Integration

Imagine you’re building a car. You’ve installed a powerful engine, sleek body, and comfortable seats. The car looks ready to go. But when you get in and try to steer, the wheels don’t turn. You press the gas, but nothing happens. The engine is running, but there’s no connection between the controls and the parts that actually make the car move.

Without integration, the car is just a collection of well-made components that don’t work together. The steering wheel needs to be connected to the tires. The gas pedal needs to control the engine. The brakes need to stop the wheels. Integration is what makes all these systems work in harmony, allowing the car to function as a whole.

The same principle applies to chatbots. You might have an advanced chatbot that understands customer queries and responds intelligently. But if it’s not integrated with the systems that manage your orders, inventory, and customer data, it’s like a car with no steering or brakes. It can’t really do anything useful for your customers.

Integration is what turns your chatbot from a conversational tool into a fully operational assistant. It’s the connection that lets your chatbot provide real-time tracking information, handle returns, check inventory, or even process payments. Without this connection, your chatbot is like a car that looks good but doesn’t drive.

Let's introduce the components of a chatbot integration.

eCommerce Platforms

To sell anything online, retailers need a robust software solution to manage the many aspects of their business, such as inventory, orders, payments, and customer relations. This software is known as an eCommerce platform.

An eCommerce platform is essentially the backbone of an online store, integrating various critical functions: managing customer orders, handling payments, tracking inventory, updating product listings, and even managing the accounting side of things. The platform also facilitates customer engagement through marketing tools, reviews, and email lists, allowing businesses to operate smoothly in a digital environment.

Popular eCommerce Platforms

It’s uncommon for companies to build these platforms from scratch, as there is a wide range of established software options available, both paid and open-source. Some of the most popular platforms include:

• Shopify: One of the leading eCommerce platforms, Shopify provides a complete solution for businesses of all sizes. It offers features like easy website creation, order management, payment processing, and even support for brick-and-mortar integrations with POS (Point of Sale) systems. For example, if a customer orders a product online, Shopify helps businesses track the status, manage fulfillment, and provide shipping updates to customers—all in one place.

• WooCommerce: Built on top of WordPress, WooCommerce is a highly customizable platform favored by businesses that want more control over their online stores. WooCommerce allows you to manage everything from inventory and tax calculations to shipping options and marketing tools. An example here is a small business selling handmade products. With WooCommerce, they can manage every product’s SKU, update stock levels, and process payments via plugins like PayPal or Stripe.

• Magento: A platform known for its flexibility, Magento is often chosen by medium to large-scale enterprises. It allows businesses to customize every aspect of their store, from the front-end customer experience to the backend logistics. Large retailers with complex product inventories and multiple fulfillment centers often rely on Magento to coordinate these operations seamlessly. For instance, if a business sells products in multiple countries, Magento can help manage regional pricing, tax compliance, and shipping rules.

The Importance of APIs in eCommerce

These platforms are powerful on their own, but their real potential is unlocked through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). Every major eCommerce platform offers an API that allows third-party developers and services to integrate with the platform programmatically.

For example:

• Order Fulfillment: Let’s say a retailer uses a third-party fulfillment center. By integrating the eCommerce platform’s API with the fulfillment center's software, every time a customer places an order, the platform automatically sends the necessary order and shipping details to the fulfillment center. The fulfillment center processes the order, ships it, and sends tracking information back through the API, which is then relayed to the customer.

• Inventory Management: Large retailers often manage stock levels across multiple warehouses. With API integration, inventory levels are updated automatically across all systems. If stock is low in one location, the API might reroute new orders to a warehouse with higher stock levels to ensure faster delivery times.

• Payment Gateways: Payment processing is another area where API integration is critical. Platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce allow businesses to connect to payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Square. These gateways handle the actual payment processing, while the eCommerce platform manages the customer’s order details, providing a seamless checkout experience.

• Shipping Integration: Many eCommerce platforms can connect to shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL through their APIs. This means that when a customer places an order, the shipping costs and delivery times are automatically calculated and displayed during checkout. Once an order is shipped, the tracking number is passed back to the platform, which updates the customer in real-time.

Why Integration Matters

The ability to integrate with other systems is one of the key benefits of modern eCommerce platforms. Businesses rarely rely on just one tool. They might use accounting software like QuickBooks, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems like Salesforce, or marketing tools like Mailchimp. These systems need to work together to provide a complete picture of the business.

For example, when a customer places an order, their information can be automatically synced with a CRM system to provide personalized marketing offers later. If a customer buys a product but later has an issue, the customer service team can pull up their entire order history, shipping details, and even past interactions to resolve the issue quickly.

This seamless communication between tools is made possible by APIs, ensuring that the customer experience is smooth, efficient, and responsive—exactly what today’s eCommerce world demands.

