Facebook embraced Artificial Intelligent technology back in April at F8 development conference when the CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that the company was planning to integrate AI bots in its standalone chat app, Facebook Messenger.
From that time, different companies have launched over 11,000 bots for Messenger. American pizza restaurant chain and international franchise pizza delivery corporation, Domino’s Pizza, is the latest company to join the bot revolution with the launch of a bot for Messenger.
Domino’s announced the launch of the bot by the name Dom this week and it will simplify pizza ordering process. This is a manifestation that indeed bots are taking over the world if even local pizza delivery service can be done via a chat app. Dom was initially launched in the U.K and Ireland and aims to expand on the company’s current Easy Order online service by targeting over one billion million users on Messenger. Easy Order already works with mobile phones and Apple Watch enabling customers to place orders for pie by hitting a button on the mobile application or on their wrist watches.
However, Dom does not function as a full-fledged bot. The service does not allow to and fro conversation as other bots used in customer service do, which means the bot cannot respond to other queries the customers may be having. Besides, customers are not able to tailor the orders to their personal tunes.
How to use Domino’s Facebook Messenger bot
Before you start ordering pizza using Dom, there a few things you have to do. First, you need visit Domino’s main website and sign up an Easy Order account then integrate it with your Facebook account. At the time you are setting the account, there is also an option of listing your favorite pizza. With the account set, go back to your smartphone device, iPhone or Android, and tap on People tab on Facebook Messenger. In the search bar type Dom, your Easy Order account will pop up under Bots and Business. To place an order, send a message to Dom with the word PIZZA or simply send the pizza emoji and as simple as that your favorite pie is already ordered.
Head of Digital at Domino’s, Nick Dutch, said the company’s management is delighted to launch the bot that will enable customers to place direct orders from Messenger. He says Messenger was the platform of choice owing to the over a billion monthly active users. The boss says the company has always hoped to find ways that could enable their customers to easily order the freshly handmade pies. The Facebook Messenger bot has exactly done that, by just messaging pizza or sending a pizza emoji an order is placed automatically. Definitely, that is the easiest way Domino’s could do it.
Facebook is still exploring more features that will help developers add more functionalities to their bots to further improve on different customer services. Zuckerberg and his team want these companies to create their own AI bots that enable their customers to access the services through normal conversations.