LY Corporation or LINE Yahoo has launched the AI-powered telephone answer service ‘LINE AI Reservation’ for restaurants. By understanding the content of a caller's speech and the context of the conversation, the AI manages reservations and answers inquiries about a restaurant in natural, flexible and human-like dialogue, much like a conversation with a staff member.
Through integration with ‘Toreta Reservation Ledger,’ a reservation and customer management service for restaurants provided by the company Toreta, the system can automatically handle tasks such as checking seat availability, confirming reservations, processing changes or cancellations, and suggesting alternative times when the restaurant is fully booked.
Once a reservation is confirmed, the details can be sent to the user via SMS. Users can review their booking information and modify or cancel their reservations online. Furthermore, the service can block unsolicited sales calls or nuisance calls, and it can be configured to forward specific types of calls, such as those from customers whom staff may wish to handle personally, directly to the restaurant.
Prior to the official launch, LINE Yahoo tested the service at approximately 60 restaurants, refining it based on real-world operational experience. The test restaurants reported several benefits, including the ability to accept reservations outside of business hours, a reduction in the volume of calls handled by staff during operating hours (especially during busy periods), and greater ease in securing break times for employees.
