Latest news with #Domino's
Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The clever way that Domino's is making AI feel more real — and better at taking your pizza order
AI is finding its voice — and using it to take your weeknight pizza order. Restaurants, including Domino's and Wingstop, have used voice AI assistants for years to chat with customers on the phone and take their orders. Lately, though, they've been finessing those assistants by adding region-specific accents, adjusting their tone, and making other changes that make them more natural for customers to converse with. "If someone hears a really off-putting, unrelatable voice, they're going to hang up," said Lily Clifford, the CEO and founder of Rime Labs, which developed the text-to-voice model that Domino's and Wingstop use. Multiple restaurant chains are using voice AI to take customers' orders. But Rime's experience shows that it's not as easy as shoving an AI assistant with a robotic voice in a drive-thru or on one end of a phone line. Rime develops the text-to-voice technology that Domino's uses for phone ordering. Another company, ConverseNow, provides the AI assistant itself. When ConverseNow started working with Domino's about five years ago, it used a different voice that many customers didn't want to speak with, said Akshay Kayastha, director of engineering at ConverseNow. "There was one point where 50% of the people were just saying they just didn't want to talk to it," and asked to be transferred to a human, he said. Rime's technology has pushed that number closer to 100%, Clifford said. Domino's uses the text-to-voice feature in about 80% of its phone orders in North America, she added. "It should sound like someone who could work at Domino's and not someone who is a 20th-century American broadcast radio announcer," Clifford said. To develop its technology, Rime built a recording studio in San Francisco and recorded a variety of people having conversations with a friend or a family member. The goal, Clifford said, was to capture what day-to-day speech sounds like instead of using voice actors reading rehearsed lines. The resulting technology can use a variety of speech patterns. Domino's customers who order by phone in Atlanta, for instance, are likely to reach an AI assistant that speaks with a Southern accent. Rime says that it has also developed a voice that speaks using African-American Vernacular English. The voices that Rime uses don't belong to real people, though, Clifford said. Tone is another area where Rime's technology has improved voice AI, Kayastha said. One restaurant chain that ConverseNow works with pointed out a problem with an earlier version of the startup's voice AI: It sounded more chipper than most fast-food workers. Rime's technology helped match the tone to the situation, Kayastha said. "No one in real life speaks so cheerfully at a drive-thru," he said. "You've got to turn it down." The voice-to-text technology also correctly pronounces specific menu items, such as MeatZZa, a Domino's pizza with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, and beef. That's key for restaurants, Clifford said, given all of the unconventional spellings and limited-time offers that appear on their menus. Domino's has grown its online ordering options lately. Customers can place orders on Domino's website, through its app, or through third-party services like Uber and DoorDash. But phone orders remain a key part of the pizza chain's business, CEO Russell Weiner said during an earnings call in late 2023. "We have a large number of our customers coming in on online ordering, but we still need to make sure that the phones are there operationally," Weiner said. Domino's and Wingstop did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Workers across many industries are worried that their bosses will use AI to replace them. Clifford said that Rime's restaurant clients aren't using its AI voice technology to replace employees, though. Restaurant workers are often too busy preparing food, helping customers who show up in-store, and completing other tasks to take phone orders, she said. In that sense, voice AI that can field orders is taking a task off their plate. "If you're at the restaurant making pizzas and wings, you do not want to answer that phone," Clifford said. "You have a million other things to do."
Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
‘This is someone's livelihood': Ontario woman mistakenly charged $7K for pizza
A Toronto woman is sharing her 'distressing' experience after being mistakenly charged more than $7,000 for a Domino's Pizza order, leading to a prolonged dispute with both Domino's and her bank. On March 30, the woman named Naya placed a $72.53 order with Domino's Pizza but was later charged $7,253. She noticed the charge after receiving an email from Scotiabank, saying her credit card was over her limit. 'I don't understand at all how this could have been my mistake,' Naya said in her TikTok video explaining the incident. After seeing the false charge, she contacted Domino's customer service, but felt dismissed. 'They couldn't care less,' she said. After escalating the issue to Domino's corporate offices, she said she received no apology or compensation. Story continues below advertisement Naya says she filed a dispute with Scotiabank on April 1, attaching screenshots, receipts, and full documentation. But on May 1, she learned the bank hadn't even started the investigation. 'How is that OK?' she said. 'No one reached out to let me know more documents were needed … and I had already sent everything in.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy With $7,000 on the line, she said the delay was deeply frustrating. Naya said she kept checking back every few days, hoping the issue would be resolved — but she feels no real action was taken until she went public with her story. 'I am hoping to give Scotiabank a few more days before proceeding,' she told Global News a few days after posting the video 'This was a time-sensitive issue.' @nayasakr_ Replying to @Vitalitydynamics clarification and receipts!! also forgot to mention that my credit limit on this card is $1k and they charged $7.2k so i have no idea how it even went through ♬ 5 MINUTE SOUND – 🦇𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐔𝐘™ While waiting, she says she also got a call from a Domino's manager where she ordered the pizza. At first, she thought he was calling to apologize or resolve the issue, but said the tone of the conversation 'was not apologetic at all.' In a follow-up TikTok video posted on May 19, Naya shared her frustration and the lack of support she received. Story continues below advertisement 'I just needed somebody to give me guidance,' she said. 