AI is quickly becoming a new front door to commerce. Instead of beginning their shopping journeys on Google or a brand’s website, more consumers are turning to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to research products, compare options and decide what to buy.
For brands, that shift raises a bigger question: how do you maintain a direct customer relationship when AI increasingly sits between you and the shopper?
Few people have spent more time thinking about the intersection of technology and customer relationships than Elias Torres. After building companies including Performable, Drift and AI-native customer success platform Agency, Elias is joining Klaviyo as Chief Product Officer following its acquisition of Agency.
In this episode of Retail Remix, Elias joins host Kate Robertson to explore where AI agents can deliver real value today, why customer context matters more than the underlying model and what brands need to do to build stronger relationships in an increasingly autonomous commerce landscape. Elias also shares how his focus on relationships, from growing professional connections to recruiting the best team members, have given him an edge in his career.
Key Takeaways
- How brands can maintain direct customer relationships as AI platforms become a new starting point for product discovery and shopping
- Why unified customer data and context are critical to delivering more relevant, personalized experiences with AI
- How AI agents can help brands scale customer relationships without losing the human connection that builds trust and loyalty
- Why reactive customer service is ready for AI automation, while proactive agent experiences still require greater intelligence, restraint and personalization
- What Elias has learned about entrepreneurship, relationships and recognizing the opportunities worth saying “yes” to throughout his career
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What is Retail Remix?
The rules of retail are constantly changing. Today, we're in an exciting new era where brands can differentiate through experience and use technology to connect with customers in new and exciting ways. Retail Remix is a new podcast series brought to you by Retail TouchPoints, the industry's leading source for news, insights and research for all things customer experience. Every week, we sit down with someone who is helping put a new spin on the retail experience. Hear from the top practitioners, analysts and innovators in retail, and see what new engagement opportunities await.