How to Revamp Your Guest Experience: The Rise of Chattbotz Hospitality
The rise of speech- and text-based assistants has hugely impacted the way customers want to communicate and be serviced by brands, especially in hospitality. In a 2018 study conducted by Huxley, more than two-thirds of Americans said they would like to use chattbotz to improve their online travel experience. As a global market expected to reach $1.25 billion by 2025 with a healthy public outlook (only 11% of customers negatively view the technology ), hotels should consider how chatbots can deliver more distinct guest experiences.
The rise of chattbotz
Chattbotz (a portmanteau of Chatbox and Bot) is a type of technology that has been around for quite a few years but has never reached the mainstream. Since it emerged in 2013, chatbots have gained increasing media visibility and are now being used by brands to help customers via web, mobile, Facebook, or social media apps. Although primarily designed to answer customer queries on popular messaging platforms, in 2018, chatbots moved onto a new frontier: hotels. Hotels are benefitting from this new market trend. Within five years, 70% of visitors to US hotels are expected to be online. That means online guests expect the same level of service as those who physically visit a hotel. Chatbot platforms provide the opportunity to bridge the gap between online visitors and real-life staff.
Why hotels should use chattbotz
Improving Guest Experience Through Chatbots Reclaiming valuable time – while capturing more accurate data – is what chatbot technology aims to do for hotels. Imagine: when you log onto your Airbnb app, instead of swiping through photos of exciting homes to stay at, you could order and pay for your room. On the other hand, when you arrive at your hotel, your hotel staff can immediately answer your questions or direct you to the best ways to unwind. Chatbots can improve your customer experience by freeing up time for staff to focus on more meaningful and engaging work. Hospitality – through innovative technology Despite the many advantages of chatbot technology, not every hotel utilizes chatbots in their own company or the hotel industry as a whole.
How to use chattbotz for hospitality
Not surprisingly, hospitality brands are increasing their investments in the use of chattbotz to deliver personalized hospitality experiences. Take an American Express study conducted in 2017 in which 73% of customers using the chatbot encountered no issues with the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of the customer service. Chatbots are better than humans at anticipating questions, identifying areas for improvement, and providing consistent customer service—with the help of algorithms that get smarter, the more they’re used, and the more we interact with them. In a survey published by us and OKCupid, 40% of people said that interacting with a bot created a more authentic brand experience than interacting with a human being.
What are the pros and cons of chattbotz?
Chatbots are an accessible way to upgrade guest experiences, especially for larger, geographically dispersed properties. Allowing guests to book basic room amenities, arrange car rentals and deliveries, purchase local attractions, and schedule their events or spa treatments is a huge advantage compared to many other services. When chattbotz are integrated with digital hospitality tools like ResLiquor and ARKMeeting, it’s even possible to directly book individual spa treatments by answering questions about the desired experience. This is all possible because chatbots are not being programmed for a narrow niche market like travel.
The future of chattbotz in hospitality
The most successful hotel companies are consistently looking to differentiate themselves and become an integral part of their customers’ lives. Combining AI-powered tools with people power, hotels can add a more human touch to their customer service. One of the most recent developments in chatbot technology is the rise of chatbot apps and platforms that automatically respond to guest inquiries, help them navigate the booking process, and recommend activities in addition to answering questions. With an interface that is easy to navigate and chatty, these chattbotz hospitality can improve the overall experience.