IBM launches Watson-powered concierge services at Mall of America and Fashion Island

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Dec 13, 2016

IBM on Monday launched two Watson-powered chatbots, the Experiential List Formulator, or E.L.F. at Mall of America, and At Your Service at Fashion Island.

 
E.L.F., which is a holiday themed chatbot, helps guests plan their shopping experiences. By using AlchemyLanguage API, the chatbot guides guests through questions to better understand the type of visit they wish to have. E.L.F. gets better at handling inquiries the more times it is used.
 
At Your Service at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA works similarly to E.L.F. by chatting with guests. The SMS-based mobile concierge helps guests navigate the shopping center replying to questions like “Where is Neiman Marcus located?” or to simple words, phrases and brands like “sunglasses” and “Tom Ford.”

Prior to partnering with Mall of America and Fashion Island, IBM launched a Watson-powered service with Macy’s named Macy’s On Call, which answers customers’ questions and directs them to download the Macy’s app for price checks. Macy’s On Call launched this summer at 10 locations in the US including Bethesda, MD; Woodbridge, NJ; Portland, OR; Arcadia, CA; Miami and North Miami, FL; Short Hills, NJ; Atlanta and Buford, GA; and Garden City NY.
 
E.L.F. and At Your Service are both powered by IBM and Satisfi, a location-based intelligent engagement platform.