This is how the interaction between humans and machines works in everyday support work

In modern e-commerce, support can no longer function without technology. Customers expect answers in minutes, not hours. At the same time, brands need to keep their communication personal, efficient and consistent with their brand identity. This is where the perfect partnership between humans and machines comes into play – a collaboration that works in practice every day at Avento.

When the ticket comes in

The process almost always starts automatically. A customer writes a message via the shop, chat or a form – and before anyone even has to intervene, the chatbot responds in the background.

This is not simply a static question-and-answer system, but is directly connected to the shop backend. This means that

the bot can read data, check orders, retrieve delivery status or even automatically process cancellations and returns.

So when a customer writes, "I want to change my order" or "Where is my parcel?", the bot recognises the request, pulls the relevant information from the system and responds immediately.

It can even go further – suggesting upsells or cross-sells, recommending suitable products or offering discounts. All of this is based on rules that are programmed individually for each shop.

When humans take over

But not everything can be automated.

As soon as the chatbot notices that a query is becoming more complex – for example, in the case of complaints, unclear cases or emotional messages – the ticket is handed over to Avento's human team.

There, it lands directly in the right helpdesk system, e.g. Gorgias or Zendesk, already linked to all the information from the shop: order number, customer data, previous chat history, any notes that may be available.

This saves valuable time – our team can immediately decide, adjust, respond or make changes in the shop system.

In many cases, we no longer need to switch to other tools. We can process orders, correct addresses, initiate refunds or create vouchers – all within one system.

This not only ensures speed, but also consistency: the customer receives quick, accurate answers without any data being lost.

Dealing with emotions

Machines are precise – but humans recognise emotions.

Our systems are trained to recognise levels of aggression or escalation in messages.

If a message contains terms that indicate frustration or anger, for example, it is automatically prioritised or forwarded directly to the human team.

This enables us to respond quickly and empathetically – before a situation escalates.

This is where the added value of human communication comes into play: understanding, tone of voice and tact cannot be completely replaced by AI.

In difficult cases: cooperation with the shop

Sometimes even our capabilities are not enough – for example, if there is a technical malfunction or a special discount has to be approved manually.

In such cases, we forward the ticket directly to the shop team.

We document the entire process, including all previous actions. This allows the shop's internal team to pick up where we left off without having to request information again.

We learn from these cases, adjust the automation and ensure that similar requests can be resolved automatically next time.

Learning and optimising

Every enquiry we receive is also a learning opportunity.

Through regular evaluations, we see which topics recur, where automation is effective – and where it can be improved.

Our systems learn along with us – just like our support teams.

This creates a cycle of data, experience and adaptation:

What is processed manually today may be automated tomorrow.

And what is automated today is constantly improved through human feedback.

The result

The interaction between humans and machines is not a contradiction – it is a system with clear roles:

Machines handle tasks that can be standardised – quickly, accurately and at any time. Humans take over where empathy, decision-making skills and experience are required. The result is customer support that remains personal but is scalable. A system that strengthens brands, reduces costs and truly satisfies customers.

Avento stands for precisely this approach:

Automated, but human. Efficient, but empathetic.

Because genuine support needs both.

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