Just What Is a Hotel Chatbots Anyway?
You’ve probably already been using chatbots in some area of your life. A chatbot is simply a type of digital technology that can respond to human queries in an intelligent manner. If you’ve ever asked Siri or Alexa to help you find the nearest Sushi restaurant, you’ve had a meaningful interaction with a chatbot.
For most hotels, chatbots will likely be used for different kinds of digital customer service, such as answering questions about the local area or even helping them extend a reservation. Typically, hotels use rule-based chatbots that give the customer an option–such as answer yes or no–and then, depending on how the guest responds; the bot presents a specific set of options.
However, there are also AI (artificial intelligence) chatbots that are more sophisticated and can create a very realistic conversation with the guest. Either way, a chatbot can really improve your customer’s experience.
How Chatbots Can Improve Your Guests’ Experience
There are numerous reasons why chatbots are becoming more popular in the hospitality industry. Here are a few of the reasons they are growing in popularity as a key part of hotel management.
1. More Direct Bookings
If you’re running a hotel, it’s all about the bookings, and with direct bookings, there’s no need to pay anyone a commission. Hotel chatbots can be used to answer customer questions quickly right on the website. When a customer doesn’t have to call someone to answer their question, they’re more likely to make that booking.
Chatbots can also be used on social media platforms where they can provide your customers with the option to book directly through that platform. Moreover, because chatbots can provide personalized support during the booking process, the customer is less likely to halt the booking halfway through.
2. Communication in Different Languages
Regardless of the type of chatbot you’re using, it can talk to the customer in their own language so there’s less chance of misunderstandings or frustration on the part of the customer. This is an invaluable service for your international customers and one that might make the difference between choosing your hotel or going elsewhere.
3. Customer Service 24/7
Perhaps one of the best reasons chatbots are becoming more popular in the hotel industry is that they allow you to provide 24/7 customer service. Chatbots help you provide your customers with a rapid response to their needs, and that’s something that keeps them coming back to you.
What’s more, these virtual assistants make the customer experience more efficient. They can assist with checking in and out so that the customer doesn’t even have to visit the reception desk. They can do it all from their smartphone. That saves them time and earns you more money!
To sum it all up, chatbots are a great way to improve the hotel customer’s experience by making it easier to make that booking, improving their experience during their stay, and saving them time. When you save them time and give them a smooth, positive experience, they’ll keep coming back for more!