Freshpet's Director of Consumer Care, Lisa Diehl, is spearheading the integration of AI into customer service with the chatbot named Scout. This strategic move caters to the digital preferences of a growing base of pet parents, particularly younger generations who favor online engagement.

Scout has been key in resolving basic inquiries, allowing customer care teams to focus on complex interactions that necessitate human empathy. Diehl underscores the importance of balance between technology and personal touch in delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Freshpet's adoption of AI has led to notable reductions in phone volume and waiting times, with Scout handling 97% of chat inquiries and effectively reducing call demands by 39%. The efficiency of the chatbot complements the skillful empathy required by customer care agents, particularly when dealing with sensitive pet health concerns.

Looking ahead, Diehl anticipates further advancements in AI, such as generative AI and chat GPT, to evolve Freshpet's consumer care, remaining agile in the rapidly changing customer service domain. "We're constantly pivoting and we're constantly in that scrappy kind of mindset like, ‘what are we going to do next?’" explains Diehl, reflecting the company's proactive approach to innovation.