Almost every brand you encounter is using some form of automation within their customer experience. Think a corporate Twitter account that replies “send us a DM so we can address this!” to every negative tweet, or a Chatbot on a website that sends a link to a helpdesk article vaguely related to your query. At Pluto, we’ve been very resistant to implementing this rudimentary, robotic automation that completely dehumanizes the experience of the customer, the brand, and the very real humans that work there. It helps get the job done (cancel an order, change a shipping address), but there’s a certain feeling that is lost when these tasks are automated away with prewritten responses, or handled by an outsourced team with no love for the brand.

We’ve been pitched by every software, every outsourcing company, every service out there that promises to help our team scale and respond to the ever-increasing volume of customer inquiries. But we’ve always said no. None of them could deliver the same type of service you would get as if it were a real person who cared about your experience with one of our pillows. So we’ve been responding to emails, Facebook comments, and DMs by hand to make sure that everyone receives a personal response that addresses all of their concerns. This is why we might be a bit slow to reply during the evenings and weekends (though we’ve been known to reply to an email or two at 2 am!).

By now, almost everyone in the world has heard of the new breakthrough in AI, ChatGPT. This powerful new technology has pushed us forward into a new era that is already changing the landscape of almost every knowledge-based industry. E-commerce and Customer Experience are no exception, and we’ve finally found a solution to help us scale our customer support that ticks all of our boxes.

Artificial intelligence is nothing new to us. Ever since we started way back in 2018 (!), we’ve been using machine learning to craft custom pillows at scale. It’s the backbone of our questionnaire and model, and one of the biggest reasons why we’ve been able to help so many get great sleep. With the new phase in AI automation, we’ll be able to leverage this into another core aspect of our model: the Customer Experience. Replying to common inquiries (like cancel requests or address changes) and even to some uncommon ones (like holding onto your package until you return from vacation) will be done quicker than ever, but above all, just as personally.

We were blown away by some of the answers we saw when testing out this new automation because they looked like they were written by us. In a way, the responses are written by us—or at least, completely informed by our team’s past experience responding to customers. All of the information used by our new automation software is trained on how we have responded to similar situations in the past. The AI sounds like us because it is us, and our collective knowledge from the past 5 years. We’re confident that we’ll be able to continue to wow every single customer and help them have the best experience possible.

Of course, with any new technology, there’s always a need to tread carefully. At the core of our values lies our commitment to fiercely protect our customers' security and trust, and we want to acknowledge some initial concerns that folks may have, as well as highlight the benefits of this new AI automation.

Privacy Protection: We understand that privacy is a top priority for our customers—it’s #1 for us too, and we believe privacy is a human right. Rest assured that all information shared with us through customer communication channels such as emails and chats is still fully covered under Pluto Pillow's privacy policy. Our robust security measures ensure that the data you provide remains safeguarded on our end. Our service provider's subprocessor, OpenAI, processes the data solely for the purpose of automation but does not store any customer data, and we remain the custodian of customer information. If you ever wish to have your data removed from our system, simply reach out to us at privacy@plutopillow.com, and we'll be happy to assist you.

Balancing Automation with Human Touch: While our new AI automation is advanced, it's important to acknowledge that it may not handle every unique situation. At Pluto Pillow, we value the personal touch and understand that certain inquiries, such as adjustments or pillow build recommendations, require human expertise. That's why, alongside our AI automation, we have a dedicated team of real humans who review and provide assistance for each message we receive, following up when necessary to ensure you’re taken care of. Our new system will help expedite frequently asked questions, order cancellations, and other procedural functions, enabling you to receive prompt service even outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Maintaining Our Brand Ethos: As a brand, we believe in the power of a small but mighty team. While hiring more staff might seem like an obvious solution to handle increased customer inquiries, we are committed to maintaining the soul of our brand which can get lost when rapidly expanding the team to meet the much greater demand we’ve been fortunate to receive. We want to ensure that each customer interaction continues to be handled with care and expertise, and our new tools will allow us to efficiently manage the higher volume of inquiries without compromising our commitment to providing a superior customer experience. It also empowers us to prioritize an excellent work-life balance enabling our dedicated team to have well-deserved time off to rest and spend quality time with their families.

The integration of AI automation into our customer service operations marks an exciting step forward for Pluto Pillow. With this advanced technology, we can assist our customers more efficiently, deliver faster responses, and maintain the high standard of care that defines our brand. You can always rest assured that privacy remains a priority, and our team of dedicated humans is always ready to provide personalized assistance when needed. We are committed to continuously enhancing our customer experience, and AI automation plays a crucial role in achieving that goal. Feel free to reach out to us anytime with questions or concerns, and experience the seamless combination of technology and human touch at Pluto Pillow!