Retailers aren’t exactly short when it comes to AI; if anything, they’re overwhelmed by it.
From chatbots to order tracking bots and agent assist tools, many brands have built stacks of disconnected solutions. But according to Michael Klein, Head of Retail, Travel & Hospitality Product Marketing at Talkdesk, adding more automation isn’t the answer.
Instead, retailers need commerce orchestration, which can connect AI agents, systems, and data to create one seamless customer journey.
“The challenge isn’t a lack of technology, it’s silos,” Klein says.
“Customers expect brands to understand their history without repeating themselves or jumping between channels.”
Rather than isolated “automation moments,” Talkdesk is focusing on Customer Experience Automation (CXA), a framework that coordinates multiple AI agents across service, commerce, and fulfillment systems, with smooth handoffs to humans when needed.
Crucially, these agents can be built using natural language, making the technology accessible beyond technical teams.
Service as a Growth Driver
Klein believes AI is finally enabling customer service to shift from cost center to revenue driver.
By automating high-volume, low-complexity queries like “Where’s my order?”, retailers free up human agents to focus on higher-value tasks such as selling, advising, and proactive outreach.
“It’s the gift of time,” he says. “AI handles the routine work so people can focus on meaningful customer interactions.”
Meanwhile, more natural conversational AI means customers can engage in ways that feel closer to speaking with an in-store associate than a scripted bot.
Building Trust with Guardrails
As AI takes on more responsibility, trust is critical. Klein stresses the importance of clear guardrails, business rules, and human oversight, alongside careful, real-time use of customer data.
“A bad AI experience can damage loyalty fast,” he notes. “Transparency and control have to be built in.”
Early adopters like Rocky Brands are already seeing results, automating around 40% of interactions while maintaining low abandonment rates. Their approach: a phased, “crawl-walk-run” rollout focused on the highest-impact use cases first.
For retailers still stuck in pilot mode, Klein’s advice is simple: map the customer journey, clean up your data, and prioritize orchestration over adding more tools.
Because success isn’t about how much AI you deploy—it’s about how well it all works together.
