[Event Report] 10/16 Growth Meetup ~A New Form of 24/7 Online Customer Service~

Growth Meetup on 10/16 ~A New Form of 24/7 Online Customer Service~

Growth Meetup is held almost every Wednesday with the goal of allowing guests and participants to learn together about the know-how needed to continuously grow a business using Shopify.

On October 16th, we welcomed Takayuki Sakakibara, Group Leader of the Domestic Sales Promotion Group, International Brand Sales Division at Albion Co., Ltd., as our guest speaker, who gave a presentation on AI-powered online customer service.

Summary

At this event, we discussed together with participants how to replicate in-store customer service experiences online, with the aim of improving customer satisfaction and growing a base of brand fans.
In particular, the success story of lowering the barrier to inquiries and increasing the number of inquiries through the introduction of 24/7 AI-powered support was especially impressive. On the other hand, in fields like cosmetics where warm, personalized service is highly valued, there were also moments where the value of human interaction was reaffirmed.

The event was also structured as a workshop format, giving participants the opportunity to tackle challenges themselves and think through specific solutions. It felt like a truly meaningful time — not just for theoretical knowledge, but as a place to gain practical know-how. In particular, there were many learnings that deepened understanding of a customer service style that combines AI with human support.

Furthermore, the exchange of opinions among participants allowed for the sharing of perspectives from other industries and new approaches, which was one of the major takeaways from this event. While AI supports efficiency, it was concretely proposed that human interaction complements warmth and trustworthiness, resulting in a customer service style that enhances brand value.
We felt that this approach has great potential not only to improve the customer experience but also to significantly contribute to increased brand loyalty.

Participant Feedback

Participants gained a variety of learnings and insights, and many left with positive impressions. Specifically, there were comments that the live demonstrations helped deepen their understanding of how AI customer service can be applied in practice, and that the advanced yet practical content was highly inspiring. Many participants were also moved by the commitment to preserving human warmth in the service approach.

Additionally, participants noted that the environment made it easy to ask questions, leading to many learnings, and that hearing concrete examples of how other companies are using AI was very useful as a reference. Some participants also found it valuable to expand their knowledge in an area they were previously unfamiliar with, and to learn about recommended systems and services being used at other companies.

Overall, many participants expressed a strong sense of the potential of AI, and it appears to have been a highly fruitful event for all involved.

Conclusion

At this event, we took a deep dive into how a new customer service style combining AI and human interaction can contribute to improving customer experience and strengthening brand value.
In particular, it felt like a truly valuable opportunity for participants to go beyond theoretical knowledge and share practical know-how, learning concrete approaches from multiple perspectives. Through discussions among participants, we were also able to deepen our understanding of the future vision of online customer service.

Our Growth Meetup is held almost every Wednesday and is open to anyone interested in Shopify and business growth.
We are preparing to deliver valuable learnings and practical knowledge at the next Growth Meetup as well, so please join us. We look forward to seeing you there.