At first sight this may appear odd but in actual fact its quite the contrary as every time I enter an arcade I ‘discover’ another way of using space efficiently! So… here we go… the world awaits our arrival with fresh new beginnings just around the corner… Natasha of a five-star resort noted that responding to angry customers was one of the more challenging parts of her job. Finding appropriate words, conveying sufficient contrition (especially when nonexistent ie rain complaints), is time consuming process which necessitates real name concealment so as to protect their resort name and protect Natasha as her director. Natasha now relies on AI as her secret weapon: when traveling complaints come through ChatGPT she asks the chatbot for its response in two seconds or less! A task which would normally take an hour becomes completed “instantaneously.” Natasha commented on ChatGPT and noted its effectiveness at responding to customer concerns despite some minor flaws. One response she saw from them “far surpassed anything I would have provided personally”, she noted, but pointed out it must still be checked; an analysis must take place and read carefully over any document provided to customers by ChatGPT. Responses tend to be “schmaltzy,” she noted, yet still hit on points such as: ‘We apologize, wish we could have done something, we promise we’ll make amends and strive to do better in future’ and other similar phrases. Additionally, they address every complaint voiced by travelers. “Writing these letters can be challenging; one needs to go line by line,” Natasha stated. “Furthermore, humans tend to become defensive; artificial intelligence does not.” “AI takes all of the emotion out of it, even if people were rude or disagreeable.” She noted: “The short-term rental/Airbnb industry have been early adopters; by 5 years’ time I believe most will adopt AI technology as well.” As his company understands responding to reviews is time consuming, one of its services includes responding them. “Most users absolutely adore our system”, according to him, so companies quickly see why investing in such service would make sense once they experience its power themselves. Artificial Intelligence-generated penitential responses have long been considered taboo in the travel industry, which prides itself on personalized customer service. Conventional wisdom holds that an apology must “come from within”. “I want people to think I am diligently going over every letter from customers.NatashaDirector of a five-star resortWhen asked by Travel Weekly whether she wanted travelers aware that AI assisted responses are used for negative emails and reviews, Natasha replied in the negative: stating her policy not wanting travelers aware that she used these tools:” I sure do not.” I want people to believe I’m working tirelessly on their letters. One company using AI for customer complaints management is Voyagu, an online travel booking platform which stores past communications between customer and travel advisor in order to assist travel advisors during future interactions, according to an employee of Voyagu. “Travel advisors typically reply directly to customers themselves; Voyagu’s artificial intelligence system tracks all written and verbal communication to suggest an easier and faster response,” according to Voyagu spokesperson Amy Kwok.Brad Birnbaum of AI customer support company Kustomer noted how such technology was increasingly being implemented within all forms of customer support – not only hospitality-specific solutions. “His company, which counts Priceline, Hopper and AvantStay among its client list, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help customer service agents sound more professional,” according to him. “We will convert text that’s very rough to elegant text with empathy,” according to Birnbaum. Customers likely do not realize or care that their interactions with agents may have been generated or enhanced using AI technology; “and I don’t think they would mind.” “They may welcome an agent system because it offers faster responses.”Michael Friedman, CEO of family-run vacation rental company Simple Life Hospitality said his firm does not use AI for customer interactions. “AI cannot replace human writers in crafting emails,” he explained, as there remains an impersonal tone when communicating using AI systems. For me personally, nothing beats having direct human connections when making business transactions and fulfilling my professional commitments. “Wanping Aw, managing director of Japanese travel agency Tokudaw, says she hadn’t considered using artificial intelligence (AI) to respond to customer concerns.” But upon learning that other travel companies were using ChatGPT, she decided to put her real-world situation under scrutiny: our guests travelling to Mt Fuji are in distress because their bus engine suddenly started smoking; they’re understandably worried and uncertain of the outcomes for their itinerary.” She typed: “What Should We Do?,” Wanping Aw told CNBC by email, was: “PRETTY AMAZING!” ChatGPT provided a six-step plan including evacuation of travelers and alternative transport arrangements as well as creating an apology letter on her behalf – “actually it’s better.” She believed ChatGPT provided both solutions that exceeded her expectations as well as writing her an appropriate apology letter in such stressful circumstances.
