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Target’s New AI Policy Misses The Bullseye
Their new stance flies against their former customer service policy
Target executives unveiled their new A.I. program, centered on “assisting” the customer experience, but their rolling stances on technology flies in the face of the policies that helped them become a giant in the retail sector.
Store Companion, the new chatbot for Target, is said to assist with customer service. Brett Craig, Chief Information Officer for the retailer, said that the technology would help store employees have “confidence to serve our guests…”
He goes on to say that this new tool will change the experience for customers. Given that most people have shifted their buying habits to online, Craig believes that the new AI chatbot will make shopping in stores more like that.
The new app is said to provide suggestions for customers based on their past buying habits. A similar feature to Amazon’s “things you might like,” which entices consumers to buy more than they originally intended.
From a business point of view, this seems to be a good policy.
But Target seems to be changing their stance again. Just a few months back, they laid out plans for technology that fly in the face of the new policy. And it has shifted considerably…
