Sunday, August 19, 2012

IKEA's online robotic assistant need some help

From today's conversation at IKEA.com with their automatic help person (illustrated as a redhead named Anna):
You said: I need to find replacement wheels for an office chair.

Anna said: There are many options for chair available on our catalogue. In order to narrow your search select one specific category from the ones listed on the window below me.
          Product types
          Product names
          Item colors
          Item price ranges
          Was this answer helpful?

You said: NO

Anna said: Sorry. As an IKEA Online Assistant I don't know the meaning of 'no'.
Now,  how are you supposed to answer a question like "Was this answer helpful?" Yes or no would be the most basic answers, right?  And as a computerized robot, yes/no, 1/0, would be the most basic, logical thing, clear and concise.  But Anna, the robot, does not know the meaning of 'no'.  Hilarious. And totally unhelpful of course.

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