After bursting into mainstream popularity two years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the retail sector by storm.
ChatGPT became a household name, and many retailers – including jewellers – were left scrambling to keep up with the latest developments.
When you’re already facing the long hours associated with running your own business, it can be challenging to find the time to stay on top of the latest ‘tech trends’.
I recently had a fascinating experience listening to an outbound phone call made by an AI agent.
The level of sophistication was indistinguishable from a human call centre agent.
Fast, convenient, and consistent service are three commonly described attributes when customers are asked about their ‘ideal’ business – these ‘AI agents’ meet these needs.
Programs such as ‘chat bots’ can help customer care staff handle a high volume of enquiries without increasing personnel. These programs can also improve efficiency and productivity.
Then, there’s the added benefit for your employees and the time freed up by not having to respond to repetitive online customer enquiries. This can prevent burnout among staff, who may grow weary when dealing with the same daily complaints or questions!
Considering this matter from a more ‘glass half full’ perspective, when more time is made for employees to focus on meaningful tasks, this can increase personal satisfaction from work. It’s a win-win outcome.
This made me realise the potential AI holds for small jewellery businesses.
It has the potential to ‘level the playing field’ and unlock new possibilities for independent retailers.
Regarding jewellery, many businesses are already using AI tools to generate personalised suggestions to design customers' dream necklaces or rings.
It won’t be long before customers approach you with their AI-inspired designs and ask you to bring them to life.
AI is revolutionising the way we do business. Its impact is here to stay – and you need to be ready for this change, or you risk falling behind.
With rapid advancements, are you keeping up with the new features and capabilities? Can you evaluate what's helpful for your business and leverage this technology effectively?
As someone who helps jewellers run their businesses efficiently through technology, I've witnessed how quickly it can create new opportunities and even reshape entire industries.
In the not-so-distant future, AI will empower small jewellery businesses with capabilities such as intelligent chatbots and advanced automation.
Some programs provide invaluable insights, automate mundane tasks, and enhance customer experiences — all at a fraction of the cost these processes traditionally consume.
There’s no shame in feeling cautious about the progression of AI in retail. Jewellery is an industry rooted in tradition, and these traditions are meaningful.
With that said, it would be foolish to resist the benefits these programs can offer your business for the sake of being contrarian.
I think it’s important to focus on the positives these programs may bring to your business rather than fear the ‘machines taking over’.
While programs such as ChatGPT became overnight sensations, the development of these AI services has been gradual. Your business's adoption of these programs should also be gradual – you don’t need to hand the keys to a robot tomorrow!
Whether it be implementing a chatbot to converse with customers online or installing a new program to manage your inventory – there are many options.
Perhaps you could explore marketing tools that reduce time spent sending emails and making social media posts or consider sales analysis and forecast programs.
So far, AI tools that focus on the marketing side of business have seen the highest adoption rate among small business owners. These include tools that assist with content ideation and creation by proposing relevant topics, writing emails, making social media posts and even AI-supported video editing tools. Perhaps that's where your business could begin.
I chose to embrace AI's advantages for small businesses. It enhances operations, improves efficiency, and better serves customers. That’s a win for me!
AI will help today's jewellers make their mark tomorrow – the degree to which it impacts your business is on you.
With that said, let’s never forget the value of human courtesy – it never hurts to throw in a polite ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to our AI counterparts, just in case Skynet really is watching.
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