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If you're running a Shopify store (or even if you're not yet), AI is probably already on your radar. But while most of us have played around with ChatGPT or automated replies on live chat, there's a much bigger conversation to be had about what AI actually means for customer service.
In this episode of the Winning with Shopify podcast, I spoke with Jacob from Tidio, a customer experience platform using AI to deliver faster, smarter support. Whether you're just dipping your toes into automation or looking to overhaul your entire support strategy, this one's for you.
From Live Chat to Conversational AI
Tidio began 12 years ago as a live chat tool, entirely human-to-human. But the platform has evolved into something far more powerful. Today, it features three core pillars:
1. Live chat and ticketing
2. Automation with flows (traditional rule-based chatbots)
3. Conversational AI powered by real-time data and learning
The key difference? Tidio’s conversational AI isn’t button-based. It doesn’t drag customers through scripted steps. It uses real business data to answer complex questions in real time, no human needed.
Why Speed Matters More Than Savings
While many assume the biggest appeal of AI is saving money or reducing headcount, Jacob made an important point: for many brands, the real value is speed.
AI allows businesses to deliver a level of service that just isn’t possible with human agents alone, especially at scale. For example, a large retailer getting thousands of requests per hour can now resolve many of them instantly with AI.
This doesn't mean removing your human agents altogether, it means making sure they're focused on higher-value tasks.
AI That Helps (Rather Than Replaces) Humans
One of the most compelling takeaways from the conversation was how AI enables customer service teams to do their jobs better. Think of AI like a co-pilot: it can suggest responses, fetch customer info instantly, or even resolve simpler tickets before they reach a human.
And when customers do need human help, agents already have the context they need, no more asking for order numbers or basic details. The result? Better service, faster.
The Importance of Analytics (and Marketing Gold Dust)
Tidio doesn’t just respond to questions, it records what customers are asking and why. This creates a treasure trove of insight into pain points, buyer intent, and what’s missing from your website or product pages.
From an SEO perspective, this is gold. If customers constantly ask, “Is this delivered by two people?”, that’s not just a support issue, it’s a content opportunity.
Ethical AI: Privacy, Security, and Trust
Of course, with all this power comes responsibility. One concern raised in our GrowthHub community was about how secure AI platforms like Tidio are when accessing customer data.
Jacob was clear: customer data is siloed, interactions are temporary, and Tidio meets the same security standards as most CRMs. The AI doesn’t ‘know’ or retain information beyond the scope of each interaction, and yes, you can build in all the logic and safeguards to ensure it won’t mistakenly share someone else’s personal info.
AI vs. Assumptions
One of the recurring themes of this episode, and in much of our marketing work, is the danger of assumptions.
Brands often assume what customers want or how they behave, without checking the data. With AI (especially tools like Tidio that offer strong analytics), we now have the ability to validate assumptions in real time and build better experiences because of it.
Where AI Is Headed Next
So what’s next for AI in customer service?
Jacob predicts:
- More automation of transactional queries (e.g., checking order status via API)
- Smarter retention strategies, where AI adapts based on customer lifetime value
- Voice and omnichannel integration, allowing for natural, multi-step conversations across platforms
In five years, we may not even be typing anymore. And that’s not science fiction, it’s happening now.
Try Tidio for Free (and Save 20%)
If you're curious about how Tidio works, you can test it right now. Just plug in your site URL, and the platform will scan your content and build a draft AI agent based on your data. Go ahead, try to break it. That’s where the fun starts.
Visit tidio.com/ws for a free trial and 20% off, exclusively for Winning with Shopify listeners.
Check out the full podcast here.
This episode was brought to you by Nick Trueman, Director of PPC & SEO Agency, Spec Digital