The AI-voice bot customer support wave is coming at us quick, and the newest chain to roll out the expertise is the sub-sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s.
Soundhound introduced this week that Jersey Mike’s will deploy its voice AI ordering system to permit prospects to position orders by cellphone. In keeping with Soundhound, the AI has been educated on your entire Jersey Mike’s menu and might deal with order placement and reply queries about menu gadgets, specials, retailer info, and extra, all whereas making certain orders are taken precisely and effectively.
The video beneath reveals Soundhound’s Jersey Mike integration in motion.
Like many voice AIs, it sounds about 90% pure in motion, however there’s nonetheless one thing of an Uncanny Valley stiltedness to it. Listening to the order, it appears to deal with the pure dialog circulate deftly, however I’ve to marvel simply how nimble it’s with varied dialects and slang, which generally is a pure a part of incoming cellphone orders.
Soundhound, an organization that’s been round because the mid-aughts and had centered on auto installations and music till its transfer into customer support interplay layers for eating places and retail over the previous couple of years, introduced the acquisition of SYNQ3 Restaurant Options final month. On the time of the deal, Soundhound stated the merger prolonged “its market attain by an order of magnitude to over 10,000 signed areas and accelerating the deployment of modern generative AI capabilities to the trade.”
Soundhound isn’t alone in chasing quick meals chains to offer voice AI customer support platforms. Par Applied sciences, ConverseNow, and OpenCity additionally supply third-party options, whereas some gamers, like McDonald’s, have introduced voice AI in-house by means of acquisition.
After a decade of pushing in the direction of digital ordering kiosks and new methods to serve prospects in-store and thru apps, AI-powered customer support layers have moved to the highest of the record for a lot of large chains, together with Jersey Mike’s.
