IWATA AI Chat Service "IWATA Sleep Concierge" Launched! 24/7 Support for Sleep and Bedding Concerns - Responding to Inquiries from Around the World with Multilingual Virtual Customer Service

"IWATA Sleep Concierge" is a project that supports sleep consultations, bedding selection, and maintenance, aiming to be a "sleep companion" that supports customers from purchase to use. It is currently being considered for NEDO's "GENIAC Award."

IWATA Sleep Concierge Icon

Iwata Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; Representative Director: Tadashi Iwata) has developed and launched "IWATA Sleep Concierge," an AI chat service that allows customers to consult about sleep and bedding concerns 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. (Access: https://iwata-online.com)

This service provides online consultations on bedding selection, care methods, and creating a comfortable sleep environment—topics previously handled by store staff and customer service centers—through a virtual assistant available in Japanese, English, and Chinese.

The "IWATA Sleep Concierge" is also an initiative currently being considered for the "GENIAC Award" organized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Background of development: Eliminating "Can't ask when you want to ask"

Iwata receives daily inquiries such as:

"I want to choose a pillow and duvet that suits me."
"I want to know the characteristics of each material and how to care for them."
"I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I want to review my sleep environment."

These consultations range from product information, such as product handling and material characteristics, to concerns about sleep itself and the bedroom environment.

Because these consultations require specialized knowledge, experienced staff, managers, and sleep improvement instructors have individually handled them. However, there were challenges such as:

• Inquiries concentrate during busy periods and after long holidays, making it difficult to connect by phone or email.
• Due to night hours, holidays, and time differences with overseas customers, immediate answers are not always available when customers "want to know."
• It takes time to explain to foreign customers, and it can be difficult to convey specialized content concisely.

Furthermore, the knowledge and customer feedback accumulated through daily inquiries tend to remain with individual staff members and are not fully utilized for company-wide service improvements or product enhancements, posing a structural problem.

These are challenges not only for Iwata but also common to many small and medium-sized enterprises that require specialized explanations. Therefore, we developed the AI chat service "IWATA Sleep Concierge" as a "mechanism to standardize knowledge and deliver it clearly to anyone, anytime, anywhere."

What is "IWATA Sleep Concierge"?

"IWATA Sleep Concierge" is an AI chat-based sleep consultation service that provides answers tailored to each customer's situation, based on Iwata's accumulated expertise in sleep and bedding.

• Consultations available anytime via smartphone or PC
• Can be used with staff on tablets (iPad) in physical stores
• Supports conversations in Japanese, English, and Chinese

With these features, AI takes on part of the role of a "sleep specialist" (experienced salesperson), aiming to provide customers with access at the "moment they want to ask."

Please access it via the icon at the bottom right of the following URL:
https://iwata-online.com

Main benefits and features for customers

1. Easy consultation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

You can consult about anything that comes to mind, even at night, in the early morning, or on holidays. This reduces the stress of "having to wait for the store to open" or "being too busy to call during business hours," and helps you quickly resolve your sleep and bedding concerns.

2. Multilingual chat supporting Japanese, English, and Chinese

Not only Japanese customers but also foreign visitors to Japan and overseas residents can consult in their preferred language. In stores, AI support on tablets enables smooth and reassuring customer service even in stores without multilingual staff.

3. Professional content explained simply and carefully

AI will rephrase specialized and often difficult sleep-related content into simple terms for easy understanding. It will support you in choosing specific bedding that suits you, based on themes such as "types of bedding," "how to choose according to the season," and "differences in materials."

4. A partner for continued use, not just a one-time purchase

In addition to pre-purchase consultations, the service also handles inquiries about post-purchase care and maintenance, such as "how to air and care for bedding" and "how to wash down duvets and pillows." It functions as a "sleep companion" to help you use your bedding comfortably for a long time.

5. Hybrid customer service experience with AI and humans

As an initial response, AI carefully listens to the customer's situation and concerns, provides information, and suggests product categories. Furthermore, if a more in-depth proposal is needed, it is designed to naturally connect customers to in-store consultations, stating, "For more detailed consultations, our in-store specialists will be happy to assist you."

Usageイメージ in physical stores

Iwata's physical stores will offer "IWATA Sleep Concierge" via tablet devices (iPads).

• First-time customers can organize their sleep tendencies by interacting with AI.
• Based on those results, staff will propose the most suitable bedding while trying it together.
• After purchase, customers can access the same AI chat from home for care and additional purchase consultations.

In this way, customers can receive consistent sleep support through a hybrid approach of AI and expert staff in stores. Especially for international customers, it will be a reassuring partner, allowing them to hear explanations in their familiar language while trying out bedding on the spot.

Application for the "GENIAC Award"

"IWATA Sleep Concierge" is an initiative applying for the NEDO "GENIAC Award" as an effort to improve the productivity of customer service for small and medium-sized enterprises using AI technology.

Through this service, Iwata aims to become a model case for new customer experiences in the sleep and bedding industry and will strive to create mechanisms that can be applied to other industries facing similar challenges.

Company Profile

Iwata Co., Ltd.
Location: 701-2 Osaka Mokuzai-cho, Aneyakoji-sagaru, Sakaimachi-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8102, Japan
TEL: 075-211-8321 FAX: 075-211-7537
https://www.iozon.co.jp