Solving Travel Woes: How AI Can Help Both Travelers and Contact Centers Stay Sane
By Chrissy Calabrese, 8x8, Director of Product Marketing, CCaaS
As the travel industry grapples with ongoing disruptions—from labor shortages to unexpected technology failures to hotel workers on strike—contact center support teams are increasingly feeling the strain. Travel season, particularly during peak times, exacerbates this pressure, leaving both customers and agents frustrated. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance customer experience (CX) efforts, especially in contact center operations, offers a solution that can ease this burden, enabling companies to maintain high levels of service even during the most chaotic times.
AI's potential to enhance customer support is substantial. By automating routine tasks and streamlining processes, AI allows organizations and their human agents to focus on more complex issues that require a personal touch. This balance between AI-driven efficiency and human empathy is key to delivering a customer experience that meets today’s high expectations.
The Benefits of AI in Travel Contact Centers
AI-driven solutions can handle common queries, provide instant responses, and escalate issues as needed, creating a faster and more efficient system and a reduction in overall wait times. For example, AI-powered chatbots can offer 24/7 self-service support, ensuring that customers can access information or assistance when they want it on their channel of choice.
Moreover, AI can help alleviate the workload on contact center agents. Automating repetitive tasks, such as call summarization, transcripts and customer responses, allowing employees to concentrate on more critical issues, improving overall productivity and job satisfaction. AI can also proactively assist customers by sending automated updates on flight changes, delays, or cancellations, reducing the traditionally reactive nature of customer service and elevating the customer experience.
The Limitations of AI and the Necessity of Human Agents
Despite its many benefits, AI is not without limitations. Companies attempting to replace human agents entirely with AI risk alienating their customer base. For instance, Frontier Airlines’ decision to eliminate its customer service call center in favor of an all-digital approach resulted in the airline company being ranked last in customer service by JD Power’s May 2024 survey. Later that month, the company reinstated their phone support in a move to improve customer experience. The absence of human agents can lead to a lack of empathy and understanding, which are crucial in resolving customer issues, particularly in high-stress situations like travel disruptions.
Another notable example of AI's limitations is Air Canada’s chatbot, which created new policies that were not approved by the airline’s customer service team. This misstep underscores the importance of human oversight when deploying AI solutions. Without it, AI can potentially exacerbate rather than solve problems.
To harness the full potential of AI while mitigating its risks, companies should take a balanced approach. This involves deploying AI to handle routine tasks while ensuring that human agents are available to manage more complex interactions. It also requires continuous monitoring and updating of AI systems to prevent errors and maintain service quality.
The Future of AI in Contact Centers
Looking ahead, the integration of AI into contact centers will likely continue to evolve, with more sophisticated systems offering even greater efficiencies and specific use cases solving real-world problems. However, the most successful implementations will be those that complement, rather than replace, human agents. By maintaining a balance between AI and human interaction, companies can ensure that they provide a service that is both efficient and empathetic, meeting the needs of customers and employees alike.
As the travel industry continues to face challenges, AI's role in contact centers will only grow. Companies that can effectively merge AI with human support will be best positioned to navigate the complexities of the travel season, and deliver a world class experience for customers.