to help customers plan trips. These developments promise to remove human advisors from the travel planning process almost completely.by travel technology company Travelport shows most travelers have already interacted with a chatbot, although it doesn’t specify if the exchange was positive or negative. It’s not hard to guess: Three-quarters of respondents still want the option of talking to a person.There’s no question about it, travel is becoming more of a DIY experience.
Johnson, the travel advisor from Colorado Springs, says she likes the convenience of self-check in and uses it herself. But her agency, which specializes in theme park vacations, works with passengers who aren’t as comfortable with it, so she has to coach them through the self-service check-in process.
Sometimes it is. Adam Harris, CEO of the hospitality management software company Cloudbeds, says he just spoke with a customer who loves automation. Installing a virtual check-in at her hotel group has saved her around 16 hours a week in staff time. Mitch Krayton, a travel advisor and owner of Krayton Travel in Denver, says the trend only benefits companies. The businesses have no intention of passing the savings along to their customers. Bottom line: There’s no substitute for a professional ticket agent or hotel receptionist.
“To introduce automation effectively, you must lead with a human-centered approach,” says Mario Matulich, president of Customer Management Practice.