Latest news with #MarTech+
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MarTech+ #3: The Broken State of Customer Service
Dear Reader, Brands in India are struggling to keep up with customer expectations. According to a study by ServiceNow, Indians spent 15 billion hours just waiting to make a service complaint or resolve an issue over the past 12 months. That's the equivalent of India collectively sitting on hold for more than 1.7 million years. But what's really broken? The Bottleneck Let's say a contact centre has 200 agents and receives 20,000 calls per day. To keep the average handling time at 10 minutes per call, they'd need to double their workforce, fast. But most brands won't do it. Cost concerns, tight margins, and scale make it nearly impossible. And yet, the demand keeps growing. India is expected to have 427 million online shoppers by 2027. Which means, more questions, more problems… and potentially, more unhappy customers. Traditional Models Showing Cracks The BPO industry in India is valued at $280 billion and employs over 3 million people. For decades, it has set the bar for what good customer service should look like. But in today's context, fragmented systems, rising expectations, and digital-first consumers, it's starting to feel outdated. And it shows. Industries like telecom, e-commerce, banking, groceries, government services and healthcare, the ones that matter most in our daily lives, are the ones most frequently called out for poor service. Two Big Shifts Are Happening Some brands are putting experience first. They're rethinking product design, logistics, and most importantly, how they serve their customers. For them, service isn't a cost centre, it's part of the brand experience. Tech is finally stepping up. Most service breakdowns stem from what experts call the 'Messy Middle', a tangle of disconnected systems and inefficient workflows. The result? Agents log into 3.4 systems on average to handle a single query. That's slow. Frustrating. And expensive. In fact, ServiceNow estimates that these inefficiencies cost India a staggering $55 billion in lost productivity each year. Enter AI. And It's Not Just Hype. 66% of Indian consumers believe Gen AI will soon outperform traditional customer service.62% say they've resolved issues through self-service.55% now trust AI-driven support like chatbots more than before. From handling basic queries to resolving tickets instantly, AI is helping brands shift from reactive to proactive support. But here's the catch: AI is only as good as the platform it runs on. Without unified data, integrated workflows, and automation, it's just another tech patch on a broken system. What the Expert Says So, in this week's edition of MarTech+ we dive into how four brands are transforming customer service operations for the better. Pepperfry's Complaint-Resolution Playbook Pepperfry handles complaints like mini projects, with strict timelines and cross-functional visibility. 'Our standard resolution cycle runs on a Day 1 to Day 5 playbook,' said Alok Varman, head of supply chain, Pepperfry. 'We do an inspection on Day 3 and resolve by Day 5, either a replacement, repair, or spare part.' As soon as a customer raises a concern, support agents ask for photographic documentation and create a visible ticket across the system. Agents are trained to follow detailed standard operating procedures but also empowered to act. 'Our team doesn't wait for approvals. They can offer loyalty points, refunds, or even initiate a replacement if it makes sense,' Varman said. 'The idea is not to argue, we acknowledge fast and close the loop faster.' At the point of delivery, Pepperfry built quality checks into the experience. Every delivery crew is required to unbox the item in front of the customer and report visible defects immediately. 'The DHL helpline is activated right then. The delivery staff hands the phone to the customer. There's no back and forth, we escalate at the doorstep,' Varman explained. If a product still passed through with a hidden flaw, the assembly technician provided a second line of defence by reporting any issues during installation. Each complaint became part of a long-term feedback loop: photographic evidence was matched with dispatch-day images, root causes were tagged, and the issue fed directly into updates for processes, supplier guidance, and quarterly training. Finally, Pepperfry flagged accounts of customers who had previously experienced issues. 'Their next order goes through additional quality checks,' Varman added. 'We want them to feel like we remembered.' This proactive, data-led approach ensured that customers were not just heard, they were quickly helped without being passed between departments or made to chase. 'At the end of the day,' said Varman, 'we're not just delivering a product, we're delivering an experience.' CaratLane's Approach to Customer Escalations CaratLane built its complaint-handling strategy on three key principles: respond instantly, resolve fully, and recover with empathy. 'In our category, if you miss an occasion, the value of the product is lost,' said Atul Sinha, COO, CaratLane. 'It's not about money, it's about the emotional moment.' At the core of this approach is CaratLane's Internal Escalations Team, a dedicated five-member unit empowered to act without delays. 'They are the only set of people other than the MD or CEO who are authorised to do whatever it takes,' Sinha said. That includes booking flights, upgrading jewellery, or dispatching replacements, without approvals or time-consuming handoffs This team exists to protect moments that matter. For instance, if an engagement ring delivery was delayed, the escalation team might offer a higher-value piece, hand-delivered within hours. 'The moment the customer realised the company was accepting its fault and doing everything it could to solve the problem, everything changed,' Sinha added. Speed is non-negotiable. CaratLane resolves escalations in an average of two hours, and its First Call Resolution rate exceeds 80%, meaning most problems are solved in the initial interaction. 