Resources / Glossary / Coaching and training
AI customer
The simulated shopper in a practice call, given a situation, a personality and a reason to resist.
An AI customer is a character a rep practices against. It is defined by a situation rather than a script: shopping three stores on price, calling about a unit that just sold, working around a trade with negative equity, in a hurry and unwilling to give a last name.
The character holds its position the way a real shopper does, which is what makes the practice useful. A simulated customer that agrees to an appointment the first time it is asked teaches nothing, and a rep can tell the difference immediately.
Why it matters for a sales manager
The hardest calls are the ones your team gets least practice at, because they are unpleasant and reps avoid them. Building the customers you lose to most often gives everyone repetitions against the exact situation that costs you appointments. It also standardizes practice, so you find out who can handle a hard caller before a real one dials in.