Help Desk

For a small business with just a handful of customers, offering support via email might be manageable. The business owner can log in periodically, check for customer inquiries, and respond directly. However, as the business grows and the volume of customer interactions increases, this approach quickly becomes unmanageable. Tracking individual requests, ensuring timely responses, and keeping tabs on unresolved issues becomes cumbersome. This is where help desk software steps in to provide structure and efficiency to the customer support process.

The Role of Help Desk Software

A help desk is essentially a platform designed to manage and streamline customer support requests. It does more than just organize emails—it allows businesses to categorize, prioritize, and track issues to resolution. With a help desk in place, support teams can ensure that no customer query slips through the cracks, and they can maintain a record of all interactions with each customer.

For example:

• Ticketing System: When a customer sends in a support request, a help desk system automatically generates a "ticket." This ticket is tracked from the moment it's created until the issue is resolved. Each ticket can be assigned to specific agents, categorized based on the type of issue (billing, product inquiries, technical support), and prioritized depending on urgency. If a ticket remains unresolved for a certain period, the system can flag it for escalation.

• Customer History: Help desks also maintain a history of all past interactions with customers. Let’s say a customer contacts support multiple times about an ongoing issue. Rather than sorting through email threads, the agent can see the entire conversation history in one place, enabling them to address the issue with full context and avoid asking the customer to repeat themselves.

Popular Help Desk Platforms

Similar to eCommerce platforms, it's uncommon for businesses to build their own help desk software from scratch. Instead, companies typically rely on one of the many pre-built solutions available on the market, which offer comprehensive support features right out of the box. Some of the most popular options include:

• Zendesk: One of the industry leaders in help desk software, Zendesk offers a wide range of features designed to improve customer support. For instance, it includes an easy-to-use ticketing system, live chat functionality, and even AI-powered bots that can provide quick answers to common questions. Zendesk also offers reporting tools, so businesses can measure customer satisfaction and the performance of their support team.

• Freshdesk: A popular alternative, Freshdesk provides similar help desk capabilities with a user-friendly interface. It’s known for features like omnichannel support, allowing businesses to manage customer interactions across email, chat, phone, and social media from a single platform. For example, if a customer sends an email and later follows up on Twitter, Freshdesk will consolidate both interactions under the same ticket, giving agents a complete view of the customer’s experience.

• ServiceNow: Often used by larger enterprises, ServiceNow is a more advanced help desk solution that integrates with IT service management. In addition to handling customer service inquiries, ServiceNow helps companies manage internal IT requests. For instance, if an employee needs help setting up their company laptop, ServiceNow can track the request from start to finish, ensuring IT support is provided efficiently.

Help Desk Integration with Chatbots

One of the most powerful features of modern help desk platforms is their ability to integrate with other systems, including chatbots. Most help desk software, like Zendesk, comes with a documented API (Application Programming Interface) that allows third-party applications to interact with the platform programmatically.

For example:

• Automating Ticket Creation: A chatbot integrated with a help desk system can automatically create tickets when a customer reaches out for help. If a customer contacts the chatbot to ask about a missing order, the chatbot can gather the necessary information—such as the order number and shipping details—and submit a ticket to the help desk. The ticket will then be assigned to the appropriate agent, allowing them to follow up with the customer without manually inputting the details.

• Instant Resolutions: Chatbots can handle a significant portion of routine inquiries, like checking order status or answering FAQs. But when the question becomes too complex, the chatbot can pass the conversation seamlessly to a human agent within the help desk system. This integration allows businesses to provide a hybrid support experience, where simple issues are resolved by the bot, and more complicated ones are handled by agents.

• Escalation Management: If a chatbot recognizes that a customer is becoming frustrated—perhaps through detecting negative sentiment in their responses—the chatbot can escalate the issue by creating a priority ticket. This ticket can be flagged for immediate attention and routed to a senior support agent for a faster resolution.

Why Help Desk Integration Matters

Integrating a help desk system with other business tools is crucial for maintaining smooth and effective customer service operations. A well-integrated help desk system connects the dots between sales, eCommerce, and customer support, ensuring that everyone in the company has the information they need to assist customers.

For example:

• eCommerce and Help Desk Integration: If a help desk system is integrated with an eCommerce platform, agents can quickly access relevant information about a customer’s order directly from the help desk. If a customer asks, "Where is my package?" the agent doesn’t need to switch between multiple systems. They can view order details, tracking numbers, and shipping status directly within the help desk, speeding up response times.

• CRM and Help Desk Integration: Integrating a help desk with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool ensures that all customer interactions, whether they occur through marketing, sales, or support, are visible in one unified system. This gives support agents context about a customer’s previous interactions with the company, such as whether they’ve purchased multiple products or participated in a recent promotion, allowing for more personalized service.

Carrier Services

In the world of eCommerce, once a customer makes a purchase, the next big concern is ensuring that the product reaches them in a timely and secure manner. This is where carrier services come into play. A carrier is any company responsible for the transportation and delivery of purchases from the retailer to the customer. Some of the most popular carriers in the U.S. include USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL.