'This is a very distressing situation.' Domino's Canada responded to Naya's incident by stating that its stores are independently owned and operated franchises. The company advised customers in situations like Naya's to contact the franchisee directly. The franchisee where Naya ordered the pizza confirmed to Global News that they have been in contact with her since the incident and are working to find out how she was overcharged. Ken Harrison, Domino's chief commercial officer, told Global News the franchisee had attempted to contact Naya shortly after the incident, but was informed that she had already initiated a chargeback process with her bank. Scotiabank confirmed the issue in a statement to Global News, saying, 'We worked with the client, and the disputed transaction has been reversed.' In an update video, Naya expressed gratitude for the support she received from the online community. 'Thanks so much to everybody in the comments who was helping and supporting,' she said. 'I know that they wouldn't have looked into it if it weren't for all the support on my video.' She hopes financial transactions will be monitored better in the future, saying that 'This is someone's livelihood. What if it happened to someone else who can't pay off the $7,000?' Story continues below advertisement
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Domino's just dropped a meat pie pizza crust and it's pure Aussie chaos in the best way
We all know footy season brings out the best in Aussie snacks, sausage rolls, party pies, maybe a cheeky pizza if the game's going well (or terribly). But this year, Domino's has lobbed a wild one straight through the goalposts, teaming up with Four'N Twenty to drop what might be the most chaotic and genius idea in fast food history: the Meat Pie Crust Pizza. Yes, it's real. Yes, it's glorious. And it's only $3 extra. You can wrap your favourite Domino's pizza in mini meat pies. Not just any meat pies, Four'N Twenty's golden, flaky classics filled with 100 per cent Aussie beef, nestled right into the crust. It's nostalgic, indulgent, and has 'don't talk to me, I'm watching the game' energy written all over it. Let's be honest: Aussies have always had a thing for mashing up food traditions. So, turning a pizza into a pie party? It actually makes perfect sense. Domino's ANZ Chief Marketing Officer, Allan Collins, calls it a 'game-day power play', and he's not wrong. 'We've taken two of Australia's most iconic game-day staples and fused them into something truly unique,' Collins says. 'This is the kind of pizza dreams are made of.' But they didn't stop there. The whole collab is basically a starting lineup of elite footy snacks, with something for every level of hunger. Here's what else is on the Domino's-Four'N Twenty menu this season: The My Footy Box Pizza, pies, chips. What more do you want? This is the MVP of meal deals. You get a mini Domino's Pepperoni Pizza, two Four'N Twenty meat pies, a side of seasoned chips and a serve of tomato sauce for that full-time flavour fix. It's like a box seat in your lounge room. Perfect for solo snacking or sharing with your loudest mate. Mini Meat Pies 4 Pack The ultimate sideline snack. Golden, flaky, and straight-up delicious. Each four-pack comes with mini Four'N Twenty beef pies and a hit of tomato sauce, ready to back up your main game-day meal. Crispy on the outside, nostalgic on the inside. Warning: not for the faint-hearted. Domino's has turned the sauce levels up to 11 with this range. Choose from Mega Meatlovers, Ranch Supreme, Atomic Meats, Carnivore, or Mango Habanero Chicken. These saucy bad boys are bursting with flavour and absolutely packed with toppings. It's like your favourite pizza got a cheeky attitude upgrade. Whether you're in it for the meat pie crust, the fully loaded boxes or just the novelty of saying, 'I ate a pie pizza,' Domino's has officially raised the bar on footy food. It's fun, a little outrageous, and totally Aussie. And at just $3 to upgrade your crust, it's an easy win.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Salem man dies after crashing into bridge in Shannon County
SHANNON COUNTY, Mo. — An 64-year-old man from Salem, Missouri, has died following a single-car crash in Shannon County on Wednesday. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the man was traveling north in a 2008 Toyota Yaris on Mo. 19, seventeen miles north of Eminence around 3:52 p.m. Two Springfield men win award from Domino's The report says the man's vehicle ran off the roadway and struck the south side of the Round Spring Bridge. The man was pronounced dead on the scene by Shannon County Coroner. The next of kin has been notified of his passing. This is the 12th fatality for Troop G in 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Springfield men win award from Domino's
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Two Springfield Domino's franchise owners recently received an award from the company for operational excellence. According to a Domino's press release, Art Hurteau and Marty Prather were recently awarded the Gold Franny Award. The award is chosen between 750 franchise owners across the United States for operational audit scores, community involvement, store safety and team member morale, the release says. 'I cannot think of more deserving individuals to receive a Gold Franny Award than Art and Marty,' Debbie Sweeney, Domino's senior vice president of franchise relations and system engagement, said in a press release. 'These two are incredibly hard-working, and their involvement in the community and motivation to be the best of the best make them an incredible asset to Domino's.' The release says the duo started their first store together as co-owners in 1981. They own over 41 stores across northwest Arkansas and Greater Springfield, Missouri. 'Domino's has delivered to us and our families, the dream of owning and operating our own business,' Art Hurteau said. 'Domino's truly provides a fantastic opportunity to those who show initiative and a desire to advance, and we are firm believers in giving back. It's not just about improving our business. It's about being a part of the community.' This is the 10th time the co-owners have received this award from Domino's. 'We are incredibly honored to receive a Gold Franny Award, but we must give credit to the great team members we have in all of our stores,' Marty Prather said. 'Seeing the motivation that each of our managers bring to work every day motivates us to be better for them.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
