Ask Alister: Getting Started with AI – No Jargon, Just Answers

Q. Everyone is talking about AI, and I know it is going to impact my business and need to get on board, but I don’t know where to start?

A. AI might sound like something from a sci-fi film, but as we hear every day, it’s already transforming business at large including business travel. There’s no need to panic but it is important to get an approach in place now before your competitors get ahead of you.

Our advice, don’t focus too much on the word AI or what that means, just think ‘what would make my business better?’ especially in terms of improving and optimising your processes. Most of these processes are often repetitive, manual and open to error. When you have made a list of what could be better, take a look to see what AI solutions are out there. You’ll often find when looking that the potential solutions can help with other issues you hadn’t even thought of. There, you’ve started!

Q. We are a service-based organisation, our people are our service, so I don’t want to diminish this service and get rid of our team.

A. This isn’t about getting rid of your team, it’s about freeing them up to deliver even better service. For example, you could use AI to triage all your inbound emails, WhatsApp or other communications. It can even automatically answer the more regular queries about flight times, costs or changes as well as ensure the highest priority items are dealt with quickest.

That means, rather than your team members having to go into every email or message to understand the context and act, you can have them delivering personalised recommendations, nurturing relationships and focused on a real VIP experience. AI can be like having a very efficient, reliable junior team member. 

Q. OK, but when do I need to start thinking about this

A. Now is the simple answer, this technology is being adopted across industries, your client will be adopting internally and the travellers will be engaging with AI across their consumer lives.

So, rather than wait for them to demand it, if you start adopting now, clients will see you as forward thinking and experience your great service get even better. The good news is that it’s not an either/or, if you get this right, it will increase service quality and reduce costs.

Q. Where do I start?

A. The obvious place to start is in your customer facing operations, this is where Lokulus can help. We are experts in Customer Service technology and work closely with the Business Travel industry. Come and see us at the TravelTech Show or message us — we’ll talk you through it all, show you a live demo, and help you see how AI could fit into your world.

For the Business Travel Magazine's TMC Special, click here. For more information on the Lokulus Travel solution, head to https://lokulus.com/travel/