How Carrier Services Work

When a retailer ships a product, it is assigned a unique tracking number by the carrier. This tracking number allows both the retailer and the customer to monitor the package’s journey from the warehouse to the customer’s doorstep. The tracking information typically provides a breakdown of key events during the shipping process, such as when the item is picked up, when it reaches sorting facilities, and when it’s out for delivery.

For example:

• USPS might show a package has "Arrived at the Distribution Center" or "Out for Delivery."
• UPS often provides updates such as "Label Created," "In Transit," or "Delivered to Front Door."
• FedEx may indicate that a package is in a specific city and give an estimated delivery time.

The real-time nature of this information is crucial for eCommerce businesses, as it allows both the seller and the customer to stay informed about the package’s status.

Carrier API Integration

Most major carriers offer APIs that allow businesses to interact with their systems programmatically. This means eCommerce platforms, retailers, and third-party services can access shipping information directly from the carrier without requiring the customer to leave the retailer’s website or track the package manually.

These APIs allow eCommerce businesses to:

• Automate Tracking: Once a package is shipped, the carrier API can automatically pull real-time tracking data and display it on the eCommerce platform or send it directly to the customer.
• Real-Time Status Updates: Customers no longer have to manually check the carrier’s website for updates. Instead, they can receive automatic notifications about their package’s progress, directly from the retailer, via email, SMS, or chatbot.
• Proactive Problem Solving: If a package encounters a delay or issue (e.g., the customer wasn’t home for delivery, or the package is stuck at a facility), the retailer can notify the customer ahead of time and provide options for rescheduling or solving the problem.

Examples of Carrier Services in Action

• Amazon: One of the most seamless examples of carrier service integration is Amazon. When you order a product, you can track the status of your shipment directly from Amazon’s website or app, often with real-time updates. Amazon integrates directly with carriers like UPS, USPS, and FedEx to pull tracking information and offer delivery updates. In some cases, Amazon even handles its own deliveries, making the process even more streamlined. Customers can see when the package is just a few stops away, or even receive a photo of where the package was left.

• Shopify: Shopify merchants can use built-in apps like Shopify Shipping or third-party apps that integrate with major carriers. By using these integrations, the merchant can automatically generate tracking numbers for customers, which are then emailed to them with links to track the status of their package. Merchants can also access detailed shipping reports that help manage logistics.

Carrier Services and Chatbots

Carrier APIs are particularly useful when integrated with chatbots. If a customer reaches out to inquire about their package status, a chatbot equipped with carrier integration can retrieve and relay real-time information directly from the carrier’s API. This not only saves time but also reduces the need for a human agent to track the package manually.

For example:

• Automated Tracking Requests: If a customer asks a chatbot, “Where is my package?” the bot can prompt them for a tracking number, query the carrier’s API, and respond instantly with the package’s status.
  • Bot response: "Your package is currently in transit and is expected to be delivered by 4 PM tomorrow. Would you like to receive updates?"
• Proactive Notifications: Chatbots can also be configured to send proactive alerts when there are important updates to a shipment, such as delays or when a package is out for delivery. This keeps customers informed without them needing to check the status themselves.
  • Bot notification: "Your package is out for delivery and will arrive today between 1 PM and 3 PM."

Importance of Carrier Integration

Carrier services play a vital role in creating a smooth and transparent customer experience by acting as the bridge between retailers and customers in eCommerce logistics. Integrating these services into a platform or chatbot allows businesses to provide real-time visibility into the shipping process, ensuring that customers are informed about their orders and any issues that arise are addressed quickly. This integration not only enhances the customer experience but also reduces the workload for human agents by streamlining the process from order fulfillment to final delivery.

Using AI + Integration to resolve an issue

Although everyone wants to wrap chatgpt into their application today, a well trained classifier should be more than enough for your customer service needs.

Customers can write for a variety of reasons, but those reasons are still limited. Tracking orders, returning items, declaring a missing item, canceling subscription, etc. As long as our AI model can classify customer messages into those buckets, we are set. And if our model can’t, all we need to do is collect enough of those messages and train a new model. Let’s work through an example.

Case Study:

A customer purchased a dress in an online store and hasn’t received it yet. It’s been a few days now and she is starting to worry. She sees the transaction on her credit card, but no information was sent to her. She writes a message through email to complain that she hasn't received any information about the dress, and wants to know if it has already been shipped.

It’s possible that the confirmation message was sent but it was caught in her spam folder. Or the transactional email system was down during her purchase, or some other unforeseen event. But our goal is to make sure she has the most up to date information about her order.

We need to make use of our integrations before we can even receive the email. Let’s say this company uses Shopify to sell online, they use Zendesk to handle customer service, and they use both USPS and Fedex for shipment depending on the customer’s location.

From the customer’s perspective, she sent an email, and got a response a few seconds later. She is happy to know that her shipment is on the way.

In this case the means of communication was email, but it could have been real time chat, or anything really. As long as there is an integration with the chat system, our chatbot just plays the role of a customer service agent and performs the exact same tasks in the background.