CASE STUDY: How Snowbird’s Virtual Assistant is Driving $150K in Projected Annual Assisted Revenue
In February 2020, in the middle of their busiest season, and just a month before COVID-19 put the world on pause, Snowbird -- a North American alpine resort destination – launched a partnership with Satisfi Labs to deploy a virtual assistant for its guests called Dog Chat.
Dog Chat has become an extension of the Snowbird brand first on their website and most recently on their mobile app. Programmed with Ski and Mountain resort-specific knowledge volume, the Dog Chat can answer inquiries in real-time, ranging from information on Snowbird’s COVID-19 safety protocols, ticketing, lodging deals, lift statuses, upcoming events, and much more. It also provides a reliable way for Snowbird to communicate with guests no matter the time of day or how busy phone lines are. Finally, the virtual assistant allows Snowbird to learn from the questions being asked, helping to inform future communication strategies and operational decisions.
Since its launch, the AI-powered virtual assistant has answered over 38,000 inbound messages from more than 19,000 unique users through the end of April. At its peak, Dog Chat handled 1,500 messages and assisted up to 860 guests in just one week. With Dog Chat in place, Snowbird has saved the equivalent of 30 workweeks of a staff member responding to each of these chat questions.
In addition to helping with day-to-day questions, virtual assistants can help hospitality brands communicate health and safety information early and often in the trip-planning part of the process to future guests. These assistants ensure that customers get their questions answered not just during pre-planning but at every stage of the customer journey.
Maximizing on-site revenue is also going to be necessary for destinations. This includes making sure the decision-making process is simple, streamlined, and safe. Contactless payment systems will grow in prevalence and with the adoption of this payment method, you'll start to see contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay be integrated at all touch-points, even through voice assistants.
Snowbird is seeing this happen right before their eyes. For example, 24% of all messages received by the Dog Chat have been ticket buying requests, which has allowed them to drive $150,000 in projected annual assisted revenue into the purchase funnel. Plus, Dog Chat has enabled Snowbird to free up call and email volume for their staff, allowing them to utilize more of their time to help on-site guests.
For tourism destinations that provide services to visitors from all over the world who plan their trips from multiple different time zones, having a system that can answer customer questions 24/7 is not just efficient, but also helps provide a positive customer experience and foster brand affinity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Don co-founded Satisfi Labs to redefine the way brands have conversations with their customers by connecting a broad range of clients with customized artificial intelligence-powered answer engine solutions. As CEO, Don uses an energetic and strategic approach to spearhead client development and new revenue initiatives. Don has used his expertise to secure collaborations with the most prestigious teams within MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, and MiLB as well as pioneer innovation across new sectors including retail, tourism and live events. Don has secured key strategic partnerships for Satisfi with the MLB, Red Light Management, Stadia Ventures, and a consortium of Broadway producers and theater owners, further enmeshing the company with key leaders in each of its vertical industries. The relationships he has nurtured and grown has allowed the company to meet major milestones and experience unprecedented growth globally.