Best Buy to offer generative AI customer support with Google Cloud
Best Buy Co. Inc. is partnering with Google Cloud and Accenture to use generative AI for personalized customer support at scale.
The consumer electronics giant plans to launch a new self-service U.S. customer support option on its website, app and direct phone line in late summer 2024 that provides help from a generative AI-based virtual assistant.
The automated assistant will help customers troubleshoot product issues, make changes to their order delivery and scheduling, and manage their software and Geek Squad subscriptions and loyalty memberships.
In addition, Best Buy will introduce a new suite of generative AI-enabled tools to assist human customer service agents provide live phone support by helping them assess customer conversations in real-time and equip them with real-time, relevant and personalized recommendations.
At the same time, these tools will summarize conversations, detect sentiment and utilize data from the call to reduce the likelihood a similar issue will occur in the future.
Best Buy is also working to develop a generative AI-powered assistant to provide easier access to things like company resources and product guides for store employees, with the goal of allowing them to help customers more efficiently.
“We’re excited to bring these generative AI capabilities to life for our customers and employees by leveraging Google Cloud’s AI platform, Vertex AI and Gemini models,” Best Buy said in a corporate blog post. “The future of retail is constantly evolving, and we’re committed to remaining at the forefront to serve our customers in ways no one else can.”
Best Buy revamps membership offering
Best Buy is attempting to improve its customer service in the wake of revamping its annual membership program, renamed My Best Buy Memberships, in late June 2023. The program includes three membership options: My Best Buy, My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total.
The top tier, My Best Buy Total, includes Geek Squad tech support 24/7, regardless of where an item was bought and 20% off repairs. Best Buy’s existing Totaltech membership program rolled out nationwide in 2021 and served as the foundation for the new tiered program.
Based in Minneapolis, Best Buy operates more than 1,000 retail stores in North America.