How to recover abandoned shopping carts in your online store with an AI agent

A person enters your online store, chooses a product, adds it to their cart, and just before paying, closes the tab. They haven't said no. They've simply had a question, gotten distracted, or decided to finish it later. And that "later" almost never comes.

Recovering abandoned shopping carts is one of the most direct ways to increase sales without acquiring new customers: these are people who already know your store and have already made a choice. In this article, we'll explain why orders are abandoned and how an AI agent can pick up the conversation at the right moment, resolve the issue, and return the customer to their cart.

Why is a shopping cart abandoned?

There's almost always a reason behind an abandoned shopping cart, and often it's a small one. The most common reasons are these:

Shipping costs They appear at the end and were not what the client expected.
A question about the product: the size, the measurement, the compatibility or the material.
The delivery time It's unclear or doesn't fit with when you need it.
The payment method that you prefer does not appear, or the payment has failed.
Returns: she doesn't know if she'll be able to exchange it if it doesn't fit well.
An interruption: a call, a meeting, or your mobile phone running out of battery.

In a physical store, a salesperson could answer any of these questions in a minute. In an online store, if no one answers, the customer leaves.

What is usually done and why it is not enough

Most platforms, such as WooCommerce, Shopify, or PrestaShop, allow you to send an automated reminder email. It's better than nothing, but it has clear limitations: it's the same message for everyone, it arrives when it arrives, and it doesn't address the question that prevented the purchase. If the problem was the size, a simple "Have you forgotten something?" won't solve it.

Doing it manually isn't realistic either. Checking abandoned carts every day, writing to each customer, and answering their questions requires time that a small team doesn't have, especially during the busiest weeks, which is precisely when the most carts are left unfinished.

What does a shopping cart recovery agent do?

An AI agent for recovering abandoned shopping carts works like a salesperson who keeps track of every unfinished order. It works connected to your store and follows these steps:

Detects abandoned shopping carts as soon as the customer leaves the purchase unfinished.
Write to the customer at the right time, by email or by WhatsApp if the customer has authorized it, with a message mentioning what they had chosen.
Answer their questions with real information from your store: shipping, delivery times, sizes, payment methods and return policy.
Returns to cart with a direct link to finish the purchase where you left off.
Notify your team when the consultation requires a person, for example a special order or an issue with a payment.

The difference with an automated reminder is that the agent engages in conversation. If the customer asks if size M will fit or if the order will arrive before Friday, they receive a specific answer, not another reminder.

A simple example

A customer adds a pair of sneakers to her shopping cart at 11:00 PM. The next morning, she receives a message reminding her of the model she selected and asking if she has any questions. She replies that she's unsure if the sizing is the same as in other brands. The agent explains the size guide for that model, reminds her that the first exchange is free, and provides a link to complete the order. No one from your team had to intervene.

What do you gain from that?

You recover sales that were almost done., from customers who had already chosen a product.
Your team doesn't dedicate hours to check shopping carts or write messages one by one.
You respond first, Also at night and on weekends, when many purchases are left unfinished.
You learn what slows down purchasesThe agent records the most frequently asked questions, and you can improve the product information, shipping, or payment information.

Control, tone, and privacy

The agent speaks in your brand's tone and only says what you've instructed. You decide when they write, how often, and what they can offer. If your store doesn't offer discounts, the agent won't offer them.

We only contact customers who have provided their information and agreed to receive communications, and each message includes an unsubscribe option. Conversations are recorded so you can review them at any time.

How do we get it up and running?

At Batlle we have 35 years of experience in marketing and communication, and we work with agents using the same method as any other project:

Conversation: We understand how your store works, what platform you use, and where sales are being lost.
Proposal: We'll send you a fixed-price proposal, with an implementation fee and a monthly fee.
Start-up: We connect the agent to your store, prepare the messages with you, and test it before activating it.
Follow-up: We regularly review the conversations and adjust as needed.

We work with WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop, and Ecwid, among other platforms. You can see the rest of our agents on our page. Batlle's AI agents.

Request information

If your online store has orders that get stuck halfway through, tell us how you work and we'll explain how a cart recovery agent would solve it.

Request information using the contact form

If you want to see how a Batlle agent talks, you can try it on our website.