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A chatbot that guides guests throughout their stay at a vacation rental property, providing important details and assistance to ensure a seamless and pleasant experience.

CasaGuide is a prototype chatbot created for a rental accommodation located in the heart of Melbourne CBD, Casa Vina. The system is designed to provide guests with quick access to essential information, such as check-in/check-out instructions, property information, and local recommendations, while also offering real-time assistance with common guest inquiries. Guests can access 24/7 help with the chatbot, providing them with constant access to assistance (Cohen, 2023).

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Over the last few years, chatbot use has grown significantly in the hospitality industry. According to a January 2022 study, chatbots are expected to increase 53 percent in the hospitality industry that year (Statista, 2022).

Integrating a chatbot into a self-service rental property like Airbnb is crucial for enhancing both the guest experience and operational efficiency for hosts. In environments where face-to-face interactions are minimal, guests increasingly rely on technology to address their needs. Self-service has become a vital component of modern hospitality, widely adopted across hotels, inns, hostels, and vacation rentals, making chatbots a valuable tool in optimising guest support (Cloudbeds, n.d.).

"Hospitality is in the business of selling convenience. Today, most convenience happens through a smartphone." (Soler, 2023).

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The Iconic - an Australian online shopping retailer.

Tilly, The Iconic’s chatbot, effectively offers a range of options from the start, allowing users to quickly find what they need and enhancing their overall engagement. This thoughtful design makes it easier for users to navigate and quickly address their needs without delays. Incorporating emojis into the chatbot’s design enhances its intuitiveness and contributes to a more engaging user experience.

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In this case, the user would include guests staying at Casa Vina, the vacation rental property. This includes business travellers, families on vacation, and tourists who are seeking a convenient stay in Melbourne's CBD.

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Cloudbeds. (n.d.). How hotel self-service is transforming hospitality. Cloudbeds. https://www.cloudbeds.com/articles/self-service-hotel/

Cohen, S. (2023). AI chatbots in the hospitality industry: An in-depth guide. Upmarket. https://upmarket.cloud/blog/ai-chatbots-in-the-hospitality-industry-an-in-depth-guide/

Freepik. (n.d.). Friends traveling and discovering new places. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/friends-traveling-discovering-new-places_19122512.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=39&uuid=5af913ec-1c1d-4db0-af84-e2935a39cabd

Freepik. (n.d.). Hotel room. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hotel-room_4075652.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=21&uuid=5af913ec-1c1d-4db0-af84-e2935a39cabd

Soler, M. (2023). Hotels vs Airbnb: Winning the tech convenience game. Martin Soler. https://martinsoler.com/insights/2023/3/15/hotels-vs-airbnb-winning-the-tech-convenience-game?format=amp

Statista. (2022). Forecast: Annual percentage increase of hotels using chatbots by type worldwide. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1310836/forecast-annual-percentage-increase-hotels-using-chatbots-by-type-worldwide/

Talkative. (2023). Limitations of chatbots. GetTalkative. https://gettalkative.com/info/limitations-of-chatbot

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Voiceflow as a tool to create the chatbot. CasaGuide's chatbot will be primarily based on a provided knowledge.

Through Voiceflow, this knowledge base can be integrated into the chatbot's design, allowing it to efficiently provide guest information and handle various inquiries based on its training.

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Voiceflow helps teams build, launch, and scale AI Agents for any use case.

Trusted by 250,000+ teams building AI agents across every channel and use case:

Trilogy automates 60% of their L1 and L2 support tickets.

Their AI agent is powered by a curated knowledge base, integrates with Zendesk, and is embedded in the help centers of 90+ products.

Roam Auto saves 30 hours per week with Voiceflow.

Nick and team went from rigid out-of-the-box chatbot to a customized AI agent reduced total tickets and delivered a better customer experience.

We reduced ticket costs from $31 to $2.

A multi-knowledge base approach paired with a Zendesk integration resolves complex user questions, including code-first API questions from technical builders.

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The collaborative platform to build AI agents

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Voiceflow is the collaborative AI agent building platform for teams to design, develop, and launch chat and voice experiences at scale.

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Google Docs was the main tool for managing the knowledge base for the CasaGuide chatbot. Using this tool, I could collect, organise, and arrange documents needed to build the chatbot.

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https://creator.voiceflow.com/prototype/66b9cde806efa45a46522ced

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Design.com was used to create the CasaGuide logo, giving the chatbot a professional and attractive brand identity.

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Copyright © 2024 Design.com. All Rights Reserved.

All individual works are copyright protected by their respective owners & contributors. Design.com is handcrafted from around the world

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Design & branding made easy - make your logo, business card and social designs in seconds, then download instantly.

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Challenge: Ensuring the chatbot could understand and answer different user questions effectively.

Solution: Developed advanced Natural Language Processing algorithms and trained the chatbot on FAQs and common guest questions. Feedback and user interactions were used to continuously refine the NLP models.

Challenge: Identifying the typical questions and concerns guests might have during their stay at a vacation or short-term rental can be quite challenging.

Solution: Reviewed feedback from past guests of similar properties and explored common questions on travel forums like Reddit.

Challenge: Mapping the FAQs

Solution: Categorise questions into relevant sections and develop a detailed FAQ structure. A hierarchical map of FAQs was created, with clear headings and subheadings for easy navigation.

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Melbourne Airport Chatbot.

With its key features, the Melbourne Airport chatbot offers practical, real-time solutions to the most common challenges faced by travellers. I find this chatbot is user friendly and very straightforward.

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1. Extend service features: Integrate technology with booking management and personalised recommendations to meet the evolving needs of guests.

2. Increasing system integration: CasaGuide can be integrated with a number of services to provide a better guest experience. Among these services are providing information and bookings about events and activities, integrating transportation options like ride-sharing apps and public transit, and giving recommendations and making reservations around dining and shopping options.

3. Multilingual capability: This process involves designing features that accommodate multiple languages and ensuring accurate translations through professional services, which can significantly benefit international tourists.

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There were limitations encountered during the development process and in the overall usability of the chatbot.

A chatbot's creativity is limited by the fact that it is restricted by parameters and follows a set script (Talkative, 2023). Consequently, chatbots are ineffective for situations requiring personalised solutions because they often provide generic responses to complex problems.

It can be resource-intensive and technical challenges to expand CasaGuide's capabilities, such as by adding response details or broadening its services. The chatbot must also be up-to-date with the latest property information, guest requests, and local recommendations on a regular basis. A lack of consistent updates and oversight might lead to CasaGuide sharing outdated information, affecting the guest experience.