Gol Airlines launched in October at Guarulhos Airport, in São Paulo, the first customer service robot in Latin America. GAL, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant already assisting customers on the company’s website, has just gained a physical body and will be in person at GOL’s check-in area advising on general procedures and boarding prior to travel.
“Gol has always been a pioneer in finding innovative solutions to deliver value, facilitate and streamline travel processes. We are very proud to be the first company in Latin America to turn our friendly virtual attendant GAL into a robot that can also physically assist our customers at the airport. With this news, we bring artificial intelligence even closer to our daily lives, with mechanisms and complementary information to guide about different situations, ”explains Paulo Palaia, Gol’s IT director.
The new GAL robot is able to answer many questions from passengers and, at this first moment, can assist Consumers in matters related to self-service, baggage handling, check-in guidelines, among others. “GAL will help us interact with our customers in a different and innovative way. It will be a new contact option, but will not replace the activities of one of our employees at any time. Our goal is always to promote a simple and intelligent experience, ”says José Luiz Belixior, Gol Airport Director.
In addition to clarifying questions and concerns, the GAL is also set up to move around 10 different pre-established airport points. If any customer needs help getting to the store or the preferred service area, for example, the robot can assist with the route. To get even closer to people in a fun and relaxed way, the new member of the Gol eagle team is also able to answer personal and personality questions like favorite food, flying, where it came from, favorite color, etc. And as a representative of the virtual environment, anyone you know personally can also use the hashtag #conheciaGAL.
After the testing period, GAL is expected to win new prototypes and be expanded to other airports in the country. Secondly, the Company also plans to connect it to the system to perform other services, such as changing seats or rescheduling flights.
GOL is aware of global trends to always bring the best customer experience. The technology of the new GAL was inspired by solutions from Ubtech, a Chinese company, leader in humanoid robotics, and developed in the country by Pluginbot, the first startup in Latin America to integrate chatbots, AI, robots and humanoids in a multichannel platform. The solution uses technology from IBM Watson, IBM’s artificial intelligence platform in the cloud.
