers a customer's question about sizing by linking to their fit finder, sizing guide, and video tutorial.

“Once I added specific questions in quotes, it made a huge difference.”

What's next: AI tools that help you scale faster

SuitShop didn’t automate 100% of CX — but that’s not the point. At 30% automation (and growing), Katie gives her team more time to specialize, connect, and handle urgent or emotional conversations with care.

Here’s what Gorgias offers to help as well:

  • Optimized intent dashboards: These show the most common topics customers ask about, the AI’s performance on those topics, and how much opportunity there is to increase automation.
  • Auto-generated knowledge: Based on your macros, Help Center, and even Shopify data, Gorgias can now draft suggested guidance for your review, making it faster to train your AI Agent without starting from scratch.
  • Auto QA: This tool scores every AI (and human) response based on resolution, accuracy, communication, and tone. It gives you full visibility across your team and automations, without needing to review each ticket manually.

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to move beyond basic automation, Katie’s approach proves that coached AI outperforms out-of-the-box tools every time.

Want to coach your AI Agent like SuitShop? Book a demo to see how Gorgias can help you scale smarter.

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How Do You Build a Support Sales Flywheel? Lessons from 4 Experts

By Holly Stanley
min read.
0 min read . By Holly Stanley

TL;DR:

  • Segment customers for personalized support. Use purchase history and behavior data to tailor every interaction, making conversations more relevant and higher-converting.
  • Offer onboarding calls for complex products. TUSHY's "Poo-Rus" turned free install calls into a $15 paid service that dramatically boosts customer LTV and retention.
  • Pick up the phone strategically. Use voice calls for abandoned carts, stuck tickets, and VIP follow-up.
  • Give agents freedom to make judgment calls. Empower your team to bend policies and offer solutions that prioritize retention over rigid rules—confident agents drive more cross-sells.
  • Train for helpful selling, not pushy pitches. Use roleplaying to teach agents how to spot buying signals and offer value naturally.

At Gorgias Connect LA 2025, CX leaders from Tommy John, TUSHY, Triple Whale, and Talent Pop shared how support teams solve problems and drive revenue.

This shift, known as the support sales flywheel, doesn’t involve massive overhauls or shiny new tools. Instead, it means doing the small things exceptionally well, like picking up the phone, empowering agents to make judgment calls, and adding a personal touch where others automate.

These brands have shown that when support teams focus on consistency, connection, and conversion, the results compound. Every thoughtful interaction spins the flywheel faster, boosting loyalty, LTV, and revenue.

Ahead, we’re breaking down the most actionable takeaways so your team can start building its own support-led growth engine.

Watch the full panel here:

5 tactics that power the support sales flywheel

From scrappy install calls to AI-powered training, these CX leaders aren’t only talking about driving revenue, they’re doing it. Here’s how they’re turning support into a sales flywheel, and the tactics your team can start testing today.

1. Personalization at scale starts with smart data

“Customer service done right is actually a great source of revenue.” That’s how Tamanna Bawa, Tech Partner Manager at Triple Whale, kicked off the conversation on how data can transform CX from reactive to revenue-driving.

She advises segmenting customers based on purchase history and behavior to deliver more personalized, higher-converting interactions. 

In a market where margins are razor-thin and ad costs are high, Tamanna emphasized that “incremental gains from personalization are the difference between companies that are thriving and the ones that are just surviving.”

Steal this strategy 

  • Segment customers based on behavior and purchase history using your helpdesk, CRM, or analytics tool.
  • Give agents access to this data so they can personalize every interaction.
  • Use macros that adapt based on customer segments, like VIP status, product interest, or past issues.
  • Focus on relevance over volume: one well-timed, tailored message converts better than a generic one.

2. The power of onboarding calls

What do you do when your hero product needs a cultural shift as much as it needs installation instructions? If you’re TUSHY, you send in your “Poop Gurus.”

Ren Fuller-Wasserman, Senior Director of CX at TUSHY, shared how her team launched a scrappy, free CX-led service that has now become a legendary video install program to help customers set up their bidets.

The real value wasn’t just tech support. As Ren put it, “It wasn’t about the actual install process, it was the encouragement they needed to change culture.” These calls sparked deeply personal moments (yes, even with cats and toddlers wandering in) and created the kind of emotional connection customers never forget.

