Building Customer Relationships in the Age of AI: Klaviyo Chief Product Officer Elias Torres

Summary
This episode is brought to you by National Retail Federation.
Featuring: Elias Torres, Chief Product Officer, Klaviyo
AI is quickly becoming a new front door to commerce. Instead of beginning their shopping journeys on Google or a brand’s website, more consumers are turning to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to research products, compare options and decide what to buy.For brands, that shift raises a bigger question: how do you maintain a direct customer relationship when AI increasingly sits between you and the shopper?
Key Takeaways
- How brands can maintain direct customer relationships as AI platforms become a new starting point for product discovery and shopping
- Why unified customer data and context are critical to delivering more relevant, personalized experiences with AI
- How AI agents can help brands scale customer relationships without losing the human connection that builds trust and loyalty
- Why reactive customer service is ready for AI automation, while proactive agent experiences still require greater intelligence, restraint and personalization
- What Elias has learned about entrepreneurship, relationships and recognizing the opportunities worth saying “yes” to throughout his career
Related Links
- Learn more about Klaviyo
- Connect with Elias Torres on LinkedIn
- Read more about Klaviyo’s acquisition of Agency
- Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints
- Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix
Your customers won’t wait, and neither should you. Head to nrfbigshow.com to lock in your spot at NRF’s Big Show, Jan. 10-12 at the Javits Center, and move your business fast forward.
Summary
This episode is brought to you by National Retail Federation.
Featuring: Elias Torres, Chief Product Officer, Klaviyo
AI is quickly becoming a new front door to commerce. Instead of beginning their shopping journeys on Google or a brand’s website, more consumers are turning to tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to research products, compare options and decide what to buy.For brands, that shift raises a bigger question: how do you maintain a direct customer relationship when AI increasingly sits between you and the shopper?
Key Takeaways
- How brands can maintain direct customer relationships as AI platforms become a new starting point for product discovery and shopping
- Why unified customer data and context are critical to delivering more relevant, personalized experiences with AI
- How AI agents can help brands scale customer relationships without losing the human connection that builds trust and loyalty
- Why reactive customer service is ready for AI automation, while proactive agent experiences still require greater intelligence, restraint and personalization
- What Elias has learned about entrepreneurship, relationships and recognizing the opportunities worth saying “yes” to throughout his career
Related Links
- Learn more about Klaviyo
- Connect with Elias Torres on LinkedIn
- Read more about Klaviyo’s acquisition of Agency
- Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints
- Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix
Your customers won’t wait, and neither should you. Head to nrfbigshow.com to lock in your spot at NRF’s Big Show, Jan. 10-12 at the Javits Center, and move your business fast forward.



