After two years of intermittent lockdowns caused by the pandemic, we have all seen how technology can empower us to continually connect with friends, communities, and the wider world. Technology has also enabled Trip.com Group to ensure we meet the needs of our users and business partners over the last two years.
In this article series #TripTechSolutions, we look at how our technology has helped us overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.
As the pandemic hit and travelers needed support, our Customer Service teams jumped into action. At the beginning of 2020, the volume of customer requests received by Trip.com Group soared to 10 times pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the traveler issues that our Customer Service agents and chatbots handled were more complicated than ever. Faced with all of these challenges, our customer satisfaction rate stands at an average level of 90% in 2021. The driving force behind our Customer Service has undoubtedly been our technology; enabling us to rise to the challenge delivering efficient and wholesome customer service experiences.
At the onset of the pandemic, as we saw more travellers in need, we implemented an immediate upgrade of our intelligent storage auto-expansion technology, so that even if we faced a surge of customer requests over 10 times our average levels, our system would remain flexible and stable.
In order to resolve the most pressing requests faster in times of large-scale emergencies, our Tech team also developed a new mechanism to automatically recognize and prioritize the most urgent cases. Using this technology, customers with the most pressing need are able to connect with our Customer Service staff first.
The abovementioned automatic prioritization mechanism is only one element of Trip.com Group’s AI technology development. Throughout the pandemic we have leveraged AI technology to resolve customer requests more efficiently and precisely.
- Our AI chatbot solves up to 70% of requests
Numerous customers have turned to our AI chatbot to solve booking problems during the pandemic. To accurately answer their questions, our Tech team upgraded the AI model of the chatbot in 2020, enabling it to automatically identify trending information in real time based on the most recent Covid policies and frequently asked questions. The technology also automatically updates the “frequently asked” section on a day-to-day basis, so that customers can easily find the right answers when they engage with the chatbot. With this improvement, customers can quickly self-solve over 70% problems via AI chatbot without the need to speak to a Customer Service agent.
AI Chatbot on Trip.com
- Seamlessly connecting customer requests with providers
Imagine you are about to begin your trip but the hotel you booked on Trip.com is yet to confirm the reservation for you, so you ask our AI chatbot to confirm the booking. In just a few minutes, you receive a confirmation message from the hotel. The secret behind such seamless service is our AI technology. When our AI chatbot receives your request for confirmation, it automatically routes this request to the hotel immediately without the need for Customer Service agents to intervene, which would inevitably slow down this process.
And now imagine if an earthquake, tornado, or other extreme weather event occurs when your flight is about to take off (fingers crossed this never happens!), so you hit the flight reschedule bottom on the booking page and choose a different departure date. In seconds, the flight provider will receive your reschedule information. In the past, customers needed to call customer service and possibly wait in line for some time, especially in times of large-scale emergencies. Now, Trip.com Group’s AI system can automatically send the request and relevant information directly to the airline, helping customers to reschedule their booking ASAP. This technology is currently being piloted across our platforms and will continue to be upgraded in the future. From current trials, it saves at least 10 minutes for both customers and Customer Service agents in solving a request.
- AI assistant tool for Customer Service agents
The pandemic has put our Customer Service staff on the frontline, as they work hard under mounting pressures to solve customer requests. Technology helps to relieve significant pressure on them by automatically solving simple and repetitive tasks. Trip.com Group’s AI Development team has created an assistant tool for service agents to automatically label and categorize requests when speaking with customers in real time. This function automatically summarizes countless cases related to flight and train bookings every day, saving customers’ and service agents’ time and energy, as well as accelerating case solving efficiency.
“The pandemic prompted us to enhance the efficiency of solving customer’s requests through AI technology, it has now become the key focus of our work. It is an exciting process exploring the many benefits this technology can bring to our customers and our business,” said Hui Zhou, Senior AI Algorithm Manager of Trip.com Group. Through our constantly-evolving technology, we guarantee to be there for our customers, especially during difficult times.
Check out other blogs in the #TripTechSolutions series:
How Our Tech Protects User Data
Inspiring and Informing Travellers