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Inbound sales agent for ecommerce

A shopper messages at midnight asking if the boots run small — the agent answers, finds the right size, and gets them to checkout before the moment passes.

Next best thingClose the loopBehavioral triggerTime-based triggerChatWhatsAppEmailE-commerce & Retail

What it does

Shoppers arrive with a question, not a meeting request: does this fit, is it in stock in my size, can it arrive by the weekend, how does it compare to the other one. Most stores answer some of it on a help page and lose the rest to a contact form nobody returns to. This agent runs the inbound shopping conversation end to end: discovery, product and stock answers, sizing and returns objections, then the add-to-cart and a hand-off to secure checkout. It covers the hours no one is staffed, and when a returning shopper comes back it picks up from what it already remembers — so the question becomes an order instead of a bounce.

How it works

1
Trigger. a shopper opens a chat, replies on WhatsApp, or sends an inbound email with a product question; returning shoppers are recognized and the conversation resumes from prior context.
2
Decision. the agent runs lightweight discovery (what it's for, size, budget, when they need it), reasons over the catalog and live stock, and decides the next best step — recommend, reassure on the objection, or add to cart. A quality judge gates the message and no discount goes beyond approved limits.
3
Action. in chat, WhatsApp, or email it answers the comparison, confirms the size, handles the returns or delivery worry, adds the item to the basket, and hands off to the store's secure checkout. Coverage is continuous, including overnight when no one is on the desk.
4
Follow-through. an unfinished conversation gets one measured follow-up rather than silence; if the shopper buys or the intent goes cold, the queued nudge is cancelled. Outcomes write back to memory so the next visit starts warm, and conversions are measured against a holdout.

Example

CustomerDo these hiking boots run small? I'm usually a 42.

AgentThey run about half a size small, so most people in a 42 size up to 43 for trail socks. We've got the 43 in stock in the brown. Free returns if the fit's off — want me to drop it in your basket?

CustomerYes, and can it arrive before Saturday?

AgentDone — it's in your basket in the 43 brown. Standard delivery to your area arrives Friday, so you're covered. Here's your secure checkout when you're ready.

Configuration

How the agent is wired for this use case.

Triggeran inbound shopper message on the chat/in-app widget, a WhatsApp reply, or an inbound email; plus returning-visitor recognition from prior session memory.

Tools & actions

Product catalog service · read attributes, sizing guidance, comparisons, and live stock to answer and recommend.
Order management system · check delivery options and ETAs, returns policy, and stock by variant.
Cart API · add the chosen item in the right size or variant to the shopper's basket.
Customer memory · read prior visits, preferences, and past purchases; write back outcomes for the next conversation.
Messaging channel · run the conversation in chat, on WhatsApp, or over email and hand off to the store's secure checkout.

Autonomydiscovery, product and stock answers, objection handling, and add-to-cart run unattended under judge gating; checkout stays in the store's own secure flow and the merchant keeps owning every send channel. Discounts are capped to approved limits.

Channelschat · whatsapp · email

Escalationa complaint, an out-of-policy discount or bulk request, a fraud or chargeback signal, or a question the catalog cannot answer hands off to a human with the conversation context.

What you need

The inputs this use case runs on. Your channels stay yours; the agent supplies the judgment.

Signals

inbound shopping messages across chat, WhatsApp, and email; high-intent page and product engagement; returning-visitor identification.

Data

product catalog with sizing, attributes, and comparisons; live stock and delivery options; returns policy; persistent memory of prior visits and purchases; consent state for WhatsApp and email.

Guardrails

discount limits the agent may not exceed; checkout stays in the merchant's secure flow; judge review of every message and follow-up; frequency caps and instant opt-out; honest "out of stock" or "not the right fit" over a forced sale.

Metrics it moves

conversion-rateup, by turning after-hours and unstaffed product questions into orders instead of bounces.
revenue-per-conversationup, because each inbound chat is steered toward a cart and a checkout hand-off.
cart-recoveryup, since the objection that would have ended the session gets answered before the basket is left.