'We track this metric actively. If I couldn't resolve it on the first call, I hadn't really solved the problem,' Sinha noted. Above all, Net Promoter Score (NPS) serves as a barometer for success, CaratLane maintains an NPS above 90%, reviewed monthly at the leadership level. This signals not just satisfaction but genuine customer advocacy, even in the face of last-minute issues. By combining authority with accountability, and swift action with emotional intelligence, CaratLane ensures that a service slip never becomes a brand exit. As Sinha put it, 'Customers got frustrated, but what mattered was how we showed up when something went wrong.' Eureka Forbes Taps AI to Reinvent Direct Sales at Scale Eureka Forbes partnered with SquadStack to unlock a high-performance direct sales engine, achieving a 30% uplift in AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) conversions, improved lead connectivity, and a scalable, quality-assured outreach model. The challenge was significant: over 55 lakh leads per month, low connectivity, high agent attrition, and limited insight into customer preferences. Previous systems struggled to keep pace with fluctuating volumes and complex buyer journeys. SquadStack deployed fully-managed telecalling operations layered with AI-powered quality control and knowledge management. Agent ramp-up times dropped sharply, while connectivity jumped to 90%, up 50% from earlier baselines. Omnichannel engagement, via calls, SMS, and WhatsApp, ensured better reach and lead recovery, including for cart drop-offs. Advanced dashboards and 23-parameter AI audits enabled consistent coaching and performance improvement at scale. Eureka Forbes used these insights to not only improve agent outcomes but also to shape product and service design. Within two months, SquadStack exceeded all conversion benchmarks, creating a repeatable, data-led direct sales model for Eureka Forbes, one that combined speed, scale, and personalised customer experiences. Meesho's GenAI Voice Bot: Transforming Customer Support for Bharat Meesho reimagined its customer service for India's next 500 million shoppers by building a multilingual, GenAI-powered voice bot that now handles over 60,000 calls a day. Designed for Tier 2 and beyond, this system resolves 95% of customer queries without human intervention, dramatically improving support outcomes while reducing costs. The system integrates natural language processing (NLP), automatic speech recognition (ASR), and text-to-speech (TTS) to deliver fluent, contextual, and human-like interactions in both Hindi and English, with regional languages like Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali next in line. 'Our multilingual, GenAI-powered voice bot exemplifies our commitment to inclusive e-commerce,' said Debdoot Mukherjee, chief data scientist and head of AI, Meesho. Unlike traditional bots, Meesho's platform understands intent, handles interruptions intelligently, and adapts tone. The team is also exploring emotion recognition to tailor conversations based on user sentiment. Internally, the voice bot has freed up human agents to focus on more complex issues, cutting average handle time by 50% and per-call costs by 75%. Every conversation feeds into Meesho's analytics loop, improving everything from product design to cart abandonment flows. 'We believe Agentic AI will transform e-commerce, making it smarter, more intuitive, and deeply aligned with user needs,' Mukherjee added. With this AI-first, language-inclusive service layer, Meesho isn't just automating calls, it's making digital retail truly conversational for millions of first-time internet users. Over to You Is your customer service still stuck in the messy middle? Or have you started building AI-led experiences that actually feel human? What's working, what's breaking and what's your bold bet for CX in 2025? Tag @ETBrandEquity on LinkedIn with your take. We're listening. Stories you might have missed Automation Anywhere sees rising demand for agentic process automation in India, says COO Mini 'AI missions' sprout in states boosting adoption and innovation China on the cusp of seeing over 100 DeepSeeks, ex top official says Amazon, Microsoft use AI to generate 25% of their code The AI Illusion: Why CXOs must rethink trust in the machine About Us Each week, we unpack the technology trends shaping marketing, without the jargon. Expect sharp insights, real-world brand moves, and smart signals to help you stay ahead. If you think technology is transforming marketing and want to understand its impact at the consumer level, this newsletter is built for you. Stay tuned for the next edition of the MarTech+ newsletter, rolling out every Wednesday. - Team ETBrandEquity
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MarTech+ #2: Decoding AI shifts in search, creativity, and marketing economics
Dear Reader, AI isn't coming for your job, it's already rewiring it. From reshaping how brands show up in search to challenging the soul of creative work, AI is shifting marketing's centre of gravity. The questions marketers must now answer aren't just tactical (Should we use AI?), they're existential (What does creativity mean in an AI-first world?). In this week's MarTech+ newsletter, we're decoding three big shifts where tech isn't just a tool, it's a tension. A new kind of search. A creative conundrum. And an economic curveball. Let's make sense of it all. Is GEO the new SEO? As AI-powered search grows up, it's eating into attention - and budgets. Our feature explores how Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is nudging brands to rethink traditional SEO strategies. Read how marketers are navigating the GEO shift Why you should care: Because where your brand appears and how is no longer a matter of keywords but conversations. GEO might not replace SEO but it's definitely rewriting the rules. When AI ate my copywriter Is AI the end of creativity or its latest muse? This sharp take confronts the discomfort many marketers feel as AI takes on 'right-brain' work, from writing copy to building concepts. Read the creative conflict Why you should care: Because rejecting AI won't protect your craft but learning to dance with it