Kenya Airways answers customer questions instantly with a customized chatbot during these uncertain times

June 15, 2020

Last updated: January 20, 2021

2 Min read

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Henry Obare

Head of IT, Kenya Airways

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As COVID-19 spread, many countries began closing their borders during the month of March, and our call center staff were handling an unusually high number of queries from customers regarding flight cancellations. To address the dramatic increase in call volumes, Kenya Airways engaged our long-standing partner, Amadeus, to implement a chatbot on our kenya.com homepage - available in both mobile and desktop screens.

Amadeus quickly responded to our call, and an implementation team was set up within one week. The project teams from both Amadeus and Kenya Airways held daily project meetings and within two weeks, we went live with a lighter version of theAmadeus Chatbot for Airlines.

By default, the Amadeus chatbot covers several use cases like FAQs, book a flight, manage my booking, get a boarding pass, or acknowledgment and rebooking of a disrupted flight. The initial customized version of the chatbot covers frequently asked questions around travel during COVID-19 such as: is it safe to fly or how can I cancel my flight. This is exactly what we needed, as the bulk of new queries we were receiving were specific to the situation derived from the pandemic.

The solution has proven very helpful in this context as it provides immediate assistance 24/7, allowing travelers to find answers instantly, through natural conversations, so they don’t have to spend hours on the phone to reach an agent. This reduces the stress of agents at our call centers who are under high pressure to handle an enormous number of phone calls and simultaneously enhances the experience for our customers by offering a convenient, smart channel.

Within the first month, one in four unique visitors engaged with the chatbot, currently available for queries in English, answering more than 73,000 questions. We now have plans to upgrade to a multi-lingual chatbot and enhance its functionalities to include booking, ticketing, and servicing.

We are very pleased to be the first African carrier to adopt this solution, as we believe in offering our customers value through innovative technology. Moving forward, chatbots will only become increasingly relevant– ultimately, automating the most frequent questions means agents can prioritize their time to focus on the more complex issues. They are already a trend around the globe, especially with the younger generations. Chatbots also allow us to engage with our travelers and meet their demands. By increasing customer satisfaction, we will also boost loyalty which will be essential to strengthen our position in the longer term when travel demand returns.

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