In today's retail environment, downtime costs more than just time. Operational disruptions like equipment faults and displays not working can directly impact sales and efficiency. This means that getting fast, effective support is critical.
That's why businesses are increasingly looking to more agile and cost effective support models. At CPM, we've combined AI-assisted diagnostics with our expert customer support teams to help a leading retail client transform how technical issues are resolved, delivering more than £1 million in value in a single year.
Traditionally, technical faults result in an engineer being dispatched to site. While sometimes necessary, this can be costly and lead to lengthy delays.
Our Virtual Fault Resolution model takes a different approach. Using AI-supported tools and intelligent diagnostic pathways, agents can guide customers or in-store agents through troubleshooting steps and resolve problems remotely wherever possible.
Over the past year, one of our account teams successfully resolved 64% of all eligible diagnostic faults remotely, significantly reducing downtime and unnecessary site visits.
The impact has been substantial.
By resolving issues virtually, the team generated over £500,000 in engineer call-out savings while protecting more than £500,000 in retail sales value through faster issue resolution.
Speed is a major factor behind these results. On average, technical issues are resolved in just 21 minutes through Virtual Fault Resolution. In comparison, an engineer visit takes an average of 15 hours to attend.
For retailers, that means less disruption, faster recovery and more time focused on serving customers.
However, the success of the programme isn't driven by technology alone.
While AI-powered diagnostics help agents quickly navigate fault pathways, our experienced support teams provide the expertise and problem-solving skills needed to resolve issues efficiently.
Together, they create a support model that is faster, smarter and more scalable than traditional approaches.
Reducing engineer visits not only saves time and money, but also helps reduce environmental impact.
By avoiding unnecessary journeys, the programme delivered carbon savings equivalent to up to 1,080 mature trees, supporting the client's wider sustainability objectives.
The success of Virtual Fault Resolution illustrates what is possible when innovation and expertise come together.
By combining AI-powered diagnostics with highly skilled support teams, businesses can resolve issues faster and reduce operational costs - whether that be diagnosing display equipment failures in high-street shops, product dispensing tools in the on-trade or out-of-home, or within grocery and convenience stores. This support delivers not only a better customer experience, but ultimately more sales.
As customer expectations continue to rise, the ability to solve problems intelligently is becoming a true competitive advantage. At CPM, we're helping clients rethink what's possible, transforming everyday support interactions into opportunities to drive efficiency, sustainability and growth.
What could your business achieve with faster resolutions, lower costs and smarter processes?
Talk to our team about how we could help turn your operational challenges into growth opportunities.