Las Vegas is welcoming a new personality — a sassy Facebook Messenger bot named Jules that fields shopper inquiries, Miracle Mile Shops announced on Friday.
Jules is the brainchild of the shopping center and Satisfi Labs, an artificial intelligence tech provider that recently worked with Mall of America on its retail chatbot. Like that project, AI drives the action here, too.
“We understand that people’s shopping habits have changed given today’s technology-driven world,” said Wendy Albert, senior director of marketing for Miracle Mile Shops. “More than ever, our customers depend on technology by way of their devices to help them shop.…Ultimately, it was clear to us that a chatbot would be the best way to combine the more traditional brick-and-mortar shopping with today’s tech-obsessed culture.”
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In the gonzo world of endless lights, mechanical installations and hyper-connected casino pits, a tech approach to retail and customer service seems like a no-brainer. But just because it’s a bot, that doesn’t mean it’s robotic.
Like other retail chatbots, Jules can answer an array of questions about Miracle Mile shops, restaurants, shows, and parking and security. It can even suggest businesses that carry specific items or offer guidance based on the user’s location in the 1.2-mile space at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. But what sets it apart, according to Miracle Mile and Satisfi, is the AI’s spark and personality.
“We needed her to be a fun embodiment of the Miracle Mile Shops brand to help ensure that she resonate with our customers,” Albert added. “It was important to us that she be her own personality, someone unique, witty, sassy, trendy and incredibly savvy — much like our customers.”
So, while the partners aimed for a faster, more efficient way to answer customer inquiries, they also wanted the chats to feel like a real conversation.
Jules can also adapt and learn from the questions to identify trends and gain insights about shopper interests. So she can even drill down into more specifics — such as where to buy evening gowns appropriate for older women, and other requests.
“The team at Miracle Miles is flagged automatically for any new trends in questioning,” said Justine Santa Cruz, Satisfi Lab’s vice president of product. “New trends can be addressed immediately and added to the AI knowledge base moving forward.”
For now, the interactions will be focused primarily on questions and answers. But if there’s demand, Jules could evolve to handle more concierge-like features, such as ordering event tickets, making reservations or executing other commands.
“Satisfi Labs facilitates transactions for other clients through conversation, [so that] could be a future enhancement if the customer demand is there,” Cruz said.