While conversion rates on retail websites are still considered as low and while the customer experience of online purchase is often perceived as lacking human warmth and while consumer services collapse under information and complaints' requests, a solution exists. It is based on the integration of a Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) into the other customer relationship channels. A critical assessment of Intelligent Virtual Agents 'performance is first made. They present qualities bound to the technological progress but they remain perfectible. Considering this assessment, the assets of the IVA in terms of customer relationship - in particular their influence on consumer outcomes, their role in the humanization of the website and the improvement of service quality, their integration into the multichannel customer relationship system and the control of operational costs - are then discussed