Corporates take note: new technology is available that scans employees faces to check that they are smiling enough and giving off that good brand impression to customers.
Sound a bit Big Brother? Yes. But it also sounds very intriguing. Apparently the Keihin Electric Express Railway Company in Japan have to have their faces scanned each morning to check their expressions. The software rates their eye movements, smile lines and other indicators to rate them on a scale from 0 to 100.
Not content with simply recording their moods, the computer then tells glum staff that they need to cheer up, flashing up phrases like “You look too serious” or the charming “Lift up your mouth corners”. There is even a personalised “ideal smile” that the employees can carry with them during the day to remind them how to achieve that ultimate friendly grin if they’re flagging.
Sounds horrific to me – but then I’m a very gloomy person – but I’d like to know if any service or retail brands in the UK will be implementing it to try and make sure that Britain (not known for its service culture) has any companies hoping to use this technology to enhance their operations. I think not, somehow.
Via the MediaGuardian.
July 19, 2009 at 3:15 pm |
Added to my RSS, Thanks!