Today, that service has evolved into a $15 paid add-on at checkout, and the customers who use it have significantly boost LTV and retention. It’s a masterclass in turning support moments into revenue through genuine human connection.

Steal this strategy

  • Identify a product or feature your customers often hesitate to use, install, or fully understand.
  • Offer free, low-lift onboarding calls via Zoom or Google Meet to guide them through setup or usage.
  • Track LTV, CSAT, or repeat purchase rates for those who opt in.
  • If it drives results, package it as a paid add-on at checkout or use it to surprise and delight key segments.
  • Use simple tools like Calendly and Typeform to automate scheduling and reduce lift on your team.

3. When in doubt, pick up the phone

Phone support is back, and it’s becoming one of the most effective ways to turn conversations into conversions.

Ren from TUSHY swears by it. Her team uses customer phone numbers from abandoned carts to reach out directly. “You can send a hundred emails,” she said, “but a voicemail from a real person cuts through the noise.” Even if customers don’t answer, the fact that a brand called is memorable, and often enough to drive them back to checkout.

Max Wallace, the Director of CX Tommy John echoed the value of voice. His team recently implemented Gorgias Voice, using it to track conversion rates by agent. That visibility helps them identify what top performers are doing differently and replicate it across the team. “By the end of a tough call, customers often apologize for how they started. You can’t get that kind of de-escalation over email.”

In a world where inboxes are crowded and chat fatigue is real, a real voice builds real trust and real revenue.

Steal this strategy

  • Start small: offer limited phone hours once your chat and email support are dialed in.
  • Use phone strategically—for abandoned cart outreach, stuck tickets, or VIP follow-ups.
  • Track call outcomes with tools like Gorgias Voice to see which agents are converting.
  • Train agents to de-escalate and personalize through roleplaying or AI-based call simulations. 

Pro Tip: Don’t rush into phone if your other channels aren’t dialed in. “Master email and chat first. Then, start with limited phone hours. Taste it before scaling it,” said Armani Taheri, the co-founder of TalentPop. 

4. Trust your team to use their judgment

For Max at Tommy John, revenue-driving support starts with two things: deep product knowledge and the freedom to bend the rules.

“We have five different fabrics for men’s underwear alone,” Max shared. To help customers choose the right one, agents need firsthand experience. That’s why Tommy John sends new products directly to the support team, so they can offer real, personalized recommendations like “Try Second Skin instead of Cool Cotton.”

But product knowledge is only half the equation. The other half is empowering agents to make judgment calls. Tommy John’s “Best Pair Guarantee” allows customers to try a product and get a refund or replacement if it’s not the right fit. 

Agents are trained to prioritize retention, offering replacements instead of refunds, recommending better-suited products, and using their own discretion to keep customers happy.

As Max put it, “We don’t have really strict policies… we want them to use their best judgment.” That confidence translates into smoother resolutions, more cross-sells, and customers who stick around.

Steal this strategy

  • Send new or popular products to your CX team so they can speak from firsthand experience.
  • Build simple product cheat sheets or comparison guides to help agents make tailored recommendations.
  • Give agents clear guidelines—but also the freedom to make judgment calls when it comes to refunds, replacements, or policy exceptions.
  • Let your team know it’s okay to “bend the rules” if it means keeping a customer happy.
  • Track outcomes like retention and CSAT to show how empowered agents directly impact loyalty and LTV.

5. Training teams to sell without the push

How do you train outsourced agents to drive revenue, without sounding like a sales team? According to Armani Taheri of TalentPop, it starts with confidence and context.

“You have to tailor-fit the training approach to each brand,” he explained. That means grounding agents in product knowledge, tone of voice, and customer journey before they ever interact with a shopper.

One of the most effective tactics is roleplaying. Armani’s team uses both live roleplays and AI-powered chat simulations to prepare agents for real conversations, pre-sales, post-sales, and everything in between. Tools like Replit and Lovable help create lightweight, brand-specific training environments agents can practice in at their own pace.

The goal isn’t to turn CX reps into hard sellers. It’s to give them the confidence and consistency to recognize revenue opportunities, and act on them in a natural, helpful way.

