In short, Taco Bell has rolled out voice AI powered ordering at over 500 drive-through locations. With this new pilot, they hope to improve customer experience and provide more efficient service. The rollout has been marred by a series of complaints. A string of viral incidents have raised significant questions about just how effective the technology is supposed to be.
One especially hard-to-believe example—the time a customer ordered 18,000 water cups. Their intent was to get around the AI firewall and land on a human server. This novel strategy caught the national imagination in a hurry once that same person shared their story through a compelling YouTube video. Watch the video along with us at this link. It highlights the confusion and inconvenience that AI ordering can impose on customers.
While we’re sure everyone who’s deployed voice AI had the best of intentions, many users have shared embarrassing experiences that have taken place while interacting. Taco Bell has not disclosed who is developing the voice AI technology for the company. This game-changing technology has come to the rescue, ensuring that customers place their drive-through orders seamlessly. When problems come up, expecting customers to go through AI first and then only be able to talk to a human server will risk leaving customers stranded.
According to Taco Bell, they want to strike a smart and efficient balance of AI with the human touch. Matthews warned that it’s critical to have sufficient coaching staff in place to help instructors navigate the new technology. “For our teams, we’ll help coach them: at your restaurant, at these times, we recommend you use voice AI or recommend that you actually really monitor voice AI and jump in as necessary,” he stated. Though Taco Bell is clearly committed to doing AI better. At the same time, it focuses on maintaining the highest level of customer service.
Meanwhile, Taco Bell is deploying voice AI-powered ordering to more stores. It needs to address customer worries while at the same time reaping the maximum benefits of this technology. The fast-food giant has recently doubled down on initiatives to enhance its drive-through. It has come under fire for its dependence on artificial intelligence.
