Niël Terblanché
Namibia’s premier tourism operator, Gondwana Collection has made history by taking a giant leap into the future by employing the very first Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered customer care consultant.
“GECCO (Gondwana Electronic Customer Care Operative) was developed in response to the growing volume of customer messages. The automated consultant aims to provide prompt and accurate answers to clients’ questions, thereby improving overall customer service levels,” Christiaan Jacobie, a member of Gondwana’s Public Relations Department said.
He said that GECCO is constantly learning and evolving to provide reliable information.
“While it may not be perfect in answering subjective questions, it sources factual data from our “Grounding” software and database. GECCO was designed primarily to answer Gondwana-related queries with over 95 percent accuracy. However, it can also provide information about Namibia, though with slightly less accuracy. Our team will be working continuously to enhance GECCO’s performance in this area,” he said.
According to Jacobie, GECCO is capable of communicating in multiple languages, including English, Afrikaans, German, French, and Italian, to better assist our diverse clientele.
“If an instance arises where GECCO cannot answer a question or if a potential problem arises, our decision-making software will promptly redirect the conversation to a human consultant,” he said.
He added that Gondwana understands that some clients may prefer to speak directly with a real consultant.
“To accommodate this, we have included a “Connect to Consultant” button at the bottom of every response form from GECCO. By clicking this button, clients can easily connect with a Gondwana consultant,” he said.
Jacobie said that Gondwana is committed to providing exceptional customer service and believes that GECCO will play a significant role in enhancing the company’s client experiences.
“We welcome any feedback as we continue to refine and develop this innovative AI consultant,” he added.
He said that the chatbot is able to provide personalised recommendations based on customer preferences and interests, ensuring that their travel experience is tailored to their needs.
He added that GECCO is trained to assist with booking availability and provide helpful information about travel destinations, accommodation, car rentals, transfers, and activities. GECCO can also answer frequently asked questions and provide solutions to common problems.
“As part of Gondwana’s commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest travel policies, procedures, and trends, GECCO is continuously learning and evolving,” Jacobie said.
He pointed out that GECCO’s messaging is designed to use clear and concise language that is easy for customers to understand. It will ensure that customers receive the information they need in a way that is easy to digest and comprehend.
According to Jacobie, GECCO has specific features and functionalities that make it an effective and efficient AI consultant.
“One of the key features of GECCO is its integration with Gondwana’s CRM system Hubspot. This integration enables consultants to monitor AI responses without switching systems, allowing them to seamlessly carry on a conversation with customers without asking for the same information. This integration also enables Gondwana to collect and analyse customer data to improve customer service,” he said.
He added that GECCO uses advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms to understand and interpret natural language queries from travellers.
“This means that GECCO can handle complex sentence structures and understand the context of the user’s query, providing more accurate and relevant responses,” he said.
Jacobie said that GECCO is also integrated with the various Gondwana booking systems, providing travellers with real-time information on availability and rates. This integration ensures that customers receive accurate and up-to-date information, allowing for more informed decision-making.
According to Jacobie, GECCO will always be available to answer customers’ queries and provide assistance at any time, ensuring that customers receive prompt and reliable service, regardless of the time of day.
He said that the back-end design of the chatbot enables the team to collect feedback from users to improve its responses and provide better assistance in the future.
“GECCO’s training is passive and supervised by our team to ensure that it continues to evolve and improve over time,” he said.
He added that the Gondwana Business Integration Team is currently in the process of developing an integrated APP to offer the services of their AI Chat consultant to the tourism industry, opening this automated chat functionality to all companies, big or small.
