Bengaluru, India - Dukaan, a DIY platform that allows merchants with zero programming experience to set up their own e-commerce store, has announced that it has laid off 90% of its support staff. This decision comes after the company introduced an AI chatbot to answer customer support queries.
Suumit Shah, Dukaan's founder and CEO, announced the layoffs in a Twitter thread on Monday. He said that the decision was "tough" but "necessary" in order to "focus on profitability."
Shah also said that the AI chatbot has been "extremely successful" in reducing customer support costs and improving resolution times. He said that the chatbot now handles 90% of customer support queries, and that the average resolution time has been reduced from 2 hours and 13 minutes to 3 minutes and 12 seconds.
The layoffs have been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised Dukaan for its use of technology to improve customer service, while others have criticized the company for its decision to lay off so many employees.
Impact on Employees
The layoffs have had a significant impact on the employees who were let go. Many of them were with the company for several years, and they were not given any severance pay.
Some of the laid-off employees have expressed anger and frustration at Dukaan's decision. They say that they were not given any warning, and that they were not given any opportunity to find new jobs.
Others have said that they understand Dukaan's decision, and that they are grateful for the opportunity they had to work for the company.
Impact on the Industry
The layoffs at Dukaan are a sign of the changing landscape of customer support. As AI chatbots become more sophisticated, they are increasingly being used to replace human customer support agents.
This trend is likely to continue in the coming years, as businesses look for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. However, it is important to note that AI chatbots cannot replace human customer support entirely. There are still many cases where human interaction is necessary, such as when customers need help with complex problems.
