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AI chatbots made inroads into holiday shopping last year

Jan 6, 2025
Use of customer service chatbots jumped, and retailers experimented with applications. For some, it can be tricky to sort through the options.
Retailers have benefited most from behind-the-scenes AI applications, said Sonia Lapinsky at AlixPartners.
primeimages/Getty Images

It can be stressful to be a customer-service rep right now

May 1, 2020
They're dealing with high call volumes, difficult questions and chatty customers.
A worker at a call center. Many companies are trying to satisfy customer demand with online solutions.
Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images

Comcast’s new call center is stuffed with Silicon Valley-style perks. Will that help its customer service problem?

Oct 28, 2019
The Delaware office is part of the cable company’s $1 billion push to improve its customer relations.
Call center employees can decompress around a turtle and fish-stocked pond.
Miles Bryan/Marketplace

A small bike shop with a big, customer-first idea

Sep 10, 2019
HubBub Bicycles specializes in something you can't easily buy online.
Diane and Brian Jenks riding their tandem bicycle on a trip to Israel.
Courtesy of Diane Jenks

A broken guitar, a YouTube video and a new era of customer service

Jul 5, 2019
Canadian musician Dave Carroll looks back on the viral hit that made United Airlines sit up and listen.
Dave Carroll, the Canadian musician who used music (and the internet) to make United Airlines reflect on its customer service.
Courtesy of Dave Carroll

Toys R Us plots its return ahead of the holiday season

Jun 24, 2019
Toys “R” Us could reportedly be coming back as soon as this year, but it probably won’t resemble the old big box chain.
Leon Neal/Getty Images

7 tips for solving your airline customer service problems

Jun 2, 2017
Travel aficionado Mark Orlowski shares advice on how to make traveling just a bit more smooth.
Travelers wait in long lines to speak with airline ticket agents in the United terminal at San Francisco International Airport.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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UPS ups its game with Saturday deliveries

Apr 7, 2017
UPS is upping its game. The parcel carrier this week announced it’s going to extend service out to Saturday, competing with the likes of FedEx and the U.S.Postal Service. The move comes as e-commerce continues to expand, with customers demanding faster delivery times.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

Why rideshare companies might want to embrace in-depth driver background check

Apr 6, 2017
Uber and Lyft are in the news because more than 8,000 potential drivers were banned in Massachusetts after background checks turned up convictions for violent felonies and sex-crimes, uncontested court charges, driver’s license suspensions and traffic violations. Uber and Lyft usually run their own background, and those typically go back seven years. But to get […]

Why is automated phone help so bad?

Aug 8, 2016
In the latest installment of I've Always Wondered, we explain why you need to repeatedly enter your account number, or date of birth, and then repeat it to human operator.
We've all been there. 
Shaun Heasley/Getty Images