The special solution for the snaking queues was offered by the supermarket chain Lidl. Launching a WhatsApp chatbot in Ireland, the store allows its customers to converse, and find the quietest times at their local stores.
Amis the coronavirus outbreak, keeping the social distance remains one of the important conditions. The Lidl has launched an online chatbot which informs customers of the quietest time to shop, through WhatsApp.
Following months of lockdown, a normal trip to the supermarket has become increasingly difficult, with long queues outdoors and social distancing lines now part of the “norm.” To avoid the queues is a must, indeed.
Customers simply have to send the chatbot a message on WhatsApp stating the time and day they intend to visit the store. Using real-time data and customer transaction numbers, the chatbot will respond with an automated message notifying the sender if the particular day and time is usually a quiet, average or busy time to shop.
A smart Lidl chatbot can also give information on store opening hours. Lidl analysed its shopper behaviour over a couple of weeks to find the quietest times to shop, but warn that the stores will vary slightly.
The chatbot was designed and launched in-house, using customised software created by Lidl. Customers can now access it by visiting Lidl.ie/Quiet on their mobile devices.
Both the coronavirus and quarantine have changed the world forever. With grocery demands at an all-time high and the need to maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak, a trip to the supermarket has become really a quest.
Utilising a chatbot, one that’s easily accessible via WhatsApp, should lessen the stress for customers while keeping them safer in a less-crowded store. One can also see the appeal of such a tool post-COVID from a customer-service perspective.
