AI Agents in Action: How "eye-oo" Transformed Its E-commerce Business
Mark Peters, 2025 · 10 minute read
Introduction: Small Businesses in a Big Tech World
Running a small or medium-sized business (SMB) today can feel like an uphill battle. The internet has made it possible for anyone to sell products and services online, but it’s also raised the bar for what customers expect. People want quick answers, personalized service, and help at any time of day or night-standards set by huge companies like Amazon and Apple. For a small business with just a handful of employees, meeting these expectations can seem impossible.
But technology is changing that. Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents-smart computer programs that can talk to customers, answer questions, and even help with sales-are now available to businesses of all sizes. These AI tools are not just for tech giants anymore. They’re affordable, easy to set up, and can make a big difference for small companies trying to compete in a crowded online marketplace.
This article tells the story of eye-oo, a small Italian company selling luxury eyewear online. With only four employees, eye-oo used AI agents to boost sales, improve customer service, and grow faster than ever before. Their journey shows how even the smallest businesses can use AI to level the playing field and thrive in the digital age.
The Challenge: Growing Pains in Online Eyewear
Who is eye-oo?
Eye-oo is an online shop based in Bologna, Italy, launched in 2020. They sell high-end glasses and sunglasses from famous brands like Gucci, Cartier, and Bottega Veneta, as well as unique pieces from independent designers. Their goal is to give customers not just a product, but a special shopping experience-one that feels personal and luxurious.
Despite their ambitions, eye-oo is a tiny company by most standards. In 2023, they had only four employees and brought in about €1.46 million in revenue. That’s impressive for such a small team, but it also means every person wears many hats and resources are limited.
What Problems Did They Face?
As eye-oo’s business grew, so did their challenges:
More Customer Questions: As more people visited their website, the number of questions about products, orders, shipping, and returns skyrocketed.
High Expectations: Customers buying expensive eyewear expect fast, accurate, and friendly service-just like they’d get from a big luxury brand.
Lost Sales: If customers had to wait too long for answers or couldn’t get help right away, they’d leave without buying.
Repetitive Work: Many questions were the same, over and over, which wasted staff time and made it hard to focus on more important tasks.
Capturing Leads: Turning website visitors into future customers required collecting information and following up, which was hard to do manually.
At first, eye-oo used Shopify’s basic chat tool to talk to customers. But as the business took off, this tool just couldn’t keep up. It looked plain, didn’t fit their brand image, and couldn’t handle the volume or complexity of questions coming in.
The Solution: Bringing in AI Agents
Why AI?
Eye-oo realized they needed a smarter way to help customers and keep up with demand. They wanted to:
Respond to customers instantly, 24/7
Reduce the workload on their small team
Keep the personal touch that set their brand apart
Boost sales by helping customers make decisions faster
This is where AI agents come in. Think of an AI agent as a super-smart virtual assistant that can chat with customers, answer questions, and even help close sales-all without needing a human to step in for every conversation.
Choosing the Right Tools: Tidio and Lyro
Eye-oo chose Tidio, a platform designed for e-commerce businesses. Tidio offers two main features that were perfect for eye-oo’s needs:
Lyro AI Agent: This is an advanced chatbot that uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand and answer questions in a way that feels natural and human. Lyro can be trained on a company’s own data-like product details, FAQs, and policies-so its answers are accurate and on-brand.
Tidio Flows: These are automated chat sequences that can be set up to handle common situations, like reminding customers about abandoned carts, suggesting products, or collecting contact information for leads.
How AI Was Set Up at eye-oo?
Step 1: Training The Ai
For AI to be helpful, it needs to know about the business. Eye-oo “trained” Lyro by feeding it all their FAQs, product information, and customer service policies. This way, Lyro could answer questions about things like:
What styles of glasses are in stock?
How to check an order status?
Shipping and return policies
Prescription requirements
Step 2: Customizing the Experience
Eye-oo wanted their AI agent to feel like a real part of their brand. They adjusted Lyro’s tone to be friendly and approachable, even adding emojis to make conversations more engaging. The look and feel of the chat window matched eye-oo’s stylish, high-end image.
Step 3: Integrating with Shopify
Tidio connects directly to Shopify, so Lyro could access real-time information about products, inventory, and customer orders. This made its answers more helpful and accurate, and allowed it to do things like:
Check if a certain pair of glasses was in stock
Look up the status of a customer’s order
Suggest related products based on what a customer was browsing
Step 4: Automating Common Tasks
Using Tidio Flows, eye-oo set up automated chats for situations like:
Cart Abandonment: If a customer left items in their cart without buying, the AI would send a friendly reminder and offer help.
Lead Capture: The AI would ask visitors if they wanted to sign up for updates or get a discount, collecting their email addresses for future marketing.
FAQs: The AI could instantly answer common questions, freeing up human staff for more complex issues.
Step 5: Smooth Handoff to Humans
If Lyro couldn’t answer a question or if a customer needed special help, the conversation would be handed off to a human agent. This way, customers always got the support they needed, and the small team could focus on the most important or sensitive cases.
The Results: What Changed for eye-oo?
Faster Customer Service
The most dramatic improvement was in response times. Before AI, customers sometimes waited up to five minutes for a reply. After Lyro was installed, the average wait dropped to just 30 seconds-a whopping 86% reduction. This made customers happier and less likely to leave the site before getting help.
