AI agents fueled record-breaking online Cyber Week sales, pushing e-commerce revenue to $41 billion—an 8% surge from last year, according to Adobe Analytics. At the same time, interactions with AI agents jumped 85% as shoppers hunted for seasonal sales, gift recommendations, and instant support.
When holiday deals are on the line, shoppers need fast answers, not service delays. In the past, retailers faced two choices: scramble to hire seasonal staff or risk shoppers abandoning their carts after waiting too long for a reply. Now, it’s possible to tackle the holiday rush head-on, without adding headcount. According to our data, AI agents handled more than a third of all customer inquiries on Black Friday—and not just password resets.
These AI-powered agents are managing promotions, providing delivery updates, dealing with order returns, and processing last-minute gift exchanges. And with their generative AI capabilities rapidly advancing, they’re performing these increasingly complex interactions with human-like precision. What’s more, customers are embracing the change: conversations using generative AI soared 7.3x compared to Black Friday last year.
As the holiday rush intensifies, retailers need AI agents that can handle higher volumes while delivering effective support. And with two-thirds of CX leaders anticipating leaner teams in the near-future, AI will be crucial for managing ticket surges—not just during the holidays, but year-round.
3 tips for a winning AI strategy all year long
Here are 3 ways to ensure your AI can handle the demand during any peak-season:
1. Identify your FAQs
Analyze past peak-season ticket data to pinpoint your most common customer questions. With better insight into high-volume topic areas, you can automate popular issues and reduce the burden on your agents. Aim to perform these audits at regular intervals to make sure you address any new or pressing issues before they become a problem.
2. Get your knowledge base AI-ready
When ticket volume spikes, access to timely, accurate information is key. Equip your AI agent with a well-structured, up-to-date FAQ knowledge base to handle the surge. This ensures your AI can swiftly automate recurring issues and provide customers with the answers they need when they need them most.
Grove is a great example—they keep their knowledge base updated to ensure that their AI agent can deliver effective 24/7 support. As a result, the team has been able to maintain a 95% CSAT score—even during staff reductions and spikes in chat demand.
3. Connect AI to your e-commerce ecosystem
Integrating AI agents with your e-commerce systems means they can go a step further in helping customers. That includes processing returns without human involvement or offering personalized product recommendations. With these agents able to handle a larger pool of customer questions, human agents have more time to focus on the higher-stakes or sensitive questions that truly require a human touch.
For 81% of retailers, AI is now essential
E-commerce competition is fierce, and the retailers pulling ahead are the ones finding innovative ways to provide a better customer experience. AI isn’t just a short-term fix—it’s now clear it’s a critical part of any long-term strategy. And those who embrace it boldly will continue to lead the way.
As you navigate these crucial times, having the right partner is invaluable. Zendesk has the tools and expertise you need. See how we can help you build your AI strategy.
Research methodology: Data sourced from Zendesk’s anonymized and aggregated customer service data for the retail industry from 2023 to 2024.
