Jersey Mike's Just Made a Major Change at 50 of Its Restaurants
The next time you give your local Jersey Mike's Subs shop a call, don't be too surprised if the voice that answers the phone doesn't sound completely human.
The fast-growing sandwich chain just announced that it has rolled out an artificial intelligence voice ordering system in partnership with SoundHound AI, Inc. at 50 of its locations. Customers can now place orders over the phone at those locations by conversing with AI rather than a living, breathing Jersey Mike's employee. The announcement didn't specify which locations have received the new technology.
Jersey Mike's is only the latest fast-food chain to incorporate AI into its business in a bid to improve operations and the customer experience. However, the implementation of these features has been far from seamless so far.
McDonald's, for example, has been testing AI-powered voice bots at select drive-thrus, but the technology seems to have a few kinks. Viral TikTok videos have shown the voice bots messing up orders in frustrating, head-scratching, and sometimes hilarious encounters.
In another viral TikTok posted earlier this week by @zurlock, an AI-powered Wendy's drive-thru added an unsweetened tea to the creator's order despite him requesting a sweet tea.
Jersey Mike's new AI voice ordering system was "optimized for natural human speech" so customers "won't have to modify their language or interact awkwardly with the software," the announcement said. SoundHound's voice technology has also been trained on the entire Jersey Mike's menu and uses advanced AI to instantly recognize menu items as customers are speaking. Hopefully, this means consumers will have an easier time using AI at Jersey Mike's than they have at other chains.
"More than ever, restaurant customers are ordering for pick-up and delivery, and to keep them coming back businesses need to provide a slick, hassle-free experience," Keyvan Mohajer, CEO and co-founder of SoundHound AI, said in a statement. "Technology is now a critical part of that, and Jersey Mike's is at the forefront of brands embracing AI to deliver first-class customer service – from when they place the order, to handing over the sub. We're excited to be working with them."
In addition to taking orders, the SoundHound system can answer a variety of frequently asked questions about Jersey Mike's menu, specials, promotions, store hours, parking, and allergens. The technology answers 100% of calls that come in and can even take multiple orders at the same time.
"Significantly, this frees up Jersey Mike's employees to focus on making delicious food and giving great service to in-store customers," the announcement noted.
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