Applied to:
This award celebrates the most innovative and creative concepts in the hospitality industry. It recognizes a group or a brand that has demonstrated the ability to think outside the box and introduce a new concept or a new version of an existing concept that sets a new standard for the industry. To be eligible, the concept must have been implemented within the last two years and is operational. It should provide a new approach and vision of guest experience, with a focus on design, public spaces, and overall service quality. The concept should have the potential to revolutionize the hospitality industry and offer a better quality of service for guests.
The project:
In 2018, our digital transformation began, focusing on multi-channel communication to enhance the booking experience. Emphasizing innovative conversational tools, we integrated chatbots and voicebots with partners iAdvize and Yelda across channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Business Message. By 2020, we introduced a voicebot, followed by a callbot in 2021, both available 24/7, improving automation and customer satisfaction.
By June 2023, AI integration into our voicebot provided an exceptional user experience with automatic response generation, ensuring 100% request response, smoother conversations, and increased automation. This technology minimized unanswered calls during off-hours and managed a growing volume of contacts without outsourcing.
Our commitment to evolving conversational tools aligns with changing customer patterns, especially for Best Western Rewards® members. Authenticity is maintained through personalized responses from our in-house team, contributing to the tool's knowledge base. Generative AI in our voice callbot enhances customer satisfaction, positioning BWH Hotels France as a leader in customer relations, appealing to a tech-savvy audience with its self-learning capability, eliminating the need for frequent updates.
The AI integration, powered by Yelda's platform, uses machine learning and natural language processing for fluid, human-like conversations. It integrates with the Best Western Rewards system, allowing users to manage bookings via simple voice commands. A dedicated cross-functional team ensured the Callbot met Best Western's standards.
A joint press release with Yelda garnered significant media attention, and our beta tester status provided cost-free deployment. The Callbot achieved a 100% immediate response rate, reduced callbacks by 20%, saved 774 hours, and generated an economic gain of €1995. Generative AI selected answers from the knowledge base in 80% of cases, enhancing resolution rates.
Initial results showed 100% handling of evening and weekend calls, zero waiting time, and increased question comprehension to 100%. Future plans include voice-activated orders via mobile phones and expanding the callbot’s capabilities to handle complex questions in foreign languages, adapting to changing consumer behavior.
The Hospitality Awards celebrate innovation and excellence and highlight the most creative initiatives in a sector that is constantly and rapidly changing hospitality.
