IKEA trains call center workers to become interior design advisors

IKEA has expanded its interior design services and is training call center workers as interior design advisors. Sales by phone or videos of IKEA’s products account for 3.3 percent of its sales in 2022. The retailer is looking to upskill its workers as it uses artificial intelligence technology to handle more mundane customer inquiries.

Ikea Design Services Doubles Down With Interior Design

Showing no signs of slowing down, Ikea has already been expanding throughout the USA, UK, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and other parts of Europe.

The future of retail is becoming ever-more clear as Ikea works on enhancing the customer experience by making it more personalized and interactable. If all goes according to plan, consumers will be able to call Ikea for advice when planning their home or room’s interior design aesthetics.

The full extent of this process has not yet been fully detailed, but Ikea has an in-house design center where customers can make appointments to consult with interior designers, if they’re not too far from Long Beach, California.

Additionally, UK shoppers now have the option to make a 45-60 minute audio phone call with an interior design advisor from Ikea, after which they will receive a suggested product list of what to buy for their home or room. This service is 25 pounds or approximately $31.44 USD.

The other fancier option is to pay 125 pounds for a more detailed workspace design consultation in three sessions, which includes a finished floor plan with 3D visuals. These Ikea design services are a bold and creative move by the furniture retailer.

Although not confirmed, this might be a good move to help the retailer thrive against the rising threat of DTC furniture from other competitors.

Furthermore, Ikea cites they have trained 8,5000 call center workers to become design advisors since 2021, thus creating new jobs. On the AI front, the AI bot “Billie” has been given the duty of handling basic customer service questions and inquiries.