Steal this strategy

  • Start with the basics: make sure agents understand your product, tone of voice, and customer journey.
  • Roleplay low-pressure scenarios, then layer in more complex ones.
  • Try AI-powered training tools like Replit or Lovable to create brand-specific simulations agents can practice anytime.
  • Emphasize helpfulness over selling: coach agents to spot buying signals and offer value, not push products.
  • Review transcripts together to highlight great conversations and show how small shifts lead to better outcomes.

Tools to power your flywheel

Ready to turn your CX team into a revenue engine? Here are some of the tools mentioned by the panelists that help make it happen:

  • Gorgias Voice: Track revenue by agent, spot top performers, and improve conversion rates across the team.
  • Flip CX: Automate common phone interactions with AI-powered voice support.
  • Kixie: Drop voicemails, integrate with Klaviyo and Shopify, and build smart call queues for abandoned cart outreach.
  • Calendly + Typeform: Scrappy, low-lift tools for scheduling paid or free support calls that drive LTV.

Whether you're scaling phone support or experimenting with post-purchase outreach, the right tools make the flywheel spin faster.

Your CX team might be your best-kept sales secret

They’re on the front lines with your most engaged customers, answering questions, easing doubts, and uncovering what really drives purchases. With the right tools and training, they resolve tickets and help close the sale.

With tools like Gorgias Voice, it’s easier than ever to connect the dots between conversations and conversions.

Want to see how your CX team can help drive growth?

Book a demo to see how Gorgias Voice powers sales through support.

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Every Successful Marketing Campaign Starts with a Customer Question

By Holly Stanley
min read.
0 min read . By Holly Stanley

TL;DR:

  • Start with your CX team—they know what customers are asking. Their insights reveal what’s confusing, what’s converting, and what’s causing returns before marketing ever gets involved.
  • Turn pre-sale questions into better messaging. Use common support queries to improve landing pages, product descriptions, and emails so customers feel confident enough to convert.
  • Your best-performing products aren’t always the most hyped. Let real customer comments guide your messaging by identifying what people rave about in chats and reviews.
  • Customer confusion and returns usually stem from messaging gaps. Fix product pages, policies, and descriptions to better reflect what people need to know upfront.

Your CX team talks to customers every day. They know what’s confusing, driving purchases, and causing returns, because they hear it firsthand.

But all too often, those insights stay siloed in support tickets and live chat transcripts instead of informing the campaigns that shape the customer journey.

This post is here to change that. We’re breaking down the most valuable questions marketing teams should be asking their CX counterparts. When marketing and CX work together, you get more relevant messaging, smarter product positioning, and campaigns that convert.

Whether you’re planning a big seasonal push or just want to improve product education, this is where to start.

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1. What do customers ask about before buying?

Your CX team knows what makes shoppers hesitate. They’re the ones fielding questions like: Does this come in a larger size? Is it final sale? Will it arrive in time?

Beyond being pre-sale inquiries, they’re signals. They reveal what your customers care about most, and where your messaging may be falling short. When marketing teams tune into this, they can proactively address objections in landing pages, product detail pages (PDPs), emails, and top-of-funnel content.

AI Agent answers questions on email and chat.
No matter the product, Gorgias AI Agent can answer your shoppers’ questions right in chat.

At luxury jewelry store Jaxxon, Director of Customer Experience Caela Castillo saw firsthand how important it is to address these questions early. 

Chat used to be a support tool for repetitive questions and problem-solving, but now AI Agent takes care of that for us,” she said. Once those friction points were handled upfront, the CX team could focus on more meaningful conversations, and conversions improved.

And when AI recommended the wrong products? Conversions dropped. It was a clear signal that relevance matters, especially before the sale.

Ask your CX team:

“What do customers most often need to know before they buy, and how can we answer that earlier in the journey?”

2. What product do customers rave about—and why?

Your best-selling product isn’t always your hero product. Sometimes, it’s that under-the-radar item that customers can’t stop talking about. The one that shows up again and again in reviews, chats, and post-purchase surveys.

The insight is gold for marketers. The key is to find out why people love it. Is it the fit? The feel? The results?

At online fashion brand, Princess Polly, Alexandria shared that her team expected Gen Z shoppers to lean on AI for recs, but what really influenced them was customer feedback. Reviews, not bots, built trust. That’s why campaigns built around real customer language and experiences often outperform the most polished product copy.

