Chat2Concierge wins $100k grant
CAIRNS-BASED internet marketing service Chat2Concierge has secured a $100,000 Advance Queensland’s Ignite program grant.
Chat2Concierge has been the only successful recipient of the grant program whose funding will be used to assist the far-northern tourism industry’s Queensland Tourism Boost initiative.
Chat2Concierge chief operating officer Karen Lloyd-Collins said the timing could not have been better. “It could not come at a more critical time for the tourism industry,” she said.
Ms Lloyd-Collins said the company’s competitive edge in winning the grant was purpose-built AI technology that serves as a platform for customer service teams to engage with website visitors the moment they are motivated to book or buy.
“We create a client-specific knowledge base that our service team use to interact quickly, effectively, and accurately with the client’s website visitors”, Ms Lloyd-Collins said.
“The end result is an online customer service solution that we know helps businesses increase revenue, attract more inquiries and gain more direct sales,” she said.
Ms Lloyd-Collins was confident that the AI software would give tourism businesses significant benefits, almost immediately.
“The first step for all travellers is to explore their options online and quite often this is outside business hours. However, our team are there 24/7 answering inquiries and capturing direct bookings for our clients,” she said.
“During business hours, our services also free up our client’s staff to attend other business needs. It also sends a clear ‘we are open and ready to welcome you’ message to customers,” Ms Lloyd-Collins said.
Great Barrier Reef tour operator Passions of Paradise has been using Chat2Concierge since 2017 and in December 2019 had more than 100 per cent growth in online inquiries, compared with 2017 and 2018, managing director and founder Alan Wallish said.
“The service has saved so much time spent on the phones, answering social media inquiries, and responding to emails, freeing up our staff to focus on delivering the Passions of Paradise experience,” Mr Wallish said.