:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/JZ6QQORM2NKXLHOUQKLLPZCYXM.JPG)
An IKEA store in Nice, France, on May 11, 2022.ERIC GAILLARD/Reuters
IKEA is training call center workers to become interior design advisers as the Swedish furniture giant aims to offer more home improvement services and hand run-of-the-mill customer queries to an artificial intelligence bot called Billie.
In April, IKEA expanded its interior design services to the UK and United States, after previously launching in parts of Europe, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere. In the UK, customers pay £25 ($31.44) for a 45-60 minute interior design advice video call and suggested product list, and can pay £125 for three workspace design consultations, a floor plan and 3D visuals.
Ingka says it has trained 8,500 call center workers as interior design advisers since 2021, while Billie – launched the same year with a name inspired by IKEA’s Billy bookcase range – has handled 47