Shopping Assistant can turn those rave reviews into real-time action. It highlights top products using your Shopify product catalog to make personalized recommendations, proactively assists shoppers by using behavior signals, and even offers tailored discounts when they’re ready to convert. That means less guesswork, greater relevance, and an easier path to purchase.

Ask your CX team:

“Which product do customers rave about most, and what exactly are they saying?”

3. What product causes the most complaints?

When customers are frustrated, it’s easy to blame the product. But in many cases, the issue isn’t quality, it’s communication.

At Shinesty, a men’s underwear brand, Molly Kerrigan, Senior Director of Retention, observed that high return rates often stemmed from unmet customer expectations

She noted the importance of maintaining clear and consistent communication as the company grows, “We get a lot of praise from our customers, and they talk highly of our CX team after 1:1 interactions. We can’t lose that as we scale.” 

Molly notes that using Gorgias AI Agent enables Shinesty’s customers to receive quick answers, freeing her team's time for more complex or sensitive issues.  

Similarly, Princess Polly saw that delivering a standout customer experience meant being fast, consistent, and helpful at every stage. After switching to Gorgias, their support performance improved dramatically:

  • 80% decrease in resolution time
  • 95% decrease in first response time
  • 40% increase in efficiency

Before changing the product, try updating the messaging. Use insights from CX to rewrite descriptions, add size guides, include user-generated content, or even build a quick-fit quiz. Small tweaks help set clearer expectations and reduce unnecessary returns.

Ask your CX team:

“Which products are driving the most complaints, and what do customers wish they knew before buying?”

4. What confuses customers the most?

Confusion is a conversion killer. If a customer isn’t sure about how something works, what’s included, or whether it’s right for them, they’re more likely to bounce.

That’s why it pays to ask your CX team where customers get stuck. Is it a product feature that needs more context? A vague store policy? A missing detail on a bundle?

The good news is that most confusion is fixable. Start with the following steps: 

  • Simplify your product pages
  • Add quick-hit FAQs to your emails
  • Use plain language and real examples

If you’re using Shopping Assistant, you can go even further. It can detect when shoppers are hesitant and provides real-time nudges. Like an assistant who knows all your needs, Shopping Assistant automatically surfaces the questions customers are likely to ask when evaluating a product, so they’re equipped with the clarity they need to proceed to checkout.

Gorgias Shopping Assistant can surface questions while shoppers browse and search for products.
Shopping Assistant uses a shopper’s browsing behavior to answer potential hesitations and questions automatically.

TUSHY, a modern bidet brand, faced similar challenges. As bidets aren't mainstream in North America, shoppers often had concerns about product compatibility and installation. They’d ask questions like:

  • Will a bidet fit my toilet?
  • Is installation complicated?
  • Which bidet is right for me?

Without immediate answers, many potential buyers would abandon their purchase. To address this, TUSHY implemented Shopping Assistant, providing instant support. Taking this approach resulted in an 81% higher chat conversion rate compared to human agents and a 13x return on investment.

“The Shopping Assistant has been a game-changer for our team, especially with the launch of our latest bidet models. Expanding our product catalog has given customers more choices than ever, which can overwhelm first-time buyers. Now, they’re increasingly looking to us for guidance on finding the right fit for their home and personal hygiene needs,” said Ren Fuller-Wasserman, Sr. Director of Customer Experience at TUSHY.  

Ask your CX team:

“Where do customers get confused most often—and how can we clear that up sooner?”

5. Which products are frequently bought together?

Your CX team picks up on patterns that analytics sometimes miss. They hear which items customers ask about in the same chat, which products get added to carts together, and which pairings people reorder time and time again.

That intel is a goldmine for bundling and upselling. It helps you build smarter campaigns that feel relevant and drive real value.

Zoe Kahn, owner of Inevitable Agency and former VP of Retention and CX at Audien Hearing, emphasizes the importance of using AI to enhance customer interactions.

“A lot of that revenue was potentially missed revenue because these were customers sitting on the site, asking questions about the products, and wanting an answer now so they could purchase…Now, AI can answer those questions immediately and convert those customers.”

With Shopping Assistant, you can act on these insights in real time. It will surface personalized product pairings, bundle suggestions, or accessories based on customer behavior. All before they hit the checkout page.

