Building the Ultimate AI Chatbot for Shopify using Voiceflow

As an experienced Shopify Plus agency (behind the scenes), we’ve had the opportunity to build eCommerce stores for over 400 clients. Through this experience, we’ve developed a clear picture of what the ultimate AI chatbot for Shopify would look like. From conversational flows to product recommendations, pre-sales conversations, and post-sales support, we’ve identified key features that make a chatbot indispensable for eCommerce brands.

This article outlines our vision for building the perfect AI chatbot—what it would look like if budget wasn’t a limitation and how it could revolutionize the customer experience. Here’s how we approached the development process and the tools we used to create the ultimate AI chatbot.

Step 1: Defining AI Conversational Flows

The first step in building any AI chatbot is to analyze your current support tickets. In our experience, most inquiries fall into two broad categories: pre-sales and post-sales. Understanding this distinction allows us to build distinct workflows for each, using tailored apps and resources to enhance the customer experience.

• Pre-Sales Conversations: These are potential customers who are gathering information before making a purchase. They may ask about product availability, sizing, or promotions.
• Post-Sales Support: These are customers who have already made a purchase and may need help with tracking their order, returns, or any other follow-up assistance.

By categorizing inquiries this way, we can better organize the chatbot’s responses, reduce support ticket volume, and create a more seamless experience for customers.

Step 2: Pre-Sales Tools and Integrations for AI Chatbots

For pre-sales conversations, the chatbot acts as an extension of your sales team. It provides answers to common customer questions, assists with sizing, and can even recommend products. Here’s how we structured our pre-sales chatbot features:

1. Email Capture via Klaviyo Integration

One of the first features we implemented was a Klaviyo and Voiceflow integration for email capture. Klaviyo is the leading email service provider for Shopify, and it allows us to trigger email flows based on chatbot interactions. After a conversation ends, the chatbot asks if the customer wants to provide their email to receive updates, promotional offers, or follow-up information.

2. Klaviyo Back-in-Stock via Voiceflow Notifications

We noticed a high volume of inquiries around product availability for a merchant using an AI Chatbot on their Shopify store. Using the Klaviyo API and our Streamline Connector, it's important to build a back-in-stock notification flow. This feature allows the AI chatbot to collect the customer’s preferred product size and color, along with their email address. This data is then sent to Klaviyo, which automatically notifies the customer when the item is back in stock. This system ensures that potential sales aren’t lost due to product unavailability.

3. Product Sizing Recommendations

Sizing is a critical factor in online shopping. Many shoppers inquire about which size would best fit them based on their height, weight, or other personal metrics. The ultimate chatbot must have access to a comprehensive sizing guide that is organized by product categories (e.g., jackets, pants, shoes). The chatbot can recommend a size based on the customer’s input and the available sizing chart, improving conversion rates and reducing returns due to incorrect sizing.

4. Review Sentiment Analysis for Product Recommendations

By analyzing product reviews, the chatbot can recommend products that have received positive feedback from similar customers. For example, if a customer asks about a specific product, the chatbot can analyze reviews from similar shoppers and either validate the recommendation or suggest a better alternative based on real customer feedback. This builds trust and helps convert hesitant shoppers into buyers.

Step 3: Post-Sales AI Chatbot Support

Post-sales support is where the chatbot can save your team the most time by automating repetitive tasks. Handle common support (Level 1 & 2) inquiries without the need for human intervention.

1. Order Tracking and Shipping Information

Many post-sales questions are about order status and shipping timelines. The ultimate chatbot integrates with your order management system via Streamline Connector to retrieve real-time shipping information. It can inform customers if their order has shipped, when it will arrive, and whether it has been split into multiple shipments (a common concern for large orders). This reduces ticket volume and ensures customers are kept informed throughout the shipping process.

2. Returns and Exchanges via Loop Returns

Returns and exchanges are common post-sales inquiries, and Loop Returns is a popular Shopify app for managing this process. Integrating Loop Returns into your AI chatbot so customers can initiate a return or exchange by simply entering their email address and zip code. This eliminates the back-and-forth between customers and human support agents and allows customers to manage their returns on their own.

3. Handling Partial Shipments

Some merchants ship large orders in multiple boxes, which can lead to confusion when customers only receive part of their order. The chatbot is designed to detect split shipments and communicate this to the customer, reassuring them that the rest of their order is on its way. This feature drastically reduces the number of tickets related to incomplete shipments.

