TECH TRENDS
Fast food industry ’ s latest innovation : do you want AI with that ?
Major players like Just Eat and Waitrose are leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Conversational AI and Generative AI to reshape the future of food services . The technology is becoming more prevalent across the industry . For fast food chains , AI is helping them to automate customer service and reduce the reliance on human labour . But with the tech continuously changing , what ’ s next ? Gopi Polavarapu , Chief Solutions Officer at Kore . ai , discusses how AI is affecting the fast food industry .
The food and restaurant sector is busy cooking up innovative ways to use technology to create new touchpoints and improve customer service . The US-based National Restaurant Association ’ s Restaurant Technology Landscape Report 2024 is a great example of the impact technology is making on how people interact with their favourite food brands .
It found that more than three in four food operators say innovation gives them a competitive edge , with six in ten looking to technology to enhance the consumer experience . Crucially , it found that 16 % of operators are planning to invest in Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) in 2024 . service and reduce the reliance on human servers , they need to ensure they are offering tech in the right places and on the right channels .
Automating order taking
The most obvious case for this can be seen in voice-controlled ordering systems typically used in drive-thrus . For this to work , it requires food outlets to fine-tune Large Language Models ( LLMs ) which are customised and trained on the restaurant ’ s menu and operations . To make the whole experience seamless , these LLMs also need to be integrated with existing systems such as Point of Sale ( POS ).
“ The data clearly shows that restaurant operators and owners are rapidly embracing technology and integrating it into their daily operations ,” said Hudson Riehle , Senior Vice President of Research and Knowledge for the National Restaurant Association .
“ Understanding which technologies customers in each segment would like to have , really want and consider essential provides operators with substantial opportunities to enhance the customer experience , amplify marketing and operate more efficiently .”
This makes several good points – and pinpoints the challenges the industry faces . As major fast food chains are investing in Conversational AI ( CAI ) and Generative AI ( GAI ) to help automate customer
The real challenge , of course , is the customer experience . Not only does the food order need to be processed in double-quick time , it also needs to be accurate . This means CAI systems need to be able to handle sometimes complex human interactions involving different accents and dialects and make allowances for last-minute order changes and dietary requests .
There ’ s another issue that also needs to be resolved . Upselling – do you want fries with that ? – is a major part of the customer interaction . Unfortunately , there have been instances where the push for sales has , albeit unintentionally , left customers frustrated .
In an industry where the customer experience is so important , getting issues like this right can
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