Shopping Assistant can detect shoppers' likelihood to convert
Shopping Assistant initiates relevant conversations by monitoring shopper behavior.

6. Which products lead to the most returns, and why?

Returns cut into your margins and chip away at trust. Most of the time, they’re not caused by poor-quality products. They happen because expectations weren’t met.

Your CX team already knows which items come back the most and why. Maybe the color doesn’t match the photos. Perhaps the fit runs small, or the product description left out a crucial detail. 

Instead of pushing the product harder, reframe how you present it. Add real customer photos. Include fit notes or a sizing chart. Call out anything that might surprise the customer post-purchase. A little clarity upfront goes a long way in reducing returns and boosting retention.

At Pepper, an intimates brand specializing in bras for small-chested bodies, they recognized the importance of pre-sale education. When customers have sizing questions, their AI Agent, Penelope, can provide immediate assistance.

“Penelope takes the information we give her and responds better than a Macro. She tailors it so that it sounds like a natural conversation between two people,” said Gabrielle McWhirter, CX Operations Lead at Pepper.

By proactively providing instant support, Pepper improved customer satisfaction and saw an 18% uplift in average order value.

Ask your CX team:

“Which products get returned the most—and what could we do upfront to change that?”

CX + marketing = smarter campaigns, better results

Before you launch your next campaign, start with a quick sync with your CX lead. They already know what your customers need to hear. You just have to ask.

From fixing messaging gaps to surfacing the right products at the right time, these insights help you connect with customers in personal, timely, and relevant ways.

Tools like Shopping Assistant make it easier than ever to act on this data in real time. You can turn CX knowledge into dynamic recommendations, personalized nudges, and smarter discounts.

Ready to see how you can improve your online shopping experience? Book a demo to see how Gorgias Shopping Assistant engages customers in real-time.

How to Use CX Data to Improve Marketing, Messaging & Conversions

By Alexa Hertel
min read.
0 min read . By Alexa Hertel

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.

  1. Leverage ticket insights to improve messaging
  2. Segment customers based on support interactions
  3. Launch more targeted chat campaigns
  4. Reduce drop-offs and abandoned carts
  5. 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?

A line graph showing trends in topics mentioned in tickets. Mentions about damage, refunds, and replacements are displayed.

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 product page showing wireless bras with a customer support chat box.
Intimates brand Pepper uses AI Agent to provide chat to help answer FAQs while customers shop.

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.

TUSHY uses AI Agent helping a customer install an electric bidet on a skirted toilet.
TUSHY’S AI Agent can sense when a customer lingers for a while on a page, and offers help to guide them to checkout.

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.

Dashboard showing support metrics by channel and ticket response performance.
Set up your Gorgias Dashboard based on your goals.

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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The Hidden Cost of Not Adopting AI in Ecommerce

By Tina Donati
min read.
0 min read . By Tina Donati

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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Stop Resolving These 7 Tickets Manually (Use AI Agent Actions Instead)

By Christelle Agustin
min read.
0 min read . By Christelle Agustin

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.

How AI Agent works: Guidance, knowledge sources, and Actions.

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. 

Gorgias provides 12 Action templates. You can also create your own custom Actions.
Choose from 12 Action templates which you can edit to fit your workflow. You can even create custom Actions.

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.

AI Agent can update shipping addresses for customers.
AI Agent can update shipping addresses for customers without handing it off to a human agent.

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.

AI Agent cancels an order for a customer.
AI Agent can autonomously cancel an order for a customer.
“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:

Replace order Action settings in Gorgias
Before AI Agent can replace an item, it checks to make sure the order is unfulfilled.

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: 

AI Agent asking a customer to confirm that they want to skip a subscription shipment.
AI Agent asks for confirmation before skipping a customer’s shipment.

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

By Holly Stanley
min read.
0 min read . By Holly Stanley

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.

How AI Agent works: First it uses Guidance, knowledge sources like Help Center aticles, then performs Actions.
AI Agent starts with using Guidance, followed by knowledge sources like Help Center articles, and then, if enabled, it performs automated Actions on your behalf.

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.

The Guidance name uses the when statement, 'When a customers asks for a return or exchange'
Use your WHEN statement as the name of the Guidance. It makes it easier to identify and organize Guidance as your collection grows.

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. 

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