The chatbot jungle is getting denser, and it’s easy to lose track. This is no surprise, as there are many excellent solutions available today with various functionalities, prices, and focuses. There’s something for every operation. But how do you find the chatbot that truly fits your hotel and your needs? We’ve gathered eight important questions to ask during your research to help you pick the optimal chatbot solution for your property. Let’s get started...

1. Is the chatbot tailored for the hospitality industry?

‍This is one of the most important questions you should ask any provider you’re considering. In general, generic chat products are not recommended for hotel operations. For the best results and a good customer experience, a sector-specific chatbot is necessary, with functionalities tailored to the hospitality industry. Ask if the chatbot is already “finished” or if you need to program it yourself or train the artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, both are associated with significant additional effort and often lead to unsatisfactory results. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a solution where the provider takes care of these steps. This way, you only need to connect and integrate the chatbot, and you’re good to go.

2. What is the automation rate?

‍The automation rate indicates the percentage of chat inquiries the bot can automatically answer. The higher it is, the more work hours you and your team can save. The automation rate heavily depends on the AI and language model of the chatbot. If the provider has an AI model specifically for the hospitality industry, hotel-specific questions are already programmed and pre-trained. The system can then automatically answer them. This also applies to languages. If the AI model runs in your most-used languages, the automation rate is significantly higher, and you benefit more from your chatbot.

3. Is it a purely automated system, or can guests also chat live with the team?

‍Even the best chatbots can’t handle all inquiries. What happens if a guest gets stuck with their question? There are two options here. The first option is to ask the guest to email or call you. This creates a break in the communication channel, potentially losing customers (and revenue) as many people find this frustrating. The second option is for the chatbot to hand over to your team when it can’t help. Your employees can then assist guests directly through live chat or call or write to them if necessary. This way, travelers always get help and enjoy good service from the start.

4. What are the booking options through the chatbot?

‍This is extremely important because guests use the website chat or the Google chat 50-70% of the time for booking inquiries. The best solution is to link the chat to your hotel’s booking engine. This allows guests to book directly through the chat. When implementing this, inquire about the booking flow design as it greatly impacts the conversion rate. Bookings through a dialogue involving multiple questions generally convert poorly, as guests often find this too cumbersome. Chats that use graphical elements, such as calendars for date selection, are much more popular as they are usually effortless to handle. Think of it like this: should the reservation process feel laborious like climbing stairs, or should guests comfortably slide into the booking engine? Lastly, you should get an idea of the expected results. Ask the provider about the chat’s open rate, how many booking inquiries are started, and how many are actually completed.

5. How user-friendly is the chatbot?

User-friendliness of a chatbot is crucial for a good guest experience and conversion rate. When researching, find out the following points:

• Access to the chatbot: Website visitors should have immediate access to the chatbot without needing to enter their email address first. Requiring this significantly lowers the usage rate as many people don’t want to “pay” with their email address for this communication.
• Genuine AI or just a rule-based bot? AI offers a higher degree of automation as it understands various forms of the same question (e.g., “When is breakfast?” and “What time is breakfast?”) and can match them to the correct answer.
• Dialogue management: Systems that function on a dead-end principle leave the user on their own at the end of a dialogue. Quick reply buttons and other interactive elements allow users to continue exploring in a playful manner. This increases the likelihood that guests will find answers to their questions and book rooms or additional services.
• Content: Ask if the texts were written or reviewed by a conversational designer. Users are much more satisfied when chatbots designed to perform human-like tasks also sound human-like. They also explore more and follow dialogue paths, for example, from breakfast to the restaurant to the bar. This deeper engagement with your offerings increases the likelihood of a guest booking. Nevertheless, inform your customers that they are interacting with a chatbot.

6. What CRM functionalities does the system offer?

‍No two chatbot systems are the same. This also applies to hotels and their needs. Therefore, consider whether you need a system that can send proactive messages across various messaging channels. Or do you want to use the bot solely for direct guest communication and prefer to use a CRM for other marketing messages and campaigns? The clearer your ideas are here, the easier it will be to choose the optimal system. While on this topic, also consider which chat channels you really need. You don’t have to be available on all messenger and social media apps. It’s enough to be present where your guests are active. This way, you avoid the cost trap of expensive systems with channels you don’t need.

7. What integration options are available?

‍Interfaces with other tools can make using your chatbot much more efficient. Again, consider what your operation really needs. Choose a product that meets your requirements but isn’t overloaded with functionalities and integrations you don’t need. This way, you avoid unnecessary costs. The best tool focuses on the essentials. This includes integrations with your booking engine, digital guest directory or guest app, or, if necessary, your PMS or CRM system. Also, check if enabling integrations costs extra and how long it takes.

How does the provider handle data protection?

‍Especially in the EU, data protection is a topic that guests and legislators take very seriously. Since guests sometimes share personal data in the chat, data protection is of particular importance. Therefore, choose a partner who is knowledgeable in this area and meets your requirements. Ask for a data processing agreement (DPA). For safety, also have the data protection officer in your company review it.

That brings us to the end of the eight questions you should ask when looking for your new hotel chatbot. In general, you should be clear about what is most important to you and what you really need. This will narrow your search significantly and help you avoid cost traps. Then take your time to look at several systems. Ask many questions and follow up. Take your time. After all, this is a central communication tool that many guests will use.

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