This Wings Restaurant Is Banking Its Future On Chatbots

Wingstop Inc (NASDAQ: WING), the restaurant chain that specializes in chicken wings, isn't the kind of company that comes to mind when you think of "chatbots."

Chatbots are becoming a popular way for customers to interact with a company through texts or instant messaging devices. Responses are computer generated and designed to simulate an intelligent conversation and provide accurate and informative answers.

Kevin Fish, Wingstop's vice president of technology wrote an op-ed published in Venture Beat. He pointed out that restaurant and retail channels' digital presence typically consist of a desktop website, a website optimized for mobile use and one or more apps. Normally this is a proven formula that works, but innovative companies need to take there digital game a step further.

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"We have to continually innovate to meet our customers wherever they are and broaden the channels through which they can order our food," Fish wrote.

This is where chatbots come in.

According to Fish, by offering clients the ability to text or message an order, the company "widened the top of our ecommerce funnel for the convenience of our customers."

The process itself is quite simple. A consumer sends the company a message through one of the various platforms to place an order. The bot, named "Wingbot," can help with the order, inquire if the order is for delivery or pickup and confirm how the order will be paid.

"Conversational commerce is a promising channel for driving growth in our digital business, and we're excited to be on the leading edge of it," the executive concluded.

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