Dive Brief:
- Hi Auto and Bojangles will begin implementing Hi Auto’s drive-thru voice artificial intelligence at hundreds of the fast food chain’s locations, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
- The expansion follows the deployment of the technology at roughly 50 Bojangles restaurants, and will encompass both company-owned and franchised locations.
- Hi Auto claims its tool, which at Bojangles is called ‘Bo-Linda,’ is accurate 95% of the time, “rivaling human employees’ performance.”
Dive Insight:
Hi Auto claims its voice AI tool is “designed to ease the workload of team members, allowing employees to focus on food quality, order accuracy, and engagement with guests.”
The technology can act as a middle-man between consumers and employees, according to the press release, as employees can tell the tool relevant information, like the wait times for items, which the voice tool then shares with consumers. The companies claimed this sort of communication “helped transform employees’ perception of technology, as Bo-Linda is viewed as a valuable team member instead of a threat to their jobs.”
Richard Del Valle, Bojangles’ chief information officer, claimed that the technology could even reduce labor turnover by easing employees’ workload and allowing them to focus on customer service.
“Our aim at Bojangles is to be an aggressive early adopter, combining the best technologies with our renowned Southern hospitality to improve every aspect of our business,” Del Valle said in a statement.
Drive-thru voice AI is proving popular right now with restaurants, as Wendy’s franchisees test a version of the technology through a partnership with Google. Checkers & Rally’s also uses Hi Auto’s technology and rolled out a Spanish-speaking version last year. ConverseNow recently bought out Valyant, a competitor in the drive-thru voice AI market, in a deal the companies said would speed up the transformation of the QSR sector.
Yet results from major restaurant brands like McDonald’s indicate the technology may not be an automatic hit with customers. The Golden Arches tested IBM’s drive-thru AI beginning in 2021, but terminated that work this month for unspecified reasons. Experts have said that employee intervention in the ordering process is typical in 5%-10% of cases, but that it can speed up drive-thru service.
