Digital technologies like GenAI play a crucial role in boosting retail sales and enhancing customer experiences by offering convenience and personalized solutions. While these advancements promise incredible opportunities for convenience and personalization, retailers must not lose sight of the irreplaceable value of human interaction.

It's tempting to view human support as a “nice-to-have” in a world dominated by digital. The role of human involvement in retail, although evolving, remains an essential component of customer engagement. Particularly when it comes to personalized advice and problem-solving, customers deeply value human interaction.

According to Ipsos research, 74% of customers still choose face-to-face interactions with a customer service or sales representatives over other forms of communication such as phone, email, or online chat. ¹  Additionally, 57% of customers prefer speaking with a customer service representative over the phone instead of using online chat or email.¹ In retail, the most common reason customers interact with a virtual assistant is to contact human support (33%), 11 points higher than the cross-industry average. ²

This persistent desire for live, human support highlights a crucial insight for retailers:  digital should enhance, not replace, the human element. Retailers should strategically integrate both digital and human elements to provide a balanced and effective customer experience.

_{¹Source: The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded May 30 – May 31, 2024 among 1,086 U.S. adults.}

_{²Source: Ipsos Customer Experience Survey, fielded May 7-8, 2024 among 1,005 U.S. adults.}