Above and Beyond Standard Hotel FAQ Chatbots — Source: Travel Outlook

No one enjoys speaking to IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems, but we do so when it’s necessary. In today's digital world, interacting with IVR systems seems to be an increasingly necessary evil. But what if there was a next-generation voice bot that did away with the common frustrations associated with IVR systems? What if a voice bot could be as functional as an FAQ chatbot?

That’s where Bella comes in. Bella is a virtual call center agent powered by artificial intelligence that is designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Through Bella, hotels can combine the usefulness of a FAQ chatbot with the convenience of a IVR call system.

To find out how Bella, The Virtual Hotel Agent, goes Above and Beyond Standard FAQ Chatbots, continue reading below.

What is a FAQ Chatbot and why are they useful?

An FAQ Chatbot, as the name suggests, is a chatbot designed to answer a specific predetermined set of questions. Unlike IVR systems, FAQ chatbots are not voice bots, they are on page, interactive features on websites.

FAQ chatbots are often preferred over a listed FAQ page onsite, because a potential customer doesn’t want to sift through dozens, if not hundreds, of FAQs and responses. Instead of searching your website, customers can interact directly with a chatbot and get an immediate response to their questions.

To use a traditional FAQ chatbot, customers type in their questions to receive one of several automated responses. If you ask a question outside of the FAQ chatbot's set of programmed questions and answers, you will not receive a direct response. So, the effectiveness of your FAQ chatbot depends entirely on how many questions it can answer.

FAQ chatbots vs. Voice bots

Unlike chatbots, voice bots offer customers a conversational give and take that allows them to navigate through call and response. Voice bots are used by most business, including hotel call centers, that handle an enormous amount of call volume. They help a business funnel calls to the appropriate departments without utilizing manpower.

Like chatbots, voice bots have been limited in their performance capabilities. While traditional voice bots are effective tools for handling call volume surges, most customers dread voice bot interactions, in part, due to the limited amount of information they can provide. FAQ chatbots, on the other hand, can provide a plethora of information, but are limited to impersonal text chats.

What separates Bella from the rest?

Bella is the voice bot of the future. Bella combines the usefulness of an FAQ chatbot with AI powered voice bot technology. Bella can answer up to 100 FAQs chosen by the hotel. This means that Bella can answer property-specific FAQs, rather than just standard hospitality questions.

Additionally, hotels can personalize Bella using their own voice talent to create a truly personal call experience. Bella speaks multiple languages, and if she can’t answer a caller’s question, Bella will quickly transfer the caller to a live agent. After Bella wraps up a call with a potential quest, she can send a follow-up text when necessary. Unlike online FAQ chatbots, Bella feels personal, and her response time comes off as conversational, not robotic.

Bella isn’t just an FAQ chatbot, she’s the next generation of AI-powered technology designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Bella will not only replace any existing FAQ chatbot or IVR system, but she will save your hotel thousands of dollars by handling large call volumes with efficiency and ease.

Bella’s natural, conversational tone and customizable voice options won’t frustrate callers like traditional IVR call bots. Instead, customers with easy-to-answer questions. or simple tasks, will receive answers almost immediately. Customers with more complicated requests will be quickly transferred to a live agent.

Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™ by Travel Outlook is here, and she’s solving the hospitality industry’s FAQ chatbot problems. Going above and beyond, Bella’s technology is allowing hotel guests to lead the conversation, delivering natural, human-like interactions, creating a better experience for valued clientele. Best of all, Bella affordably answers up to 60% of the calls for the front desk saving on fixed labor costs.

Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™— Source: Travel Outlook
Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™— Source: Travel Outlook

About Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center™

Given its progressive approach to the voice channel – in terms of performance, training, transparency, testing and the tools used to measure performance – Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center™ is the leading voice reservations team in hospitality. Travel Outlook's valued client list includes Viceroy Hotel Group, Curator, Outrigger, KSL Resorts, Proper Hospitality Group, Pacific Hospitality Group, Atlantis, The Irvine Company, Catalina Island, and many others. Travel Outlook's team and approach increases sales conversion and helps to create more effective voice communication between hotels and their guests, resulting in improved social scores in addition to increased voice channel revenue. www.traveloutlook.com.

Raul Vega
President - LEVEL 5 Hospitality