Retail
January 23, 2020
AI can free up sales associates' time to better serve consumers. Image credit: Printemps
By Sarah Jones
Almost three-quarters of consumers say that personalized service from frontline staff plays an integral role in shaping their decisions of which retailer to do business with, pointing to the continued importance of human help amid an increasingly independent retail environment.
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\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