More Questions Answered, Less Work for Staff
Out of 2,233 customer conversations, Lyro handled 1,825 all by itself. That’s about 82% of all questions answered without a human stepping in. This freed up the small team to focus on more complicated tasks and strategic work, instead of answering the same questions over and over.
More Sales and Higher Conversions
Eye-oo saw a 25% increase in sales after bringing in AI. Even more impressive, their conversion rate (the percentage of visitors who actually buy something) went up five times. This means that not only were more people visiting the site, but a much higher percentage were making purchases.
Direct Revenue from AI
Eye-oo could track exactly how much money was coming in thanks to the AI tools. In 2023, they attributed €177,000 in revenue directly to Tidio and its chat features-about 12% of their total sales for the year. The cart abandonment tool alone helped recover €1,600 in sales from customers who might have otherwise left without buying.
Building a Pipeline for the Future
The AI didn’t just help with immediate sales. It also collected 1,305 new leads-potential customers who gave their contact information for future marketing. This helps eye-oo build relationships and drive more sales down the line.
Happier Customers and Better Reviews
Customers noticed the difference. Many left positive reviews mentioning how quickly they got help through the live chat. Fast, friendly service made them more likely to buy and to come back in the future.
Why AI Works for Small Businesses
Eye-oo’s story isn’t unique. AI agents are helping small businesses everywhere by:
Doing More with Less: Automating routine tasks lets a small team handle a much bigger workload.
Offering 24/7 Service: AI can answer questions and help customers any time, day or night, without extra staff.
Personalizing at Scale: AI can tailor recommendations and responses for each customer, just like a human would.
Analyzing Data: AI tools can spot trends, track performance, and suggest improvements-even for businesses that don’t have a dedicated data team.
Easy Integration: Modern AI tools work with popular platforms like Shopify, making setup quick and painless.
How to Get Started with AI: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re a small business owner wondering how to follow in eye-oo’s footsteps, here’s a simple roadmap:
Step 1: Identify Your Biggest Needs
Start by figuring out where AI can make the most impact. Is it answering customer questions? Recovering lost sales? Collecting leads? Focus on the areas that will save you the most time or make you the most money.
Step 2: Start Small
Don’t try to automate everything at once. Pick one area-like handling FAQs or sending cart reminders-and test how AI works for your business. You can always expand later.
Step 3: Choose User-Friendly Tools
Look for AI platforms that are designed for non-technical users. No-code or low-code solutions are best, especially if you don’t have a tech team.
Step 4: Prepare Your Data
Make sure your FAQs, product descriptions, and policies are up to date and easy to understand. The better your information, the smarter your AI will be.
Step 5: Train Your Team
Teach your staff how to use the AI tools and when to step in if the AI can’t help. Make sure everyone understands that AI is there to help, not to replace them.
Step 6: Monitor and Improve
Track key numbers like response times, sales, and customer satisfaction. Use this data to tweak your AI setup and make it even better over time.
Step 6: Monitor and Improve
Track key numbers like response times, sales, and customer satisfaction. Use this data to tweak your AI setup and make it even better over time.
Overcoming Common Challenges
AI isn’t magic, and there are some hurdles to watch out for:
Budget: Many AI tools offer affordable subscription plans, so you don’t need a big upfront investment.
Technical Skills: Pick platforms designed for beginners, with lots of support and easy setup.
Data Quality: Good AI needs good information. Take time to organize your data before launching.
Integration: Make sure your AI tool works with your existing systems, like your e-commerce platform or CRM.
Privacy: Choose vendors that follow data protection laws and are transparent about how they use customer data.
Staff Concerns: Involve your team in the process and show them how AI will make their jobs easier, not take them away.
Personal Touch: Customize your AI’s tone and set up clear handoff procedures for when a human needs to step in.
The Future of AI in E-commerce
AI agents are getting smarter and more capable every year. Here’s what’s coming next:
Hyper-Personalization: AI will be able to tailor every interaction to each customer’s unique preferences and history.
Proactive Service: Instead of just reacting to questions, AI will anticipate customer needs and reach out with helpful information or offers.
Multimodal Support: AI will handle not just text, but also voice, images, and even video, making interactions richer and more natural.
Deeper Integration: AI will connect with more business systems, handling complex tasks like returns, inventory management, and marketing campaigns automatically.
For small businesses, this means even more opportunities to compete with larger companies by offering top-notch service and efficiency.
Lessons Learned: What Eye-oo’s Success Teaches Us
AI agents are getting smarter and more capable every year. Here’s what’s coming next:
AI Is Within Reach: Even the smallest companies can benefit from AI, thanks to user-friendly tools and affordable pricing.
Customer Experience Comes First: Improving the customer journey with fast, helpful service leads directly to more sales and happier customers.
Pick the Right Tools: Choose AI solutions that fit your business and connect easily with your existing systems.
Start Small and Grow: Prove value with a pilot project, then expand as you see results.
AI Empowers People: By handling repetitive work, AI frees up your team for more meaningful, creative, and strategic tasks.
Conclusion: A Blueprint for Small Business Success
The story of eye-oo proves that AI is not just for tech giants or big corporations. With the right approach, even a four-person company can use AI agents to:
Cut operational costs
Boost sales and conversions
Improve customer satisfaction
Free up staff for higher-value work
Build a pipeline for future growth
If you’re running a small business, now is the time to explore how AI can help you compete, grow, and delight your customers. Start with a clear goal, pick the right tools, and take it one step at a time. The future of business is digital-and with AI, it’s a future that’s open to everyone.
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