Why Customers Prefer Travel Chatbots Over Agents?

Today’s chatbots are what mobile apps were in 2012. All businesses want one. In short, if there is an acquisition channel in which travel agencies must invest this year, it is the travel chatbots.

1. Minimal Human Interaction

While the traditional travel agent remains a popular choice among Gen X, millennials prefer minimal human interaction. Hence, when it comes to customer service, they prefer to travel to chatbots for interaction. A well-developed AI chatbot can enhance the entire booking experience and even help modern-day travelers with a wide range of options based on their personal data.

2. Personalized Experiences

Reports show that consumers are more likely to book on travel websites that offer a personalized experience. In fact, 90% of travelers across the globe say they expect a personalized experience when they book their trip and Millenials are no different. For instance, a WhatsApp chatbot after a booking sends a confirmation message. It also offers the customer an option to continue receiving updates or cancel automated messages. Such features improve the travel booking experience for those millennials who wish to avoid promotional messages.

3. Chatbot is Available 24/7

The first obvious advantage of a chatbot is its availability. In fact, a robot does not need to sleep, eat, or enjoy its leisure. It is, therefore, completely dedicated to the task 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Chatbots can efficiently respond to your customers and provide them with the help they are looking for even during late hours.

4. Accessible on Messaging Applications

Look around and you will find that today, everyone spends most of their time on the web, social networks, and messaging applications. And your customers are no different! This is why Facebook Messenger, Twitter or WhatsApp chatbots are a real plus; your bot is constantly where your customers are.

5. Quicker Responses

Millennials have a low attention span and needless to say, chatbots are swift. Over 55% of consumers enjoy communicating with travel chatbots because they respond to most queries immediately. If you’re having trouble keeping up with live chats or if you get tons of inquiries outside of your office hours, chatbots are definitely what you need.

There are a number of travel chatbot apps out there and a travel technology solutions company can help you build a customized travel portal and travel chatbot app too. If given a choice, most millennials prefer to speak directly to a chatbot to resolve their flight booking or hotel reservation problem, rather than waiting for an agent to be available.

The Voice of Customer (VoC) Usabilla platform study of customer interaction with AI underscores this view. At least 54% of respondents said they would prefer chatbots, rather than human travel assistants.

6. Easy Navigation

In the case of a travel company website that has a chatbot, visitors to a website do not need to go through all the pages to find special offers or new products. The travel chatbots can offer them to the visitor as part of a natural conversation. Experience shows that people react well to promotions that are offered to them in this natural way. This is because it seems more personalized to customers than a standard marketing email.

7. Easy Access to Information

The amount of information available on a website loses interest if the average visitor cannot find it. However, in the current context, visitors tend to have a very reduced attention span. So websites need to make accessing information as quick and simple as possible. If the visitor is saved from having to search for information, they will be more likely to book flights or hotels through your travel company.

Incorporating a travel chatbot seems like a good decision. This will help you to improve communication with your customers and to make them more satisfied, to generate additional sales for your hotel or flight booking engine. It will also help to develop your direct channel since by solving more doubts on your own website, the probability that customers will go to OTAs in search of answers is reduced.

8. Curated Experiences

Millennials are all about personalized and curated experiences. They prefer experiential travel or budget options. With an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot, you can retrieve data from GDS systems to offer lower airfares, hotel tariffs, and other experiences. A WhatsApp chatbot or messaging apps integrated with BLE can also suggest good nightspots, restaurants or shopping and other travel experiences to the customer.

Chatbots have several other benefits for travel companies besides improving user experience. In addition to saving time, chatbots can also collect data and become an ultra-powerful marketing weapon. We cannot emphasize enough on the magnitude of the difference a travel chatbot can make to your travel business.

If you already have a travel portal, it’s time to embrace chatbot marketing. OneClick, a travel technology solutions company, can help you to develop chatbot interactive and swift travel chatbots to skyrocket your sales. Contact us to discuss your travel portal development requirements.