The retail landscape has morphed into a very different ecosystem in the past decade. By and large, consumers today tend to start their buying journeys online. Brands know this, which is why many companies offer their shoppers AI-driven options like 3D configurators and conversational virtual assistants.

However, the rise in e-commerce doesn’t have to mean the end to human connections. On the contrary, many of the most successful retailers are seeing advanced technology as an avenue to give their team members more time to spend with customers.

This trend toward delivering a personal touch with the help of AI has become especially strong in the higher-end consumer goods and services space. And it makes sense why: The idea of saying yes to a sizable transaction without having any personal interaction with a human representative isn’t for most people. Would you want to buy a house without being able to talk with a live person? I wouldn’t and I haven’t. Certainly, I’d do my research online, but I’d eventually want to get advice and assistance from a person.

Humanizing The Customer Experience

From a 35,000-foot view, this is all about making sure that humans and humanity stay within the customer experience regardless of technology. For instance, a couple of furniture and interior design space brands called Scout & Nimble and Bodine White practice this process. I recently learned about how Scout & Nimble built a real, livable showcase called the Scout House , which is essentially a home designed by co-founder Jesse Bodine to give customers a tangible, personal look at the brand's design philosophy beyond the screen.

To me, this indicates that their leaders know their target customers feel comfortable with technology, and they’ve automated their marketing processes accordingly. What I appreciate about their automation approach is that they’ve never lost sight of the need for the human touch.

When I spoke with their founders, entrepreneurs Sam and Jesse Bodine, I realized why they’ve held tight to such customer-centric beliefs in an AI-everything universe. Sam came from the mortgage lending world, and Jesse came from healthcare. Their careers showed them the value of in-person customer service and support, particularly during life’s most stressful and major decisions (e.g., buying a house, navigating modern medicine). Consequently, they grew their companies to provide the red carpet human touch as a core infrastructure element, not as a support function for an AI encounter.

To be sure, the Bodines aren’t the only leaders who see human-to-human interaction as a business asset . Senior executives at Nordstrom have made their human customer interactions part of their brand identity as well. Although the company use AI experimentally in some areas, Nordstrom is determined to differentiate itself by elevating the human-to-human experience.

Enhancing Human Responsiveness With Backend Technology

What I find most exciting about companies like Nordstrom, Scout & Nimble and Bodine White is that they’re all being highly intentional about growing personal relationships with customers without negating the importance and influence of AI. For instance, by developing an individual connection with every consumer, the Bodines show their customers that they understand that buying heirloom-quality dining room furnishings and statement pieces are investments, not just casual purchases. At the same time, they don’t turn away from AI products: They actually use them to support their people-centric mission.

Case in point, Scout & Nimble uses Live Chat to keep conversations moving, Klaviyo for email interfaces and Algolia to heighten onsite searches. By leveraging these AI products, the Bodines make certain that customers never feel like they’re waiting in queue lines, particularly if they have questions about products, their orders, or any other concerns.

Leading By Example From The Executive Suite

Do customers respond well to getting “old-fashioned” treatment? Absolutely, and they prove that just having AI or advanced technologies isn’t going to give a company a competitive edge. Rather, the competitive edge comes from how the AI is being used to further human interactions.

Basically, this is all about establishing a stronger sense of buyer-seller trust during higher-priced purchases. Few people want to invest in pricier clothing, bespoke interior design services, or luxury furnishings without ever talking with a live person.

Jesse Bodine is particularly keen on leading this human-first charge. Here’s why: She once led a team of employees whom she saw infrequently. Yet she never lost sight of the human element of being in charge, which is why she used technology to keep in touch with her team members but made sure to get to know her team members on a personal level. Now, Jesse uses AI to amplify her abilities so she can bring her full self to all clients and projects. In fact, both she and Sam have made it their mission to not simply adopt the latest tech tools but to modify them to their companies’ needs.

You might be tempted to think that this kind of concentrated, personalized customer care is only relevant to brands with high-end consumers who make large ticket purchases. It’s not. Any customer can benefit from having a closer interaction with an actual human.

Once again, this doesn’t mean that AI can’t be useful; indeed, it belongs in most businesses’ tech stacks and is certainly in mine. However, your customers should never feel like their only choice is to converse with a bot. And when you give them the option to interact with a human, you’re showing them that you’re more concerned with customer service than with efficiency. That goes a long way, and may just end up making a bigger impact on your sales than any AI software could predict.