Thanks to new facial recognition system, retailers and hospitality staff can focus their attention primarily on VIP celebrities or other high-net-worth customers. The VIP-identification technology, created by NEC IT Solutions, will be used to help shop assistants provide a personalized service and to improve customer service. It is already being tested in about a dozen top stores and exclusive hotels in Britain, America and the Far East.
VIP Identification software monitors data from real-time closed-circuit TVs or surveillance cameras, matching images against a business’ VIP guest database. If it spots a match, an alert, mobile or otherwise, can be sent to retail or hospitality personnel. This is the ultimate customer-relationship-management technology, spotting high-value individuals before they’ve even identified themselves. It was demonstrated recently at London’s Counter Terror Expo, where visitors’ faces were matched to a database even when wearing sunglasses and head scarves.
“Being able to identify VIP guests immediately could enable the front desk staff to have room information pulled up before the guest steps up to the registration desk and be able to greet the guest by name,” Raffie Beroukhim, vice president of biometrics solutions for NEC Corporation of America, said in a statement. “Overall, this capability helps enhance a VIP guest’s experience through personalization of services and increases customer satisfaction with the property.”
