Joe was walking through a shopping mall with no real intention of buying anything. He only needed a couple of shirts. Nothing urgent. Nothing worth spending too much time on.
But as he passed a store, two large digital displays caught his attention. The images changed quickly, showing clothing, combinations, and styles that seemed to speak directly to him.
One shirt in particular made him stop. It was exactly the kind of shirt he had been looking for.
“I’ll just go in for a minute,” he thought.
As soon as he walked through the door, a salesperson approached him naturally. He did not invade Joe’s personal space or follow him too closely. He simply greeted him, welcomed him to the store, and asked how he could help.
Joe pointed toward the display outside and explained that he had seen a shirt that caught his attention.
The salesperson was carrying a tablet. After listening to Joe’s description, he asked whether Joe had ever purchased anything from one of the chain’s stores before.
Joe was not sure, but then remembered buying something several months earlier in another city. With his permission, he identified himself as a customer.
That small piece of information completely changed the conversation.
Within seconds, the system retrieved useful information: sizes Joe had purchased before, preferred colors, previous purchases, and even a few items he had looked at but never bought.
The salesperson no longer had to start from scratch. He did not need to remember Joe’s history either. The technology was giving him useful possibilities and recommendations that could help him provide better service.
The tablet first recommended the shirt that had caught Joe’s attention. Then it suggested two alternatives that matched his style, along with a jacket that paired well with one of them. It also showed which products were available at that location and which ones could be quickly brought in from another store.
But the most important part of the experience was still taking place between two people.
The salesperson talked with Joe, understood what occasion he needed the clothes for, and adjusted the recommendations accordingly.
“The technology provided information. The salesperson provided judgment, empathy, and experience.”
One good recommendation led to another. Joe tried on one shirt, then another, and then the jacket. At no point did he feel pressured.
He felt that someone genuinely understood what he was looking for.
By the time he reached the checkout counter, Joe smiled as he looked at his purchases.
He had walked in thinking about one shirt and was leaving with several items.
Yes, he had spent more than he originally planned, but he was also genuinely satisfied.
He did not feel that someone had sold him more. He felt that he had bought better.
The company won as well. It increased the value of the sale, moved inventory more intelligently, made use of information it already had about its customer, and probably increased the likelihood that Joe would return.
So where was the artificial intelligence?
It was working behind the experience: helping interpret data, identify patterns, recommend products, connect inventory information, and give the salesperson useful insights at exactly the right moment.
AI was not the visible star of the story.
It was the technology making a more informed and personalized customer experience possible.
A Final Reflection
As you may have noticed, technology is not everything.
We can have extraordinary data, algorithms, and tools, but if we do not prepare the people who serve our customers, invest in them, and give them the right judgment and tools, it will be very difficult to deliver an outstanding experience.
Our employees are still the face of the company.
Technology does not replace that human relationship. It can strengthen it. It can give salespeople better information, reduce friction, and help them make better decisions at the right moment.
Joe walked in looking for a shirt. He walked out with more products, satisfied, and wanting to come back. The company sold more, but it also built a stronger relationship with its customer. That is the real value.
Science Fiction?
No.
Many of the technologies that can make an experience like this possible already exist.
What is surprising is that many retail companies still do not realize how far they can go when they combine artificial intelligence, data, processes, and well-prepared people.
Have an idea or challenge you’d like to explore?
Schedule a 30-minute Coffee & Ideas conversation with Otto.
About the Author
Otto Stecher has over 35 years of experience integrating strategy, performance, costs, processes, data science, and applied artificial intelligence to transform organizations across Latin America and internationally.