SK Telecom said on Tuesday it will fully introduce AI across offline T World stores to innovate customer service.

Based on data collected through AI surveys, SKT began disclosing T World store ratings in June. It has also started work on development and infrastructure to introduce in-store AI agents from September. The goal is to apply AI technology across the entire customer experience, from store search to face-to-face consultations.

Since June, SKT has been disclosing store-by-store ratings on the T World website and app based on a recommendation index from actual visitors. The customer recommendation index reflects results of surveys measuring satisfaction and likelihood to recommend, using an STT-based AI call service.

It will combine various AI-collected customer experience data with store data to build a "personalised store search function" on online T World by 2027. Once introduced, customers will be able to find stores that match desired conditions more quickly and accurately, such as device inventory, benefit information and store characteristics.

It will also gradually expand a "consultation analysis" function to raise trust in face-to-face consultations. The service automatically analyses and summarises consultation content using AI. It is currently running a pilot of a secure consultation recording service at about 300 stores nationwide to improve completeness.

SKT will also promote an "online consultation and visit reservation service" to reduce waiting times and raise consultation expertise. If customers book the purpose of their visit in advance, they can receive necessary guidance from the store beforehand and receive tailored consultations when they visit.

The AI rollout at T World stores will target not only customers but also agency owners and T Crew. The first AI agent for agency owners is set for a pilot run in September. The agent provides tailored store consulting, including diagnosing strengths and weaknesses, comparative analysis among stores and efficient workforce operations, and helps decision-making to improve customer experience.

An AI agent for T Crew is under development with a goal of a pilot run in the second half of the year. It will answer required work knowledge in real time during customer consultations and diagnose weak areas in consultations to suggest ways to improve. It is also set to support in real time guidance needed on the ground, such as products, sales policies, systems and work guides.

Koo Hyun-chul (구현철), head of sales and marketing at SKT, said the purpose of introducing AI at T World stores is to focus more on customer voices and create tangible change toward more customer-friendly stores. He said SKT will lower customers' psychological barriers and raise trust, transforming T World stores into a telecom partner customers can visit with confidence at any time.