Case studySofa ClubFurniture retailer, United Kingdom
How Sofa Club resolves 8 in 10 conversations without its team
Sofa Club sells sofas online in the United Kingdom. The Gem CX AI system answers its customers on web chat and WhatsApp, advises them up to the order and hands the team what needs a person.
18,600+
conversations handled on web chat and WhatsApp
80%
of conversations resolved without the team, month after month
85%
positive customer ratings (CSAT)
£303k
of orders from customers the chat helped, in October alone
From the helpdesk's AI to Gem CX
| Helpdesk vendor's AI | Gem CX | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Setup3 weeks, with the vendor's technical team | Setup1 week, nothing to configure on the brand's side |
| How it works | How it worksDecision trees to configure | How it worksConnected to the catalogue and the orders |
| Outcome | OutcomeReplaced | OutcomeKept |
Before
Thousands of questions a month on web chat and WhatsApp. The team first rolled out its helpdesk vendor's AI, over three weeks, with the vendor's technical team.
The switch
The result fell short: decision trees to configure, and a ceiling set by the platform. Gem CX built a system connected to the catalogue and the orders. Put head to head after one week, it was the one the team kept.
Today
In production since August 2026, the system answers on web chat and WhatsApp, advises customers up to the order and hands the team what needs a person. Gem CX improves it every week.
“In one week, it was ten times better, and really low effort from me.”What the system does
Answers from live data
Products, fabrics, sizes, delivery and returns, from the live catalogue and the help pages.
Follows up on orders
Order and delivery questions are answered from the order itself, at any hour.
Advises up to the order
It compares models and sizes and answers the question that holds a purchase back.
Hands over with context
About 1 in 5 conversations goes to the team in the helpdesk, with the conversation and what was already checked.
Follows the brand's rules
Sale periods, delivery and after-sales rules are updated in days, as the team decides them.
Same answer on every channel
Web chat and WhatsApp get the same answers, day and night, with no queue.
What customers wrote after the chat
“They answered all my questions and with loads of helpful details! Perfect”“Very helpful, this will save me constantly scrolling for sizes etc”“Very speedy reply, looking forward to ordering my sofa later. Thank you, congratulations on a beautiful store”How the figures are measured
- Conversations
- Every conversation on web chat and WhatsApp handled by the system, 18,662 up to 5 November 2026.
- Resolved
- A conversation closed without a handover to an agent. 80% in October 2026, over 8,173 conversations, and the same rate since.
- CSAT
- The share of positive ratings among the customers who rated the chat after the conversation: 85% in September 2026, over 398 ratings.
- Orders helped
- Orders placed by the same customer within 14 days of a chat, where a review of the conversation shows the chat helped the purchase, by answering a blocking question or advising on a model. 169 orders in October 2026, at their full value including VAT and delivery, before returns.
- Source
- Gem CX production data for Sofa Club.
Questions
How long did it take Sofa Club to go live?
Gem CX was put head to head with the helpdesk vendor's AI after one week, and the team kept it. It now answers on web chat and WhatsApp.
Does the AI replace Sofa Club's support team?
No. It resolves about 8 in 10 conversations and hands the rest to the team in the helpdesk, with the conversation and what was already checked, so the team spends its time on the cases that need a person.
Can I see the same system on my own store?
Yes. Gem CX builds a free demo on your own catalogue, so you can test it on your products and your customers' questions before any call.