NEW YORK, July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN), a global leader in Conversational AI, today announced its solutions for automating curbside customer experiences as they become a permanent fixture of the COVID era and beyond.

Consumers are embracing curbside pickup to get the goods and services they need while social distancing. According to McKinsey, these new preferences will persist in the post-coronavirus world: "To meet rising customer demand for contactless fulfillment options, retailers should introduce curbside pickup and continuously improve execution." 

Not all curbside experiences are created equal. Current implementations — plagued by long wait times, sporadic availability of associates, and unclear instructions — have been accepted by customers due to the extraordinary nature of the pandemic, but as curbside becomes the new normal, expectations will heighten, and brands that provide superior experiences will win.

To implement sustainable, differentiating curbside experiences, brands can take advantage of LivePerson's unique Conversational AI solutions to connect with customers on their favorite messaging channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Facebook Messenger, and more. These persistent connections are fronted by AI-powered bots, which greet customers, collect data like name and vehicle license number, and confirm orders so that associates can efficiently fulfill and deliver them to curbside customers.

Unlike phone or web-based solutions, messaging conversations persist throughout order fulfillment and live on in conversation threads, creating opportunities to further engage customers with automations for feedback surveys, follow-up offers, and customer service inquiries. Store associates can use LivePerson's iOS and Android apps to participate in these conversations from phones or tablets.

By adopting LivePerson's unique Conversational AI solutions for curbside pickup, brands can refine the customer experience, reduce wait times, and remove friction, all while increasing efficiency and reducing costs. According to a pilot powered by LivePerson for a top U.S. home improvement retailer:

• 55% of customers prefer to let store associates know they've arrived via messaging instead of calling
• Conversational AI experiences can free up to .5 FTEs per day to dedicate to higher-value tasks, which can add up to millions of dollars of savings for brands with hundreds of stores

"No more waiting on hold, no more re-explaining your order to multiple people, and no more sitting around in the parking lot wondering if someone's got your back," said LivePerson CEO and founder Robert LoCascio. "Conversational AI is the key to safe, coordinated experiences that consumers are telling us are here to stay."

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated consumer interest in Conversational AI, with conversation volume on LivePerson's industry-leading platform increasing by approximately 40% since shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements were enacted.

LivePerson offers low-risk quickstart bundles to help brands get started. To request a demo or learn more, read LivePerson's expert guide, "How to Automate Curbside Pickup with Conversational AI," and visit liveperson.com.

About LivePerson, Inc.

LivePerson makes life easier for people and brands everywhere through trusted conversational AI. Our 18,000 customers, including leading brands like HSBC, Orange, GM Financial, and The Home Depot, use our conversational solutions to orchestrate humans and AI, at scale, and create a convenient, deeply personal relationship — a conversational relationship — with their millions of consumers. LivePerson was named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies list in 2020. For more information about LivePerson (NASDAQ: LPSN), please visit www.liveperson.com.

CONTACT: Mike Tague, mtague@liveperson.com

SOURCE LivePerson, Inc.