might. As Sam Altman put it: AI can do 95% of marketing tasks. The remaining 5%? That's your creativity. The deflationary economics of AI Infinite content. Zero marginal cost. Welcome to the era of AI-led marketing . This piece unpacks the deflationary pressure AI places on value creation, and why marketers must double down on what can't be scaled, yet. Explore the economic shift Why you should care: Because efficiency is cheap. Attention isn't. As AI floods the field with output, the intangibles, brand, trust, emotion, will define what cuts through. Quote of the Week Resisting AI to save your job is the surest way of losing Balsara, Chairman, Madison World Over to You What's your MarTech dharam sankat? Are you building workflows around AI or still figuring out how to brief it? Tag @ETBrandEquity on LinkedIn with your take, we're listening. Stories you might have missed Adobe brings AI-image generation app to phones, adds partners 98% of Indian consumers buy more with real-time personalisation: Report Meta brings ads to WhatsApp The AI inflection point: Why every CXO must act now Reddit unveils AI-driven ad tools to help brands tap into user discussions About Us Each week, we unpack the technology trends shaping marketing, without the jargon. Expect sharp insights, real-world brand moves, and smart signals to help you stay ahead. If you think technology is transforming marketing and want to understand its impact at the consumer level, this newsletter is built for you. Stay tuned for the next edition of the MarTech+ newsletter, rolling out every Wednesday. - Team ETBrandEquity
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MarTech+ #1: AI That Sees, Shops, and Sells
Dear Reader, While the principles of marketing remain unchanged, technology has transformed everything about how we experience them. The 4Ps — product, price, promotion, and place — now look very different in a world of algorithms, AI, and attention scarcity. Even mental and physical availability is shaped by data, devices, and digital journeys. That's why we have curated the MarTech+ newsletter to track how marketing is evolving at the intersection of tech and consumer behaviour — without the jargon. Every week, we'll share smart signals, brand moves, and the ideas shaping what's next. In this edition, we explore how AI is quietly but powerfully shaping the way people shop, storytellers create, and brands serve. From grocery shelves designed with empathy, to studios where AI sharpens the craft, to shopping journeys guided by digital agents — this is AI in action. Let's dive into the now 🛒 When AI sees what we don't Britannia 's 'A-Eye' project is more than tech—it's what innovation looks like when it puts people first. By making grocery shelves more accessible to the visually impaired, Britannia reminds us that inclusive design is good marketing. 👉 Here's how they did it. Why you should care: Because inclusive brand experiences aren't just 'nice to have'—they're the new competitive edge. 🎨 AI didn't kill the creative star—It upskilled it Youri Guerassimov, the CCO-turned-CEO of Marcel, drops a hard truth: AI has made creative work sharper, not shallower. In this ETBE exclusive, he reflects on how tech has made storytelling more efficient and effective — when paired with soul. 👉 Read the interview. Why you should care: Because brands that want creative that sells need to embrace AI not as a shortcut, but as a superpower. 🛍️ Welcome to Agentified Shopping Imagine a world where you don't scroll endlessly or filter by size. Instead, a smart AI agent knows your taste, diet, budget, mood — and shops for you. This guest article unpacks the rise of AI shopping agents that could change how we think about discovery and decision-making. 👉 Step into the future. Why you should care: Because preference-based automation is poised to flip marketing funnels on their head. Here are more stories you might have missed. Gen AI and the future of marketing. AI, the new shoulder to cry on. And it doesn't get tired. AI impact: What happens to advertising now? Chatgpt faces global outage; India, US most affected. Meta opening AI lab to build super intelligence. 🔄 Over to you Are we entering an era where marketers don't just target people, but train the agents who influence them? What's one AI innovation you've seen lately that actually made the journey better? Tag us on LinkedIn (ET BrandEquity) with your thoughts. — Team ETBrandEquity 🗓️ Stay tuned for the next edition of the MarTech+ newsletter, coming to you every Wednesday.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MarTech+ #1: The great MarTech reset
Welcome to the very first edition of MarTech+ , your sharp, smart, and always-on newsletter that cuts through the noise to bring you the boldest ideas and conversations from the ever-evolving world of marketing technology . If you've been wondering how generative AI will reshape your customer journeys , challenge creativity norms, or even lend a (virtual) shoulder when campaigns tank — you're in the right place. This week, we're going deep on one central force: AI . Not just as a tool, but as a seismic shift in how marketing is done. Here are three stories you cannot afford to miss: 📌 Gen AI and the Future of Marketing From co-piloting creatives to customising campaigns at scale, Gen AI is no longer optional. We unpack where it's heading and how marketers can ride the wave — or risk being swept away. 📌 AI, the New Shoulder to Cry On. And It Doesn't Get Tired. In a world where emotional resilience meets artificial empathy, AI is transforming brand support and creative feedback loops. Here's why that matters more than you think. 📌 AI Impact: What Happens to Advertising Now? With machine learning rewriting briefs and disrupting media spends, we look at what's breaking, what's building, and why your next media plan might just start with a prompt. Whether you're a CMO rethinking strategy or a martech enthusiast looking to stay ahead, MarTech+ is here to decode the disruption. Keep watching this space. The marketing revolution is just getting started — and it speaks in code. Yours Truly, Varun Markande, MarTech Correspondent.
