Can AI Chatbots Handle Shipping Queries?
Stone and Rock is an Australian natural stone supplier offering premium tiles, pavers, wall cladding, and landscaping materials for home and commercial projects.
Their most time-consuming customer support issue was shipping. Delivery costs depend on a combination of postcode ranges, weight brackets, and the material's pack sizes, so every quote requires a multi-step calculation. None of the available Shopify apps or chatbots could handle this complexity, which meant the team had to work out each quote manually. They wanted to see if AI could automate this.
This case study shows how Stone and Rock used K-Chat to automate 94% of their shipping, product, and availability enquiries, giving customers the personalised guidance they expect when making a major home or project investment.
The Challenge: Helping Customers Navigate Complex Shipping And Product Selection
Stone and Rock sells premium natural stone tiles, pavers, wall cladding, and landscaping materials. These are high-value purchases where customers are often budgeting for an entire renovation or landscaping project. Because stone is heavy, delivery costs can significantly impact the total project budget. That makes shipping enquiries both frequent and high-intent.
But getting a shipping quote wasn't simple. Customers had to call or email, and because the calculation depends on postcode ranges, pack sizes, and weight brackets, the team had to work it out manually. This often meant hours or even a day before a customer received a response. For people ready to buy, the delay became a barrier.
Shipping wasn't the only high-intent query taking up the team's time. Questions like "Where's your showroom?" and "What are your opening hours?" also signal a customer who's ready to take the next step. These are simple to answer but easy to miss when the team is busy and a slow response can mean a lost visit.
Stone and Rock wanted a more efficient process, especially as they became more aware of how quickly AI technology was advancing. They wanted to see if they could use AI to automate these queries without losing the personalised support their customers expect.
Stone and Rock needed:
Showroom-Level Guidance Online
The kind of personalised help customers expect for a high-value purchase: understanding their project, suggesting suitable products, explaining what works for pool surrounds vs driveways vs splashbacks
Shipping & Delivery Answers
Both "do you deliver to my area?" and complex cost calculations based on postcode, weight, and pack size
Product And Store Information On Demand
Specs, stock availability, coverage, and whether accessories like corner pieces are included
24/7 Availability
Being there when customers are planning their projects, not just during business hours
Handover To Human When Needed
Escalating complex queries or high-value opportunities to the team
The Solution: K-Chat As An Online Stone And Rock Expert
Stone and Rock implemented K-Chat to give customers the same guidance they'd get walking into a showroom, but available 24/7 on their website.
1. AI Chatbot For Product Discovery
K-Chat combines general knowledge about natural stone with Stone and Rock's specific product catalogue. It understands what materials work for pool surrounds vs driveways vs splashbacks, and can explain durability, maintenance, and installation considerations. When it recommends products, it pulls from Stone and Rock's actual inventory with visual carousels that make it easy to browse option.
2. AI Chatbot For Shipping Quotes
Unlike standard Shopify chatbot apps, K-Chat can handle Stone and Rock's complex shipping logic that factors in postcode, weight, and pack sizes to give customers instant delivery estimates.
K-Chat does the full calculation:
- Understands the product info for Classic Travertine Cream Crazy Paver
- Shows the weight calculation (15m² × 50 kg/m² = 750 kg)
- Looks up the correct rate for Evans Head
- Gives the answer ($430 AUD)
The reference table proves it got the right bracket (0-950 kg = $430).
Customers get instant delivery estimates instead of waiting hours for a manual quote.
3. AI Chatbot Trained On Your Business Data
K-Chat is trained on all of Stone and Rock's data like products, FAQs, shipping rates, showroom details and augmented with the general knowledge of modern AI to hold natural, helpful conversations. This combination makes for an expert Stone and Rock AI assistant.
For example, here's what happens behind the scenes. When the customer asked "Where's the closest showroom?" after getting a shipping quote to Evans Head, K-Chat:
- Retained the conversation context - knew "closest" meant closest to Evans Head, without asking again
- Retrieved the right data - pulled showroom locations and compared distances to Evans Head
- Structured the response - surfaced just the relevant details for the two nearest showrooms, with source links
All within a few seconds.
Older chatbots couldn't do this. They matched keywords to scripted answers and if you ask something slightly different, they'd fail.
Implementation: Complete Done-For-You Setup
K-Chat managed the entire implementation, so Stone and Rock could focus on running their business.
