Fritz-Lauterbad is a lifestyle design hotel located in the Northern Black Forest in Lauterbad near Freudenstadt. Winner of the German Design Award 2020, it stands out due to its extraordinary combination of urban modernity and authentic naturalness. The concept: metropolitan flair meets Black Forest coziness.
“At the beginning, after the reopening, we experienced this incredible hype. We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails. Thankfully, I met Olga at the HSMA event. We discussed DialogShift's chatbots. I was immediately captivated and thought it was a great idea. I integrated the bot right away,” reports Steffen Schillinger, the hotel director, about the early days of working with Chatbot Fritz.
Chatbots offer many opportunities for the hospitality industry. They relieve staff by answering a large portion of inquiries 24/7, in any language. 80% of hotel inquiries are repetitive. The time saved by staff using a digital helper can then be used to better serve guests. “We are really doing well with it. We have saved a tremendous amount of time, and we have outsourced many repetitive questions. We are quite happy,” summarizes the hotel director in our conversation after three-quarters of a year of collaboration.
It’s not just Steffen Schillinger who thinks his new addition is doing a great job. The numbers show how diligently Bot Fritz works every day. The chatbot communicates monthly with 1000 to 1500 users. 40% of users start a booking in the chatbot and are directed to the booking system.
More than 70 percent of questions in the chat are related to bookings or are booking-relevant. A good chatbot ensures that guests quickly get the information they need to make their booking decision. They then book directly from the chatbot. Guests at Fritz Lauterbad encounter the chatbot on the website, Google Chat, Facebook, and Straiv—Fritz is hard to miss!
In the journey emails and in Re:Guest, a link is included that directs guests with questions to the chatbot. This also automates the response to recurring questions at this stage of the guest journey.
Chatbot Fritz can also be found on printed products through a QR code. According to Steffen Schillinger, the communication traffic has significantly decreased. Despite all the hard work, Fritz still manages to keep things fun.
Fritz Lauterbad has done many things right with its chatbot, earning it the status of one of our Chatbot Superstars! This hotel from the Black Forest has significantly improved accessibility for its guests. At many points along the Guest Journey, they can easily contact the hotel. The bot responds automatically, relieving the team. It's a win-win for everyone!
"At our hotel, it's 'employees first.' We strive to protect, push, and promote our team. At the same time, we aim to avoid stressful burdens, which we also manage through an automated chatbot and many other digital options that save time," says Steffen Schillinger.
We are thrilled with the collaboration and look forward to what’s coming next! More information about Fritz Lauterbad and its hotel director can be found in the exciting portrait about Steffen Schillinger.
