Published September 13th, 2021
Book me Bob, an AI chatbot developed by hoteliers for hoteliers, has launched in the UK, at a time when the industry is facing unprecedented high demand and staff shortages.
The chatbot was created in New Zealand in 2019, and has since expanded to operate in 12 countries, serving hundreds of hotels. It is a fast, efficient, and precise way of answering guest questions.
David Thompson, Book me Bob CEO and co-founder, commented: “Book me Bob has been developed by those working in the hotel industry, who understand the strains and pressures staff are under.
“Using a combination of AI and human interaction, the chatbot saves time, money and stress by answering more than 130,000 hotel-related questions via the hotel’s website, reducing the need for phone calls and email interactions. It enhances the guest journey, providing immediate access to information.”
After an initial setup period, Book me Bob works with a high degree of autonomy, constantly learning as interactions are made through the system. Users report a significant reduction in the volume of early-stage calls, meaning those who do call are better informed and ready to book.
Thompson continued: “We understand the industry’s concerns around staff wellbeing, which is particularly pertinent at the moment. The majority of hotels are suffering from the widely-reported staff shortages, and Book me Bob has been developed with this in mind.
“Our current client base has reported up to a 25% reduction in the volume of unqualified calls. By letting the chatbot handle online enquiries, staff are free to give more attention to qualified leads.”
Book me Bob offers tiered pricing, with customisable features depending on requirements and the size of the business. The full pricing structure can be seen on the website here: www.bookmebob.com/pricing.
Hotels currently using the system include the five-star, 715 room Park Central Hotel in New York, Landy Bay Hotel in Normanville, South Australia, the Swiss-Bel International Hotels Group, and many more across the globe.
Elizabeth Bradley, the UK director heading up the expansion of Book me Bob, said: “We’ve seen first hand how Book me Bob has had a positive impact on both staff and guests at hotels across the world, so I’m delighted we’re making this available in the UK for the first time.
“The chatbot is customisable, enabling clients to incorporate their own branding, choose an avatar, and create their own personality which matches the organisation’s tone of voice. It sits seamlessly on the website, and integrates into Facebook Messenger.”
In 2020, Book me Bob was selected for the Microsoft for Startups ‘Highway to a 100 Unicorns’ initiative, a highly competitive program which celebrates and supports startups in the Asia-Pacific region. Book me Bob was the only hospitality business to be selected.
Free demos can be booked via the website here: www.bookmebob.com/bookademo.
For more information, visit www.bookmebob.com.
