Anyone who knows me knows that Paris is my favorite city in the world. I love the noise, I love the energetic feeling in the air, I love the romantic cobble-stoned streets, and the way the arrondisments wind around each other allowing one to be in Montmarte, then after a quick walk experiencing the sites and sounds of the Eiffel Tower. I especially the love the food and wine, with the best culinary chefs and sommeliers making your meal perfect.
I was actually privileged to live in Europe for around 7 months. Luckily for me, I speak French so it was much easier to assimilate, ask locals for sightseeing and restaurant tips, and communicate better overall.
However, many people traveling to a foreign country don’t have the privilege of speaking the language fluently or even conversationally. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I had received better advice and visited more secluded spots in Spain, Italy, Germany, Etc. My inability to communicate left me confused and without anyone to properly explain what exactly I was taking a look at.
Tourism is a huge part of the travel industry, with individuals primarily going on vacation in order to learn more about local history, sample authentic local cuisine, with the hope of being able to eventually navigate the city themselves.
But how is one supposed to do this when they are surrounded by people they can’t communicate with? What if the native language is so fast or so foreign that even semi-fluent speakers don’t have a a clue what a person is saying?
This is where an Interactive Voice Response system can be of great assistance. Here at Plum, we have created walking tours of cities like Paris in order to allow visitors the most rewarding experience possible.
Users simply go online, download or print out a map, and then follow the walking directions to get to various locals throughout the city. Once a traveler has arrived, they need only call in to the specified number, and enter their location. From there they will be regaled with history, facts, tidbits, and information, in their native language, about the city they are visiting.
Instead of wondering why everyone is so excited about some statue, users can instead get 100% of the information spoken to them in their native language.
That way, instead of walking around a city aimlessly, confused and unable to efficiently converse with anyone, users can simply call in to get all the details they are seeking.
It is cost effective, in that customers need only call in from a phone, efficient in that sales reps don’t need to spend timing offering basic travel tips, and convenient, since the dialog can be easily repeated or reaccessed. This is a huge part of the travel and tourism industry that IVR can be of major assistance with!
