IKEA Hires AI Chatbot Named ‘Billie’ To Handle Customer Queries

Say hej to BILLIE, IKEA’s new staff member. BILLIE, evidently named after the quintessential BILLY bookcase, is an artificially-intelligent chatbot that’s been recruited to keep up with the fast-moving world.

According to a Reuters report, the Swedish furniture giant has employed the bot to handle the usual customer questions that often fill its helpdesks. Meanwhile, the company’s call center employees have been trained to take on a different and more creative role as interior design advisors. 

IKEA identified this service gap when expanding its interior design services from parts of Europe, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates to the US and UK this year. Through this program, clients are put on a one-to-one video call with a human expert to discuss how to revamp their homes. During their sessions, they’ll receive 3D renderings, floor plans, drawings, and shopping lists to complete the look.

In the US, consultations will cost up to US$99 per residential room and US$299 for office spaces.

That leaves up some room for BILLIE, who is available 24/7 to fulfill more menial, front-of-house tasks, like helping shoppers check on their orders, find out opening hours, reschedule deliveries, and file a report when their items are missing or damaged.

BILLIE has been deployed since 2021. Unbeknownst to many callers “she” has managed 47% of their queries since coming on board, says IKEA parent Ingka Group.

Some 8,500 call center employees, on the other hand, have been trained since then to become interior design consultants, the company adds.

With efficiency underpinning its business structure, IKEA has been turning to more modern solutions it believes will be a “genuine win-win for everybody,” like introducing autonomous drones to oversee inventory after hours.

“We are investing in technology across the board so that our stores can better support customer fulfillment and become true centers for omnichannel retailing,” said Tolga Öncu, head of retail at Ingka Group (IKEA), back in April.

Öncu cited “robots for picking up goods” as another way the company can maximize its resources and time.

Ulrika Biesert, global people and culture manager at Ingka Group, tells Reuters that restructuring can “[strengthen] co-workers’ employability at Ingka,” be it through reskilling or long-term learning.

In response to a question about whether AI automation will wipe out human jobs at IKEA, Biesert says this doesn’t seem probable for now.

Customers can speak to BILLIE, who appears to only be available in the UK, via the company’s contact page. To help the bot get better, shoppers may be asked to give feedback on her performance.

[via Reuters, cover photo 153053836 © LCVA | Dreamstime.com]