Omnichat’s Alan Chan on AI-Powered Customer Journeys Transforming Conversational Commerce
Conversational commerce is no longer a niche—it’s a vital part of digital retail, especially in Asia’s mobile-first markets. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, LINE, and Messenger are more than communication tools; they’re becoming digital storefronts where brands engage customers with personalised, proactive experiences.
Hong Kong-based Omnichat is leading this shift by integrating AI agents into conversational commerce, enabling seamless in-chat shopping, real-time campaign management, and tailored customer interactions across messaging platforms.
Conversational Commerce as a Core Digital Retail Strategy
Alan Chan, founder and CEO of Omnichat, describes conversational commerce as the strategic use of messaging and chat technologies throughout the entire customer journey—from discovery to post-sale support. This approach creates a personal and interactive shopping experience that drives sales and loyalty.
In markets like Hong Kong, where WhatsApp enjoys 79% penetration and message open rates reach 98%, messaging outperforms traditional channels like email. Consumers expect real-time, human-like interactions that mimic in-store service with the convenience of digital.
The Leap from Basic Chatbots to Generative AI Agents
Conversational AI has evolved from rule-based chatbots handling simple FAQs to generative AI capable of understanding context, generating nuanced responses, and creating original content.
Alan highlights the rise of AI agents—intelligent systems that support marketing, sales, and service with a proactive, personalised approach. These agents handle complex queries, detect sentiment, and troubleshoot dynamically, covering the full customer lifecycle.
Omni-AI: AI Agents for Every Stage of Customer Interaction
Omnichat’s conversational AI suite, Omni-AI, supports seamless customer engagement across service, marketing, and sales. Features include AI-generated responses, personalised product recommendations, and smart agent suggestions powered by chat history and purchase behaviour.
A standout is the Omni AI Agent Studio, which lets businesses create custom AI agents using large language models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic, Deepseek, and AWS. This flexible approach ensures companies can deploy the best technology for their needs.
Importantly, AI is designed to enhance human interaction, not replace it. Omnichat’s platform enables smooth handoffs between AI agents and human staff, sharing full conversation context to maintain a consistent and supportive customer experience.
Omni-AI includes four specialised agents:
- AI Customer Service Agent: 24/7 support handling inquiries efficiently.
- AI Marketing Campaign Agent: Creates targeted content and automates campaigns.
- AI Shopping Agent: Offers personalised product assistance.
- AI Customer Loyalty Agent: Manages rewards and retention strategies.
By deploying these interconnected agents, businesses can proactively engage customers with tailored support that improves sales, workflow efficiency, and personalised offers at scale.
Delivering Consistent, Localised Experiences Across Messaging Platforms
Running conversational AI on platforms like WhatsApp, LINE, and Messenger requires continuity and local relevance. Omnichat addresses this with a shared memory system and role-based agents that maintain context across different functions.
Features such as dynamic language detection, local knowledge bases, and real-time feedback ensure interactions feel natural and compliant with local regulations. This leads to smooth, multi-turn conversations that boost conversions and satisfaction.
In practice, a customer might receive a proactive chat invitation on a website, followed by personalised support and product suggestions within messaging apps. If they’re not ready to buy, the AI Marketing Campaign Agent nurtures the lead with relevant content and timely offers.
Balancing AI Efficiency with Empathy
Speed alone isn’t enough—customers expect thoughtful, empathetic service. Omnichat’s AI Sales Agent identifies customer intent by analysing conversations, browsing behaviour, and customer profiles, removing friction from the purchase process.
To maintain brand voice and empathy, Omni-AI can be trained to generate responses that match a company’s style. It uses context to deliver personalised solutions rather than treating each query in isolation.
When human assistance is needed, live agents receive the full conversation history and customer details, enabling them to step in smoothly without making customers repeat themselves.
The Future of AI in Customer Support
Alan sees conversational AI becoming a proactive force in customer journeys, continuously improving through analysis of omnichannel data to predict intent and anticipate needs.
Central to this is Omnichat’s Social CDP, a unified customer data platform that supports personalised AI interactions at scale. Conversational AI will play a key role in guiding customers from discovery through to loyalty and advocacy.
For customer support professionals, this means AI will become an indispensable tool—handling routine tasks while enabling human agents to focus on complex, empathetic interactions that build lasting relationships.
To explore how AI can enhance your customer support skills, consider checking out Complete AI Training’s tailored courses for customer support roles.
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