Redefining Customer Service Education in Taiwan’s Convenience Store Sector: Implementing an AI-Driven Experiential Training Approach

Abstract

Taiwan has seen a significant increase in the number of convenience stores, with 619,741 stores in 2021, making it the country with the second-highest density of convenience stores in the world. This growth, coupled with the Ministry of Education adding a retail service group to the centralized special education classes curriculum in the “Curriculum Guidelines for the Service Group of Junior High School and Senior Vocational High School Special Education Classes,” indicates a rising demand for professional retail personnel. In 2022, 14 senior vocational high schools included this subject in their curriculum, further emphasizing the need for enhanced training and education of retail personnel. Customer service and response training often require significant time and manpower costs, presenting a challenge for businesses and the education sector to efficiently train new retail personnel. To address this, this study proposes a customer communication training model based on experiential learning theory and conversational AI technology. By collecting and incorporating common customer communication responses and questions into simulated training, the model aims to reduce risks for businesses during new employee training and effectively improve customer consumption experience and satisfaction. This training model not only provides customers with a tangible service experience but also strengthens the training and communication skills of retail personnel when facing diverse customers, thus equipping them with communication skills that meet corporate standards more quickly.