The approach is simple: treat the AI like onboarding a new team member. First, make sure they look and sound like part of the brand. Then, give them everything they need to know to help customers.
Brand and Tone Setup
The K-Chat team configured the chatbot to match Stone and Rock's website: colours, styling, and a tone that fits a premium natural stone supplier.
Knowledge Base Setup
Like briefing a new hire, the team loaded all the information the AI would need:
- Product catalogue and information via Shopify integration
- Shipping rates documentation (uploaded as PDFs)
- Website content like showroom details, policies, and FAQs
Testing and Refinement
The team tested conversations to make sure responses were accurate and matched how Stone and Rock would want to speak to customers.
Project Timeline
- Week 1: Setup, customisation, and initial testing
- Weeks 2-3: Live with ongoing refinement based on real conversations
- Total: 3 weeks from kickoff to fully optimised
Stone and Rock’s Involvement
The team reviewed responses and confirmed the chatbot met their standards. K-Chat handled everything technical.
Once it went live, they monitored the live chats and gave us feedback for those that required improvements. They also update chatbot responses themselves via the platform.
The result: a fully operational AI assistant representing Stone and Rock from day one, with zero technical effort required from their team.
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Results: 94% Automation with Personalised Customer Guidance
Since going live, K-Chat has transformed how Stone and Rock handles customer enquiries:
94% Customer Support Automation
Queries that used to require manual responses are now handled instantly by the AI, including the complex shipping calculations that no other Shopify app could automate.
24/7 Customer Support
Their AI chatbot usage revealed peak engagement at 8pm and 9pm, well outside business hours. Customers planning projects in the evening now get instant answers instead of waiting until the next day.
Higher Quality Inbounds and Improved Sales
The team now receives fewer calls for admin questions like showroom hours or shipping rates. What reaches them are high-intent enquiries - customers ready for quotes or orders.
Customer Feedback
They're still happy customers 5 months on, leaving a 5-star review on the Shopify App Store:
"Great app! Easy to use, great support team, effective way to easily integrate an AI agent to your store! Highly recommend it!"
Lessons for Home Improvement and Building Materials E-commerce
Stone and Rock's successful implementation offers insights for other businesses selling high-value products with complex purchasing decisions:
Key Takeaways:
- Products requiring technical knowledge (materials, specifications, suitability) can be effectively supported by AI
- Technical complexity shouldn't be a barrier. Complex calculations like shipping quotes can be automated with K-Chat
- Customers prefer conversational guidance over navigating product pages alone
- AI assistance can filter out admin queries so your team focuses on high-value sales conversations
Conclusion: AI as a Competitive Advantage for High-Value E-commerce
Stone and Rock's implementation of K-Chat demonstrates that businesses selling complex, high-value products can deliver showroom-level guidance online without adding headcount. For businesses where customers need help understanding products, calculating costs, and making confident decisions, AI assistance provides 24/7 support while freeing the team to focus on closing sales.
The success of this implementation shows that high-value e-commerce businesses don't need to choose between personalised service and efficiency. With the right AI solution, they can deliver both.
Is an AI Chatbot Right for Your E-commerce Business?
Your business could benefit from an AI assistant if you:
- Spend hours answering repetitive questions about products, shipping, or store info
- Sell products that require guidance or expertise to choose
- Have complex pricing or shipping that customers can't self-serve
- Want to provide 24/7 support without hiring staff
- Need to capture after-hours demand from customers browsing in the evening
Want to Automate Your Customer Support?
Thinking about AI for your Shopify store? K-Chat can help you achieve 94% support automation while maintaining personalised customer guidance. Our specialists will assess your specific needs and show you exactly how our solution can work for your business. Install K-Chat and we'll be in touch!
Explore Other K-Chat Success Stories
- Just Be Kind UK - How a veterinarian-founded pet food brand delivers personalised product guidance at scale while preserving the founder's expertise and voice
- The Edit LDN - How a high-growth e-commerce fashion brand achieved 88% reduction in customer support costs
- Innovator International - How a UK endorsing body automated visa inquiries with 80% automation
- Pied à Terre - How a Michelin-starred restaurant implemented an AI concierge for premium guest experience
This case study demonstrates how Stone and Rock brought showroom-level guidance to their Shopify store with a K-Chat AI chatbot. The solution handles complex shipping calculations and product queries 24/7, achieving 94% support automation while freeing the team to focus on high-value sales.
