Is our new tech-savvy customer base ready for robotic sales associates? Japanese tech firm SoftBank says yes, and offers its humanoid robot, Pepper, as an example. Softbank is launching an online app store for Pepper, a robot that can read and respond to human emotions. The company also plans to open four new Pepper for Biz Atelier retail stores that will allow enterprise prospects to see the robots in action.
Pepper made its commercial debut last June, and SoftBank CEO Ken Miyauchi told the Japan Times that it could represent a labor-saving solution for companies that are short on manpower. The one drawback with the robotic help is that they have some difficulty checking people’s IDs when signing contracts.
