"Thanks to our digital tools, I get to work from Madeira for a few weeks every winter. After the bot went live, I was initially not on site. When I returned, I wondered: Is something wrong with our phone system? It feels like the phone isn't right," recalls Tini Diekmann about the beginnings of working with Chatbot Odi. Tini was the one who took over the integration of the digital helper. "And then it turned out that we just get called less often because of Odi," she found out. Olga Heuser, founder and CEO of DialogShift, says: "The Oderberger has had bot success on all levels."
The diligent Odi automatically answers 3,000 to 4,000 questions a month. Every third person who uses the bot initiates a booking. The automation rate of the digital helper is over 95 percent. With this top performance, Odi not only keeps the Oderberger team happy but naturally us as well. "That's exactly what chatbots are for," finds Olga Heuser.
She is particularly positive about the collaboration with the Berlin hotel because the bot is very well accepted by the team. The Oderberger staff respond incredibly quickly to live chats handed over by the bot. 70 percent of questions are answered within ten minutes in live chat by a staff member. This ensures short waiting times and thus faster booking decisions.
"70 percent of questions are answered within ten minutes in the live chat by a staff member."
Additionally, Chatbot Odi appears in the journey emails of the historic hotel. This means that guests have another chance to clear up any outstanding questions with the chatbot shortly before their trip begins. Linking the bot in journey emails, on printed products, or similar communication tools, or equipping it with a QR code, is a straightforward way to keep the chatbot easily accessible to guests.
“We created Odi as a team. We practically created the avatar together. The name was chosen by the team, and we voted on the look as a team. It's very important to involve colleagues from the reception in the entire process,” concludes Tini Diekmann from her experiences. “That's a tip I'd gladly pass on. The first thing staff might think when they hear about a chatbot could be: Okay, we're getting a chatbot, and then a front-office position will be eliminated. We've shaped it differently through very positive and open communication. Odi isn't a competitor; he's a colleague of ours.” Verena Jaeschke also looks back proudly and satisfied on the kickoff with the chatbot. “I believe the way Tini approached and implemented the project has ensured high acceptance.”
"It's very important to involve the reception colleagues in the entire process—Odi is not a competitor, but a colleague of ours."
According to Tini Diekmann, the extensive questionnaire that needed to be filled out before the chatbot went live was significant, but the effort is worth it. "What I think is important is that the chatbot project doesn't end once the questionnaire is completed. It's also crucial to keep the questions up to date. We have trained the front-office manager and the guest relations manager also continually adds new keywords and questions. It's a living project. That's the good thing about it because it stays so flexible and adaptable." It's true - the chatbot project is ongoing. We look forward to seeing what Tini Diekmann, Verena Jaeschke, and the Oderberger have in store for us next!
Want more from the Hotel Oderberger? Here is a portrait of Verena Jaeschke und Tini Diekmann.
About the Hotel Oderberger:
Emerging from the renovation of a historic city bath, the Hotel Oderberger opened its doors for the first time in 2016 in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg. The stylish and authentic boutique hotel is a women-led family business in its second generation. The famous city bath is not only accessible to hotel guests but also makes the Oderberger a historic site with charm and recognizability.
