A company in Japan is using artificial intelligence technology to train new staff on the finer points of customer service. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
TOKYO: A company in Japan has turned to artificial intelligence (AI) technology to train staff how to deal with demanding customers.
The move is aimed at boosting the adaptability of staff and enhancing their ability to cope with stress.
Constant exposure to high-pressure customer interactions has left many employees in the telephone service industry overworked, resulting in persistent labor shortages.
The technology company Interactive-Solutions has recently created iRolePlay, a ChatGPT-powered AI tool that trains customer service staff using simulated conversations.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI and launched in 2022, enables lifelike dialogue and smart text responses.
Tokyo Television reported that iRolePlay can simulate a range of customer personalities to provide training for customer service personnel.
The iRolePlay can create and deliver conversational training sessions in 30 minutes.
In one training session, a female volunteer handled an AI-simulated complaint about a computer not connecting to the internet.
The AI customer, powered by iRolePlay, began with frustration: “I have told you so many times, my computer just will not connect!”
The volunteer responded calmly, suggesting: “Could you please try restarting the device?” At which point, the AI customer responded angrily: “I’ve already tried that, and it didn’t work!”
When the volunteer patiently recommended restarting the router, the AI’s tone shifted: “Oh, okay, it’s connected now.”
One of the company’s researchers, Kiyoshi Sekine, said that the AI training will help new employees practice handling emotional or unexpected situations calmly before starting their roles.
“Experiencing ‘difficult customers’ through AI prepares new hires while reducing confusion and stress in real-life scenarios,” he said.
A supporter of iRolePlay praised it as a technological breakthrough: “AI can sometimes be trickier to deal with than humans, which makes it great for training employees.”
One online observer said: “Working conditions for customer service staff are far worse than people think. Some customers just want to vent their anger and make staff their targets.”
A recent survey revealed that almost half of Japan’s service industry workers have faced customer rage, including unreasonable demands, verbal abuse, violence, and social media harassment.
Japan media outlet Asahi Shimbun reported a case in which a Tokyo supermarket assistant manager handled a phone complaint about spoiled tofu.
After a home visit, the employee found that the tofu had been bought two weeks earlier, well past its short shelf life.
Despite remaining polite to avoid upsetting the shopper, the employee was still ordered to prostrate himself and apologise.
AI technology is increasingly being adopted by companies across Japan.
In July, the Japanese supermarket chain AEON introduced an AI system to evaluate and standardise employee smiles.
In April, a Tokyo startup launched an AI tool to predict employee turnover intentions by analysing data such as attendance records and interview details. - South China Morning Post
