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The signs in public transport companies are pointing to digitalisation and automation. From regional trams, buses or boats to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) - the timetables are coordinated and the connections can be checked online on the website or in the app. Of course, delays are displayed there in live mode and in real time, including possible alternative connections or track changes. If questions arise about the timetable, tickets or services, the answer can probably also be found online in the Q & A section. The «traveller» also buys his/her ticket on the mobile phone via app.
Just as banks, for example, are increasingly shifting their services to online offerings and steadily reducing on-site services, the number of customer counters or ticket offices (ticketerias) of transport companies is also being gradually reduced and replaced or supplemented by website and app offerings.
So is digitisation in this industry already completely finished and institutionalised? And are the passengers already entirely happy with the service offered? We think there is still room for improvement! A digital employee or chatbot would be the famous icing on the cake. In this article, we show you why and how this is possible.
The chatbot steps in as an online advisor
With the closure of many on-site advice centres and ticket offices, the online services on the website or in apps have been greatly expanded. Many common questions are answered in the Q & A area, and numerous services and offers for which counter officials used to be the first point of contact can now be handled via online forms. The younger generation in particular can find their way around this online service without any major problems; the older generation, however, often has difficulty doing so. They lack the personal support and advice they used to get, for example, when filling out forms or calculating prices and creating the timetable for more complex journeys. This is where a digital counter clerk and helper can assist wonderfully.A chatbot is capable of supporting customers in many ways. It can...
- with the help of artificial intelligence, independently guide them through the entire form process and ensure that it is submitted completely and correctly.
- easily find out even complex ticket prices and directly display the right ticket, which can then be purchased digitally at the click of a mouse.
- efficiently link users directly to the right answer, page or form in the Q&A area as soon as they have entered their question in the chatbot window - no more long searches.
SBB, for example, uses a chatbot to advise passengers on the subject of subscriptions. Through its support, the chatbot also prevents many enquiries to the customer service or contact centre, because without additional support, many customers reach for the telephone if they do not reach the desired goal with the self-service online.
A chatbot is also the ideal complement to the digital offer of transport companies and can compensate for the loss of local advice centres with a positive customer experience.
Today, chatbots are already used successfully by airlines almost as standard and support passengers with frequent questions about the travel process or also with bookings, cancellations and rebookings. They make it clear that digital helpers are a great asset in the area of passenger transport. A chatbot is also the ideal complement to the digital offer of transport companies and can compensate for the loss of local advice centres with a positive customer experience.
If you want to optimise the service, you can also integrate the option of being forwarded to a customer service employee in the live chat during office hours if the bot is unable to help you (the SBB chatbot mentioned above also offers this option).
Support for request peaks in the event of disruptions
Chatbots are particularly helpful in the event of disruptions to normal operations, when for example
- public transport is blocked due to an operational disruption
- certain routes are interrupted
- there are long delays or
- the ticket app is not working.
For then, countless customer enquiries on the same topic are received at the same time, whether at the remaining local counselling centres, by telephone in the contact centre or by email.
A chatbot can be fed with the relevant current information at short notice and directly intercept a large part of the customers who are urgently looking for information or alternative solutions on the website or in the app and inform them so well that a large part of the enquiries do not reach the customer service employee at all. A big plus: a chatbot can advise and inform many users at the same time - long waiting times in the telephone queue, in the line at the counter or waiting for a reply email are completely eliminated.
Great added value for both sides
A chatbot therefore offers great benefits for passengers and helps them to get over the loss of the traditional ticket sales points, the ticketerias, and the local advice centres. But not only that, through digitisation with the inclusion of a chatbot, many services and processes are even more efficient than before. In many cases, customers save themselves the trouble of going to the ticket office or picking up the phone and can obtain and use the information and services they are looking for around the clock, and above all well in advance of their planned journey or trip, without having to wait.In this way, not only do passengers save a lot of time and possibly trouble, but employees also gain new time capacities that they can use for more complex enquiries and consultations for the benefit of customers.
The added value of the chatbot is by no means limited to the passengers. On the contrary, the employees of the transport companies also benefit enormously from the digital assistant:
- Customers who cannot find their way around the Q&A area on their own and used to contact customer service by phone or email are mostly served by the chatbot with the case closed.
- Counselling for simple cases is also eliminated to a large extent and is taken over by the digital employee.
- Especially at peak times in the event of malfunctions, the customer service team is massively relieved and does not have to repeat the same information over and over again.
In this way, not only do passengers save a lot of time and possibly trouble, but employees also gain new time capacities that they can use for more complex enquiries and consultations for the benefit of customers.
Use cases from other industries show that after a short time, around 30 % of customer enquiries that were previously received by phone or email can be redirected to the digital chatbot channel. What has already proven itself many times in many other industries, such as banks, insurance companies or even public authorities, also promises success for transport companies. Make sure to complement your digital offer on the website or in your app with a chatbot, thereby offering your passengers an even better customer experience and relieving the burden on your employees.We know our way around this field very well. Feel free to contact us if you would like to benefit from our experience from numerous projects!
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