Wingstop, the well-known U.S.-based restaurant chain specializing in chicken wings that entered Canada in 2021, is transforming the way it connects with customers by leveraging AI-driven technology. Speaking at Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2024, Samir Ray, Vice President of eCommerce at Wingstop, shared insights into the company’s strategy of using AI to personalize customer experiences across all touchpoints, driving loyalty and engagement.
Using AI to Personalize the Wingstop Experience
During his presentation, Ray explained how Wingstop’s journey to enhance customer experience began with the need to overcome common challenges. That included disconnected systems, siloed data, and impersonal interactions. In today’s market, one bad experience is enough to make a customer switch brands. To combat this, Wingstop has implemented Salesforce’s AI technology to create personalized, seamless experiences across digital platforms and in-store engagements.
By utilizing Salesforce’s Data Cloud, Wingstop is able to unlock siloed data across departments and create a unified customer profile. This approach allows the brand to deliver personalized messages and offers to customers at every step of their journey, from marketing emails to digital orders. Ray emphasized that Wingstop’s small footprint and focus on takeout make it critical to get digital interactions right, as many customers engage with the brand online before entering a physical location.
Boosting Digital Sales with AI and Data-Driven Strategies
Wingstop’s use of AI has also led to impressive growth in digital sales. According to Ray, the company’s digital sales mix doubled during the pandemic, now representing over 60% of overall revenue. With AI and data analytics, Wingstop has been able to better understand customer preferences and create tailored experiences, driving loyalty even further.
Ray shared a real-time demonstration with the audience, showing how Wingstop uses AI to geotarget experiences. Attendees were able to visit Wingstop’s website and see personalized content tailored specifically to their location. This example illustrated how the brand is successfully leveraging unified data and AI models to enhance customer interaction and engagement.
Building the Future of Customer Experience with AI at Wingstop
Looking to the future, Wingstop is poised to continue scaling its AI-driven customer experience efforts. Ray highlighted that Wingstop’s growth trajectory is far from over, with the brand aiming to open thousands more restaurants worldwide. AI will be key to supporting this growth, helping the company personalize interactions for its 45 million customers and beyond.
Ray concluded by discussing the importance of aligning technology with people and processes to ensure a seamless experience for customers. He stressed that while technology is a critical enabler, success ultimately depends on having the right teams in place to execute AI-driven strategies. Wingstop’s mission, as Ray pointed out, is to “serve the world flavor,” and AI will be central to realizing that vision.
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