CASE STUDY

September 16, 2024

Harney & Sons: Conversion rates leap by 250% with Rep vs. pre-Rep era

Client:

Harney & Sons

Industry:

Food & Beverage

Platform:

Shopify + Klaviyo

250%

CVR increase with Rep

23%

AI-assisted conversion rate

Emails collected (30 days)

Summary

Challenge‍

Improve product discovery and reduce the need for human assistance for customer interactions‍

Solution‍

Use AI for proactive customer engagement and support‍

Results‍

Shopper interactions with Rep actually increased conversions by 250% versus non-Rep interactions. Harney & Sons raised conversion rates overall by +22%, answered 92% of customer conversations satisfactorily with no need for human intervention, and realized a 20x return on their investment.

Challenge

Harney & Sons Fine Teas needed a solution that could proactively engage customers at the right moment, lead customers to new product collections, and handle a high volume of customer queries without always relying on human support.

Solution‍

Proactive Customer Engagement

The Behavioral AI monitors shopper behavior, identifying moments of low engagement, then initiates conversations at the just the right time, mirroring the attentiveness of an in-store salesperson.

"Rep helped us increase our conversion rate, boosting sales, and we still enjoy a 20X ROI!"
‍
— Emeric Harney, Harney & Sons

Conversational Product Discovery

The AI facilitated conversational product discovery, helping shoppers easily navigate Harney & Sons' extensive product offerings of over 300 different types of teas.

Efficient Support

GenAI, powered by ChatGPT, handled the majority of customer conversations. It keeps up-to-date with the product catalog and manages support questions effectively, reducing the need for human intervention.

Intuitive Analytics Console

Harney & Sons can easily monitor ROI and share insights with leadership, validating the investment in Rep AI.

Results

"I would describe Rep AI as an extension of every part of the customer experience, from support to sales to education, at a fraction of the cost it would take to employ multiple people to cover those areas."
‍
— Emeric Harney

Enhanced Product Discovery

The AI has been crucial in introducing customers to new and specific tea varieties, leading to a significant increase in product discovery—and enough sales to result in a 20x ROI.

Remarkable Conversion Rates

Harney & Sons boasts a staggering +20% AI-assisted conversion rate equaling a 250% conversion increase with shoppers who interact with Rep versus those who don’t. Put another way, when shoppers interact with Rep, they’re 2.5x more likely to purchase than those who don’t interact with the AI. Another testament to The Conversational Effect.

AI-assisted Support

Rep handled over 92% of all customer queries satisfactorily, giving human staff the more difficult problems to solve.

Conclusion

Harney & Sons demonstrated that AI can be a powerhouse for customer engagement and support. Not only did they improve conversions, but they drove substantial revenue growth, showcasing the potential of AI to transform eCommerce customer service from a cost to a profit center.

“Rep can show our customers around the site, suggest products, collect leads, answer questions, provide special offers, and track orders. We even have the ability to train the AI on information so it answers just the way we want.”
‍
— Emeric Harney

Discover more at Harney & Sons Fine Teas: Harney & Sons Website

Summary

Challenge‍

Improve product discovery and reduce the need for human assistance for customer interactions‍

Solution‍

Use AI for proactive customer engagement and support‍

Results‍

Challenge

Vush couldn’t keep up with the influx of pre-purchase questions from self-love newbies

While there’s no shame in the self-love game, Vush found that people had questions before dropping a hundred bucks on a sex toy. Nervous newcomers were keen to find out more about the brand’s products, like how they worked and what they were good for, which led to an influx of pre-purchase tickets that put a lot of pressure on the support team.

While the team was keen to help, it was impossible to answer every query in real-time. This killed the moment and shoppers lost their nerve, leading to a drop in conversions. What’s more, shoppers didn’t always feel comfortable reaching out to a live agent to discuss the intimate details of their bedroom antics, which left Vush looking for a delicate, on-demand solution.

The Solution

On-demand education and support for nervous, first-time buyers

Vush partnered with Rep AI to tackle both pre- and post-purchase questions with the goal of reducing the customer service team’s workload. Discrete education was top of the to-do list, and the brand used Rep to guide shoppers to relevant blog posts and research. With self-select options that include further reading on sexual wellness, customer care, reviews, and a product match quiz, shoppers are given the reassurance and confidence they need to make a purchase.

And, if the query requires a human touch, Rep’s integration with Gorgias seamlessly moves the conversation to a real agent for extra special care and attention. Vush has strategically customized its chatbot to deliver short answers and direct shoppers to relevant blog posts where they can explore more information about Vush’s mission and products. Perhaps the biggest draw is that Rep can identify shoppers who’ve shown an interest but are too shy to take the plunge.

“Implementing Rep has really helped us broach people when it looks like they’re exiting. We can put forward a couple of options and they have the choice to say hey, I’m a beginner, or I need some education, so we can help them embrace their journey and stay on site for longer until they feel comfortable enough to buy,”

says Fiona Scrymgeour, Marketing Director for Vush.

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Harney & Sons: Conversion rates leap by 250% with Rep vs. pre-Rep era

Case Study

Summary

Challenge‍

Improve product discovery and reduce the need for human assistance for customer interactions‍

Solution‍

Use AI for proactive customer engagement and support‍

Results‍

Harney & Sons

by the Numbers

250%

CVR increase with Rep

23%

AI-assisted conversion rate

Emails collected (30 days)

Challenge