Five Ways AI-powered Chatbots Can Empower Hoteliers

More live chat widgets are popping up on hotel websites, engaging with visitors to provide information and answer FAQs. However, chatbots fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) can do much more than that. They can empower hoteliers with benefits ranging from increasing direct bookings to boosting guest satisfaction scores.

What are AI-powered chatbots?

Sophisticated chatbots use conversational AI technology to emulate a natural language conversation with users. They can be used in a website widget, a mobile app, or through other messaging platforms. They are able to read and analyze communications and provide correct, personalized answers. The most advanced chatbots have self-learning capabilities and expand their knowledge base with every user interaction. So it is particularly valuable for hoteliers to implement such technologies that are already trained in the hospitality industry.

How can hotel chatbots benefit hotel managers?

Hotel chatbots empower hoteliers to improve the guest experience at every stage of the customer journey. Consequently, they can gain a competitive advantage in the market. Here are the five key benefits of implementing AI-powered hotel chatbots:

1. Enhanced customer service

The response time is crucial in the hospitality industry. Chatbots enabled to be active 24/7 on the hotel website, and other communication channels can provide instant, continuous, and multi-user customer service regardless of the time of day and staff availability. Some chatbots offer automatic translations to other languages breaking down communication barriers. Keeping prospective guests engaged from the moment they land on the hotel website can translate to a higher conversion rate.

2. More direct bookings

Chatbots are able to engage with many users simultaneously. They can thus process a much higher volume of inquiries compared to a system based on human agents only. Matched with personalization and high accuracy of information provided, this leads to increased direct bookings.

3. Increased revenue

Besides revenue from direct bookings, hotels can also benefit from more successful upselling. AI behind the chatbots can communicate personalized offers to the customers, such as room upgrades and booking additional services. They do so at the guest journey moments most likely to result in upselling conversions, based on the knowledge of the booking process specifically in the hospitality industry.

4. Task automation

Thanks to integrations with booking engines, PMS, and other systems in the hospitality industry, hoteliers can automate many time-consuming and monotonous tasks, such as booking rate quote requests. This way, hotel staff is available to work on other tasks and inquiries that add value to the guest experience and satisfaction.

5. Reporting and data analysis

Many chatbots also offer access to useful insights into chatbot interactions with users. Having access to rich data, hotel managers can identify new opportunities but also spot any issues that they need address.

RoomCloud integrates with HiJiffy to bring powerful AI to hoteliers