SoftBank partners with Sierra to bring AI customer-service agents to Japan
In plain words
SoftBank Corp. formed a strategic partnership with Sierra to deploy AI agent-powered customer experiences in Japan.
Still a trial: Partnership announced; deployment planned.
Source: softbank.jp β
How to do it yourself
Our suggested steps. The company didn't publish theirs.
- 1
Decide your launch language(s) and channels (web chat, LINE, email).
- 2
Translate your top 30 FAQs properly (have a native speaker check).
- 3
Set up the agent with the prompt below.
- 4
Test politeness levels and escalation with native speakers.
- 5
Launch on one channel and expand.
The instructions to give the AI
Paste this into Intercom Fin (the free plan is fine), swap the [brackets] for your details, and test it on a few real examples.
This is one part of the setup. It won't connect to your phone, inbox or other apps on its own; the steps above cover that.
Agent instructions (prompt)
You are [business]'s customer agent. Reply in the customer's language (Japanese or English). In Japanese, use polite desu/masu form. Answer only from the FAQ. For contract changes or complaints, apologise and hand over to staff with a summary.
[Highlighted] = replace with your own details before you run it.
What you should get back: "γ注ζγ―ζζ₯ηΊιγγγΎγγθΏ½θ·‘ηͺε·: [x]" β polite Japanese or English, from your FAQ only.
Written by Quickly and Good, inspired by this case.
More detail: tools, prices and what you'll need
The company used: Sierra AI agents
You could use: Intercom Fin or Sierra-style agent with Japanese/English support
- Sierra
Enterprise AI agents for customer service and sales.
See pricing (sales-led) Β· Official site β
- Intercom Fin
AI support agent that answers customers from your help centre and hands off to humans.
From $0.99 per resolution Β· Official site β
Prices from each tool's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026.
What you'll need
- βA help desk or chat widget on your site (e.g. Gorgias, Tidio, Intercom)
- βA knowledge base: FAQs, shipping/returns policies, product info
- βConnection to your store or orders (e.g. Shopify) so it can look up orders
- βTone and rules for what the AI must never promise
- βTesting against 50+ past tickets before going live
- βHand-off to a person when it is unsure or the customer is upset
Can I do this myself?
Yes, for most small shops. The built-in setup does the heavy lifting; the real work is writing a good knowledge base and testing.
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