It seems inevitable yet disappointing that many companies are now focused on incorporating AI into their operations.
While it makes sense for tech companies or software developers, it’s surprising to see fast food companies leading the charge with AI-powered chatbots.
Taco Bell recently announced that it has been testing AI-driven drive-thru ordering in 100 stores, with plans to expand this to hundreds more. According to a press release from Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, the goal is to roll out this technology across all its restaurant brands.
For Taco Bell, the appeal is clear. Using AI to take customer orders could save money by reducing the need for human employees. However, there is a significant drawback: many customers do not want to interact with AI robots. People often get frustrated with automated systems and prefer to speak to a human, especially in a drive-thru setting. Despite this, Taco Bell believes that AI will enhance customer satisfaction.
“With over two years of fine-tuning and testing the drive-thru Voice AI technology, we’re confident in its effectiveness in optimizing operations and enhancing customer satisfaction,” said Lawrence Kim, Taco Bell’s chief innovation officer.
The company’s press release claims that AI chatbots will improve back-of-house operations, enhance the order experience for consumers, ease the workload for team members, improve order accuracy, provide a consistent and friendly experience, and reduce wait times, all while driving profitable growth for Taco Bell and Yum! Brands.
AI might indeed handle certain tasks better. It doesn’t get overwhelmed during busy times and is always ready to take orders. However, many issues that AI aims to solve could also be addressed through better employee training and management. Investing in employees to improve their performance and customer interaction might be a more effective solution.
There is skepticism about AI’s ability to handle customer orders effectively. Although Taco Bell reports success, it seems unlikely that a fast food company can provide a better chat experience than top tech companies. McDonald’s, for instance, abandoned a similar AI project due to its failure. Customers often get frustrated with AI misinterpreting their orders and would prefer speaking to a person.
Many companies are trying to minimize direct employee-customer interactions, but this could be detrimental. Human interactions in taking orders are not just about food preferences; they contribute to the overall customer experience, making customers feel valued and not just another transaction.
This shift by Taco Bell represents a significant change in customer experience, moving away from human interactions towards more automated processes. While AI might eventually take orders more accurately than humans, the current system is not so flawed that it needs such drastic changes.
Ultimately, the push for AI is driven by the desire to cut costs and improve profitability. However, this might not be the experience that customers want. Companies should consider whether the cost savings are worth the potential loss in customer satisfaction.