GenAI Can Enable Better Customer Service

From seamless customer service and journeys to inconsistency in omnichannel conversations, the travel industry faces challenges that can be solved by technologies such as genAI, says Jörg Malang, SVP Customer Experience & Omnichannel at DERTOUR Group Deutschland.

“Inconsistency is a problem. It makes your customers feel as if they are talking to different companies instead of only one. Also, having them explain the nature of their enquiry again and again and re-enter information is a real pain,” says Jörg Malang, SVP Customer Experience & Omnichannel at DERTOUR Group Deutschland.

Jörg is the Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at DERTOUR, where he oversees the entire guest journey, from inspiration and booking to arrival at the destination. He is responsible for managing customer interactions across multiple touchpoints and supporting DERTOUR teams in enhancing customer satisfaction.

Passionate about leveraging technology to influence customer behaviour, Jörg talks about traveller feedback, mistakes in omnichannel strategies, and the CX challenges in the travel industry.

Excerpts from the interview:

What is the biggest CX challenge and opportunity in your industry?

A truly seamless customer journey is, in most cases, still wishful thinking. ‘Seamless’ requires personalisation, a valid data strategy and mass customisation in a cost-efficient way. At the same this is an opportunity: never before technology was able to enable customer experience in such a way. The digital adoption of our customers is growing, and this gives us great opportunities.

How do you see generative AI impacting CX solutions?

Generative AI is a bit hyped. But yes, if done well, I see it as an enabler for better service. Technology can perform repetitive tasks, freeing up our employees to spend valuable time with our guests in a personal way. Without genAI, this would be an even bigger cost challenge than it is now.

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What are the new approaches to collecting traveller feedback?

Obviously, the NPS is still alive. You can derive a lot from the NPS comments. Sentiment analysis is becoming increasingly relevant. You need to have a process to promptly react if something is going wrong with your customers. But at the end of the day, it is all about retention. How many customers stick with you? This is the only KPI that eventually matters.

What are the common mistakes that brands make with implementing omnichannel conversations?

Inconsistency is a problem. It makes your customers feel as if they are talking to different companies instead of only one. Also, having them explain the nature of their enquiry again and again and re-enter information is a real pain.

What emerging tech excites you the most?

We will see a lot of exciting genAI-enabled use cases coming up. But also the potential of big data for mass customisation is to be unlocked.

Catch Jörg, a speaker, at the CX NXT Summit in Berlin on 23 October. For more details and registration, visit here.