NEW YORK, July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Macy's
announced the pilot of "Macy's On Call," a mobile web tool that
allows customers to interact with an AI-powered platform, via their
mobile devices. "Macy's On Call" taps IBM Watson (NYSE: IBM),
via Satisfi, an intelligent engagement platform, to deliver a
first-of-its-kind solution that will enhance the customer in-store
shopping experience at 10 test locations nationwide.
The mobile companion, accessed via a mobile browser, allows
customers to input natural language questions regarding each
participating store's unique product assortment, services and
facilities and receive a customized response to the inquiry. There
are a number of ways that customers may request information. For
example, a customer could type, "Where are the ladies shoes?" or
type a combination of brand and product inquiry such as "INC
dress," and they will receive the relevant response and location of
that product in the store.
Since each Macy's store is different, and consumers increasingly
prefer mobile platforms, "Macy's On Call" is providing shoppers
with a helpful tool to get information fast as they shop and
navigate the store. The system will evolve as it learns more about
each store's customers. This is already evident in the popular
searches category, which highlights the most asked questions,
responses to which can be accessed at the click of the appropriate
button.
As part of the pilot, Macy's is also incorporating a Spanish
language feature to serve a broader sub-set of its customer base in
select stores.
"At Macy's, we remain focused on identifying, testing and
supporting new ideas and approaches that will help elevate service
to our customers through technology. With an eye towards
innovation, we are moving fast to test and scale up pilot programs
that help enhance their experience with us," said Peter Sachse, Macy's Chief Growth Officer. "This
program, in partnership with Satisfi and leveraging the power of
IBM Watson, will help us explore new ways to engage one-on-one with
customers in-store, providing them another level of service right
at their fingertips."
"Bringing Watson into a retail store setting presents an
opportunity to engage with the consumer on a variety of levels.
This particular use case takes Watson beyond helping consumers evaluate
purchasing decisions, and influences another, equally important
aspect of the in-store experience - ease of use in locating
products, facilities and services," said David Kenny, general manager of IBM Watson. "As
more developers like Satisfi continue to build with the technology,
we see Watson more frequently
being delivered into the hands of consumers, and we're looking
forward to learning more from this pilot with Macy's and
Satisfi."
"The entire Satisfi team is delighted to be working with such an
iconic brand as Macy's to leverage the power of IBM Watson on this
exciting project. The combination of Satisfi's location-based,
intelligent engagement software, with the cognitive learning
capabilities of IBM's Watson, has
helped us build a powerful and comprehensive tool to enhance the
in-store shopping environment," said Don
White, Satisfi's Chief Revenue Officer. "Macy's has been a
great partner for this project because of their commitment to
exploring new technology that can elevate one-on-one interactions
with customers, creating a more relevant and personal experience
for them."
Accessed via macys.com/storehelp, the pilot of "Macy's On
Call" answers store navigation details provided by department,
brand and product category, as well as provides insight into the
unique in-store services available at each test location - from
myStylist personal shoppers to Buy Online, Pick Up in-store
counters, and store facilities including restrooms. The engagement
is conducted through a simple question and answer interface
leveraging Watson's Natural
Language Classifier, that is helping Macy's learn more about the
features and services that most resonate with shoppers.
Additionally, at select locations, the interface is available for
customers in Spanish, via Watson Language Translation, as Macy's
tests language capabilities, functionality and consumer interest in
engagement via preferred languages.
Ten store locations were chosen representing a cross section of
Macy's store portfolio. Five of the locations serve as the base
learning stores, with the Watson
implementation deployed solely as a customer led self-serve
initiative. The other five locations have an additional feature
that allows customers to request assistance through a face-to-face
engagement with a Macy's specialist associate.
While Watson technology can
power interactions in a number of ways, the first phase of this
pilot program is applying Watson's
natural language capabilities in a physical retail environment,
focused on three customer centric categories –each store's unique
products, services and layout. Satisfi accesses Watson's technology from the cloud and this
model is helping facilitate ongoing learnings and improvements to
the solution. As the program progresses, Macy's aims to closely
study and gauge other potential uses of the technology, with the
goal of implementing Watson's full
cognitive dialog capabilities in future phases.
At all 10 test locations customers are encouraged to visit
macys.com/storehelp on their mobile browser to engage with
the in-store companion. The first phase of Macy's On Call recently
launched and is expected to run through late fall of 2016.
"Macy's On Call" pilot stores are as follow:
Base learning locations
Macy's Montgomery –Bethesda,
MD
Macy's Woodbridge Center –Woodbridge, NJ
Macy's Clackamas Town Center –Portland, OR
Macy's Santa Anita –Arcadia, CA
Macy's Miami International –Miami, FL
Connect @ Macy's locations with additional sales associate
support
Macy's Short Hills –Short Hills, NJ
Macy's Mall of Georgia –Buford,
GA
Macy's Lenox Square –Atlanta, GA
Macy's Aventura –North
Miami, FL
Macy's Roosevelt Field –Garden City,
NY
About Macy's
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers
fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 734
locations in 45 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico and
Guam, as well as to customers in
the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its
leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site,
mobile and social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments
including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands
for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade®,
as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows
and celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores -- including
Herald Square in New York City,
Union Square in San Francisco,
State Street in Chicago, and
Dadeland in Miami and South Coast
Plaza in southern California --
are known internationally and are leading destinations for
visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the
collective support of customers and employees, Macy's helps
strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities
giving more than $69 million each
year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.
For Macy's media materials, including images and contacts, please
visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.
About Satisfi:
Satisfi is a location-based intelligent engagement platform that
combines the speed and accuracy of automation and the personality
of a live person. Using Satisfi, conversion opportunities can be
driven in real-time by capturing customer intentions, sentiments,
questions and needs. The resulting customer engagements enhance the
on-site experience by introducing additional features and bring to
light previously unknown information and insights. For more
information on visit: www.satis.fi
About IBM Watson: Pioneering a New Era of Computing:
Watson represents a new era in
computing called cognitive computing, where systems understand the
world the way humans do: through senses, learning, and experience.
Watson continuously learns from
previous interactions, gaining in value and knowledge over time.
With the help of Watson,
organizations are harnessing the power of cognitive computing to
transform industries, help professionals do their jobs better, and
solve important challenges.
As part of IBM's strategy to accelerate the growth of cognitive
computing, Watson is open to the
world, allowing a growing community of over one million developers,
students, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts to easily tap into the
most advanced and diverse cognitive computing platform available
today. Hundreds of clients and companies across six continents and
across dozens of industries actively use Watson. More than 550 are already
commercializing their ideas and over 100 of these businesses have
already introduced commercial cognitive enabled apps, products and
services to the market.
For more information on IBM Watson, visit: ibm.com/Watson and
ibm.com/press/watson. Join the conversation at #ibmwatson.
Media contacts
Gabby Gugliocciello
IBM Media Relations
1 (314) 494-8715
gguglio@us.ibm.com
Orlando Veras
Director, National Media Relations | Macy's
1(646)-429-7450 or 1 (646) 206-3073
Orlando.Veras@macys.com
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SOURCE IBM