Retailers connect employees, customers with Google Meet

Shopify and Schnucks are leveraging cloud-based teleconferencing technology to maintain customer service levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading digital commerce platform Shopify is leveraging the Google Meet teleconferencing platform to help keep its workforce of 5,000 connected as they collaborate to provide customer support to retailers around the world. 

In addition, independent Midwestern supermarket retailer Schnucks, which operates 100 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, has been able to run its Helpdesk 24/7 customer service platform on Google Meet to help corporate and in-store employees answer questions as quickly as possible. Schnucks also uses G Suite with Chrome Enterprise to roll out new devices to its frontline workforce as quickly as possible.

“The retail industry has been disrupted in many ways by the pandemic, with shifting customer demands resulting in some retailers struggling to stay up and running, and others experiencing a major surge in demand,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “Many retailers are facing challenges with forecasting, managing operations and serving their customers. We are focused on helping our customers manage spikes in demand, while delivering reliable uptime to make sure their systems run smoothly.”

Google also recently rolled out the Rapid Response Virtual Agent program in an effort to provide a fast launch of a 24/7 virtual chat or voice customer service agent. Rapid Response Virtual Agent is designed to ease adding COVID-19 content to a virtual agent with the ability to integrate open-source templates from organizations that have already launched similar initiatives.