VOICE22 and the Retail Experience

Working in retail requires one to be a Jack of all trades. Retail staff need to produce sales while providing customer service. They also need people skills and an understanding of basic marketing. Working in retail can be challenging indeed.

But your organization can make gains in terms of cost and efficiency by using Ai-powered voice tech. And it can help to overcome some of the more common issues faced by live agents. These things include the long wait times customers experience to speak to a representative and the high cost incurred by those reps. Then there's the fact that your live agents will repeatedly be called upon to answer low-value questions, such as order tracking and other easily-resolved issues, as well as the difficulties related to hiring, training, and retaining staff.

But how do you replace live agents with voice assistants without sacrificing the personal touch inherent to live, human-to-human interactions?

It's easier said than done.

Enter VOICE22

VOICE22 will be taking place in Arlington, VA, from October 10th to the 12th. The event, which includes keynotes, workshops, and panels featuring voice tech leaders worldwide, will closely examine how to successfully transpose the retail experience to the online space using voice as the primary interface.

VOICE22 is all about the digital transformation that's currently underway - and the retail industry is taking part in that transformation. As such, many of the talks and workshops will focus on how to harness the power of voice to transform the retail experience.

You'll learn how to provide omnichannel retail experiences in which voice, sight, and touch  (phone, chat, email, web) come together to create immersive and personalized retail experiences.

You'll hear from industry experts on how to provide your customers with a seamless retail experience, whether online or offline. You'll learn how to offer the same assistance to your customers online as you would in your brick-and-mortar shop.

You'll understand how to make it easier for your customers to search for - and find - your products, locate physical stores, and find out about current promotions and sales.

Speaker & Session Highlights

Using Voice and Behavioral Matching AI to Serve Customers Better

On October 12th, at 3:20 PM, Rana Gujral, CEO of Behavioral Signals, will provide insights into how AI and voice have the power to change how companies engage with customers with a more personalized approach that corresponds to customers' individual needs and personalities. 

Rana calls this EmotionAI (a clever play on the word "emotional"). And the key is to not simply listen to what is being said but to how it's being said as well. You won't want to miss this eye-opening talk that will show you how to use AI to enrich the customer journey at every step of the way.

Why a Retailer Is Committed to Voice - and What Retailers Need from Voice

On October 11th, at 1:20 PM, Joel Crabb, Vice President, Architecture, and Chief Architect of the Target Corporation, will share his informed perspective on why voice technology is vital to retailers.

Looking at the current retail landscape - its challenges and successes - Joel will make a case for voice tech in retail and demonstrate that the right time to take the plunge is right now. Retailers need to understand that the digital transformation isn't optional at this point - it's mandatory. And next level retail experiences are provided through voice.

But what's required for these next-generation retail experiences to become a reality doesn't solely rest on retailers' shoulders. The voice industry itself needs to rise to the plate with new initiatives tailored to the retail sector. And it's in that perspective that Joel will also outline the steps the voice industry must take to enable retailers to create value through voice.

Intelligent Customer Service Automation

On October 11th, at 11 AM, Noelle Silver Russell, IBM, Global Partner, AI, and Analytics, will discuss the challenges of using AI and automation in a customer service setting. And her biggest focus will appropriately be on how AI and automation best be used to help elevate customer service without sacrificing the personal touch that only a live agent can provide. That is a common concern within organizations ready to make the transition to voice.

In her session, Noelle will share her insights and experience with AI-driven customer service. She will provide insider advice on building the foundation of an incredible customer service organization. She will show you how to use technology not to replace but to augment the live customer service agents, enabling them to be more productive, increase customer satisfaction,  and improve any business' bottom lines.

Wrap Up

The above is just a taste of what VOICE22 has in store for you. If you're part of the retail industry, you won't want to miss it, whether your organization is already working with voice or looking to get started. It's going to be fun, informative, and full of insights. Join us for VOICE22, October 10th to the 12th, to talk about voice in retail.

You can view the agenda to see the complete list of speakers. And get your ticket here.

The future is vocal.

About Modev

Modev was founded in 2008 on the simple belief that human connection is vital in the era of digital transformation. Today, Modev produces market-leading events such as VOICE Global, presented by Google Assistant, VOICE Summit, and the award-winning VOICE Talks internet talk show. Modev staff, better known as "Modevators," include community building and transformation experts worldwide. To learn more about Modev, and the breadth of events offered live and virtually, visit modev.com.