Okay, so imagine you're walking into a store, right?
And before you even say a word about what you need,
this sales associate just comes up to you
and suggests the perfect thing.
Like how cool would that be?
It's like they can read your mind or something?
And that's kind of what everyone's saying
AI can do for retail.
Yeah, there's definitely a lot of hype around AI right now.
Everyone's talking about how it's gonna revolutionize
the way we shop everything from personalized suggestions
to super smart inventory management.
But here's the thing, even the best algorithms
in the world won't work if you're missing one crucial piece.
You mean like the human element?
Exactly, specifically your staff.
I mean, think about it, retail has notoriously
high turnover rates.
So how can you even hope to implement
any sort of cool tech or whatever
if you're constantly dealing with new employees
who don't even know the ropes yet?
Right, it's like that article from old media plus
we're looking at today was saying,
they made a really good point about how like,
no matter how fancy your AI gets,
none of it really matters if you haven't invested
in proper training for your employees.
They even said it's like building a house on sand,
which I thought was a pretty powerful analogy.
Oh, for sure, because like while AI can definitely
do a lot to personalize the online shopping experience,
you know, like serving up ads and stuff,
most people like 82% actually still say they prefer
talking to a real person when they're physically in a store.
Someone who knows their stuff and can offer helpful advice.
Yeah, it makes sense.
There's just something about that human touch,
you know, like feeling seen and heard by an actual person
that AI just can't replicate at least not yet.
Totally.
And that's actually a perfect segue into the next point
I wanted to bring up about customer service
and product knowledge.
Like the article argues that these old school concepts
are actually more important now than ever before
in the age of AI.
So how do those two things factor into all of this?
Because it does seem like customer service and product
knowledge are kind of taking a backseat
to technology these days.
Well, the thing is good customer service
and in-depth product knowledge can make a huge difference
for retailers.
I mean, we're talking about things like increased customer
satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately more sales.
Because when your employees know what they're talking about,
they can create those aha moments for shoppers,
you know, where the customer feels understood and valued.
And that kind of personal connection
is what keeps people coming back for more.
So it's not just about making the sale,
it's about building a relationship with the customer.
Exactly.
And that's something that AI just can't do on its own,
at least not yet.
It's like you said, it's not just about making the sale right.
You want to build that relationship.
And to do that, your employees need
to really know their stuff, like inside and out.
They need to be able to connect the dots
between what the customer is looking for
and what you have in stock.
Right, like bridging the gap between data and that human touch
we were talking about.
Exactly.
And that can be tough, especially with the high turnover rates
we see in retail, constantly having
to bring new people up to speed.
Which brings up another good point from the article,
onboarding.
They made this whole argument about how crucial it
is to have a really solid onboarding process in place.
And not just for improving employee performance,
but also for shaping the company culture.
Oh, absolutely.
Onboarding is so important.
I mean, think about it.
When you rush through the onboarding process
and just throw a ton of information at new hires,
it just creates confusion and frustration.
And what happens?
They end up quitting.
Yeah, it totally backfires.
Right.
So the article suggests taking a more long-term approach
to onboarding.
A focus on really developing your employees' skills
and knowledge instead of just trying to get them up
to speed as quickly as possible.
So it's about investing in your employees for the long haul.
Exactly.
And that kind of leads into the solution they highlight
in the article.
Have you heard of the Insight platform?
Yeah, they mentioned it a few times.
Sounds like it's supposed to help with this whole training
and onboarding thing.
But how does it actually work?
Is it just like another one of those learning management
systems?
Not even close.
Insight is way more than that.
It's like this really cool interactive hub
where employees can access all kinds of training materials
and resources.
Plus, it has these built-in communication tools
so everyone can stay connected and get support
when they need it.
That sounds way more engaging than just reading through a bunch
of manuals or whatever.
Oh, yeah, totally.
And the best part is it's tailored to each individual
employee's needs.
So they're not just getting bombarded
with irrelevant information.
It's all about making sure they have
the specific knowledge and skills they need
to succeed in their role.
That's smart.
So it's kind of like AI is actually
helping to personalize the employee experience, too.
Exactly.
And it doesn't stop there.
Insight also has these really cool performance tracking
tools for managers so they can see how their team is doing,
identify any areas where they might need extra support,
that kind of thing.
Oh, wow.
So it's like bringing everything full circle.
You're using AI to not only improve the customer experience,
but also the employee experience.
Exactly.
It's all connected.
And when you invest in your employees
and give them the tools they need to succeed,
everybody wins.
Yeah, for sure.
It really seems like the big takeaway here
is that retailers need to find that balance.
Yeah.
Like, yeah, AI is cool and everything,
but you can't forget about the human side of things.
100%.
It's about using technology to enhance the human element,
not replace it.
Think about it for a second.
Right now, we can literally order anything online, right?
Groceries close, even furniture.
But you know what?
People still like going to physical stores.
Because they want that in-person experience.
Yeah.
They want to talk to a real person, get advice,
maybe even just have a little chat.
You can't get that from a website.
It's true.
There's just something about connecting with someone
face to face that you can't replicate online.
Like, it's about building trust and feeling confident
in your purchases.
And that's what makes this whole conversation so interesting,
right?
It's not about choosing between AI or humans.
It's about figuring out how to combine those two things
in a way that creates the best possible experience
for everyone.
So like a future where AI is working behind the scenes
to help retailers understand their customers better.
But then you still have those human interactions
happening on the front lines.
Exactly.
Imagine walking into a store and the sales associate
already knows exactly what you're looking for based
on your past purchases or what you've been browsing online.
But then they also take the time to get to know you personally,
ask about your day, offer suggestions that are tailored
specifically to your needs.
That would be pretty awesome.
Yeah.
So it's not about replacing jobs.
It's about making those jobs even better.
Precisely.
And that kind of brings us to a final thought
I wanted to leave our listeners with.
What if instead of asking, will AI replace human workers,
we started asking, how can we use AI to empower our employees
and create a more human-centric retail experience?
That's a really good question.
Like, how can we use technology to not only improve efficiency
and personalize recommendations, but also
to build stronger relationships with our customers?
It's definitely something we're thinking about.
Definitely.
Because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about,
creating meaningful connections and building
relationships that last.
And if we can use AI to help us do that even better,
then I think the future of retail is looking pretty bright.
I agree.
Well said.
This is a great conversation.
Thanks for joining me today.
Thanks for having me.