Supermarket chain uses AI to track the smiles of its staff to improve service

A major Japanese supermarket chain has installed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to assess its employees’ smiles, to help it gauge the service levels it offers.
 

In what is being called a world's first, an article in the South China Morning Post says Aeon is to use a 'smile-gauging AI system' across its 240 shops around the country.

Called 'Mr Smile', it was developed by the Japanese technology company InstaVR and claims to be able to accurately rate a shop assistant’s service attitude. The system draws on more than 450 elements including facial expressions, voice volume and tone of greetings.

It has also been designed with “game” elements that invite staff to improve their attitude by challenging their scores.

AEON said it ran a trial of the system in eight stores with about 3,400 staff members, and found service attitude improved by up to 1.6 times over a period of three months.

The goal of Mr Smile is to “standardise staff members’ smiles and satisfy customers to the maximum”.

 

Source: Inavate