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Step 4: Advanced Voiceflow & CSM Integration

For brands using Gorgias, Hubspot, Zendesk or similar platforms for their ticketing system, it's important to add advanced capabilities that take customer support to the next level.

1. Ticket Creation and Management

The chatbot is capable of raising support tickets directly in the CSM. If the inquiry requires human intervention, the chatbot automatically creates a ticket with all the relevant information—reducing the need for customers to fill out forms or repeat themselves. This ensures a smooth transition from automated to human support when needed.

2. Advanced Ticket Triage: Automatic Routing by Department or Support Level

One of the key enhancements is implementing advanced ticket triage. The AI chatbot can automatically route tickets to the correct department (e.g., billing, shipping, product support) or based on the complexity of the issue. For example, it can assign more straightforward tickets to Level 1 support and escalate complex cases (like technical issues or special orders) to higher-level support teams. This streamlines the support process and ensures that each ticket is handled by the right team.

3. Complex Case Handling

For more complex cases, the chatbot gathers all necessary information before escalating the ticket. This may include product details, order history, or even screenshots provided by the customer. By the time a human agent steps in, they have all the context they need to resolve the issue efficiently.

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‍Step 5: Deep Integration with ReCharge (Subscription Apps)

The AI chatbot can be deeply integrated with ReCharge, a leading subscription management app for Shopify.

1. Subscription Management

The AI Chatbot would allow customers to manage their subscriptions directly within the chat interface. Change their delivery schedules, or modify their subscription preferences without leaving the conversation. This seamless experience enhances customer satisfaction and reduces friction in managing subscriptions.
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2. Workflows to Reduce Churn by Addressing Subscription Cancellations and Offering Discounts‍

By setting up intelligent workflows, the chatbot can proactively address subscription cancellations. If a customer indicates they wish to cancel, the chatbot can engage them by offering personalized discounts, alternative products, or flexible subscription options. This targeted interaction can help reduce churn by addressing customer concerns in real-time and providing incentives to stay subscribed.
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3. Collecting Data to Understand Reasons Behind Subscription Cancellations

The chatbot can collect valuable data on why customers are choosing to cancel their subscriptions. By prompting users to share their reasons, the chatbot gathers insights that can help you identify common issues or areas for improvement. This data-driven approach enables you to make informed decisions to enhance your subscription offerings and customer retention strategies.

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Step 5: Additional Features

To build the ultimate AI chatbot, we also added the following features to ensure customers receive timely and relevant support.

1. FAQ Retrieval

Many common questions, such as shipping times and return policies, can be answered by pulling data directly from your Shopify store’s FAQ or policy pages. The chatbot retrieves these answers instantly, reducing the need for human intervention.

2. Klaviyo Coupon Code Lookup

Customers often ask for help finding coupon codes they’ve received via email or promotions. Instead of leaving them waiting for hours or even days, the chatbot can look up and provide the coupon code in real time, preventing potential customers from abandoning their purchase due to delays.

3. Upsell and Cross-Sell Capabilities

The chatbot also functions as a sales tool, suggesting complementary products based on the customer’s browsing history or previous purchases. Using advanced recommendation algorithms like ReBuy, it can increase your average order value by recommending products that pair well with what the customer is already purchasing.

Step 6: Sentiment Analysis for Enhanced Conversations

In addition to handling inquiries and support tasks, it's important to integrate sentiment analysis to monitor the tone of customer conversations. The chatbot can detect frustration, satisfaction, or confusion in real time, adjusting its responses accordingly. If the chatbot detects negative sentiment, it can escalate the conversation to a human agent or offer additional resources to resolve the issue.

Final Thoughts

The ultimate AI chatbot for Shopify would be designed to enhance every aspect of the customer journey. From answering pre-sales questions to handling post-sales inquiries, the ultimate chatbot would integrate with key apps like Klaviyo, Loop Returns, and Streamline Connector to automate repetitive tasks and improve customer satisfaction. It also uses review sentiment analysis and recommendation algorithms to increase sales and ensure customers receive the best product recommendations based on real customer feedback.

Whether you’re just starting to explore AI chatbots or you’re ready to build a fully integrated system, our team can help you create a chatbot that delivers exceptional customer service and drives sales.

Let’s talk about how we can bring the ultimate AI chatbot to your Shopify store and transform your customer experience.