Officials at Hilton Worldwide are always seeking better ways to connect with customers. They want to offer the best possible customer experience.
In that light, Hilton introduced predictive chat technology, powered by [24]7’s Customer Engagement Platform, which will deliver an intuitive and personalized online customer experience for its global hotel guests.
Hilton’s Reservations and Customer Care team comprises more than 3,000 reservation and guest assistance professionals who serve more than 34 million guests annually. Hilton implemented [24]7 Chat within its digital channels, ensuring that all guests who book directly on the company’s website receive the best possible experience online.
Mike Gathright, Senior Vice President of Global Reservations and Customer Care at Hilton Worldwide, told Loyalty360 that Hilton is always seeking new ways to make its guests’ travel experiences easier and more enjoyable.
“And that starts the moment they dream about a destination and book their trip,” Gathright explained. “When our guests search for hotels, many often have questions about the destination, the property, or its amenities. If we can answer their questions in real-time, we can deliver an enhanced customer experience, helping our guests have a more satisfying stay as they selected the best hotel for them. [24]7 Chat gives our reservation specialists the intelligence they need to understand our guests’ intent and know when to engage them and what to recommend in real-time.”
More and more guest engage with Hilton digitally, Gathright noted.
“In fact, since the launch of our “Stop Clicking Around” campaign earlier this year, our web traffic alone has increased nearly 10%,” he said. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to improve the digital customer experience for our guests. [24]7 Chat is one more example of how we’re fostering customer loyalty and driving guest satisfaction on our digital channels.”
Gathright noted that an exceptional online customer experience boils down to personalization, real-time communication, and a stress-free user experience.
“We’re able to deliver upon all three of these elements through [24]7 Chat, which enables us to predict what a customer is trying to do and use that information to deliver personalized service and recommendations to them,” he explained. “The result? We’re better able to surprise and delight our guests and more seamlessly serve their needs. Through [24]7 Chat, we can predict what a customer is trying to do and reach them with personalized recommendations and content based on that information. For example, our reservations specialists can determine if a guest is trying to compare luxury properties in New York City and share photos of the pools or king rooms within a single conversation thread to help them make an informed decision. The content our specialists share is all based on what the guest is looking for, making our recommendations highly personalized.”
Christopher Schyma, VP, Retail & Hospitality at [24]7, told Loyalty360 that [24]7 Chat is an enterprise chat solution that helps businesses predict what their customers are looking for and engages them in meaningful conversations.
“Unlike chat technology we commonly encounter, which offers up a generic ‘how may I help you?,’ [24]7 Chat actually examines a customer’s behavior as they navigate through a website and empowers agents with useful insights to provide better service,” Schyma said. “For example – is a guest is trying to compare room types, or browsing a property’s amenities?”
Schyma added: “This knowledge helps agents understand when to engage and what to recommend in real-time, so that all interactions are not only relevant, but, in fact, provide personalized assistance in key moments that matter.”