Miami International Airport Chatbot Uses Qualtrics to Reduce Traveler Inquiries By 50%

With Qualtrics, MIA digital marketing team reduced average resolution time to mere minutes even as 10% more travelers pass through the airport compared to pre-pandemic.

Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the experience management (XM) category, announced that Miami International Airport (MIA) chose Qualtrics Social Connect to develop an award-winning chatbot called “Mia” to assist with customer service inquiries and monitor social channels in order to anticipate travelers’ questions and needs before they even arrive at the airport. Recognized as J.D. Power’s Best Mega Airport in North America for passenger satisfaction in 2021, MIA was able to reduce its average customer service resolution time to less than 10 minutes and keep travelers informed and up to date throughout the pandemic and beyond.

“Digital customer support became a priority for many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Miami International Airport showcased just how essential it is to maintain effective communication with travelers”

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Mia automates responses to customer service inquiries and COVID-19 concerns

The air travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic as travel restrictions left planes grounded and gates empty. Ever-shifting travel guidance and safety requirements brought a deluge of questions from concerned passengers and many turned to social media platforms with their inquiries, which threatened to overwhelm the airport’s social team.

In early 2020 as the pandemic unfolded, MIA’s Digital Marketing team used Qualtrics Social Connect to develop its Mia chatbot and quickly programmed it with answers in both English and Spanish to travelers’ most frequent questions related to the pandemic. Almost immediately, the airport cut the number of inquiries to its social channels nearly in half, freeing up its social team to respond more quickly to more complex passenger requests.

“Qualtrics Social Connect has enabled our digital marketing team to stay ahead of the game and address travelers’ evolving needs throughout the pandemic and now during our busiest periods,” said Ralph Cutié, MIA Director and CEO. “With our award-winning chatbot automating responses and the social listening capabilities informing it all, our team can quickly zero in on the most critical customer needs and anticipate the information that we can proactively share to make the biggest difference in our travelers’ experience.”

Arming digital teams with data to better meet travelers’ needs during hectic 2022 travel season

Now, as passengers return to the skies in droves, the travel industry is struggling with post-pandemic resilience. MIA is using social analytics to keep up. The MIA digital marketing team continues to use Qualtrics Social Connect to analyze the inquiries received over its social channels and via the Mia chatbot to help inform what gets shared on the airport’s website and social media properties, helping MIA anticipate travelers’ issues and respond more quickly during a disruptive event like a major storm or ground stoppage.

Qualtrics Social Connect combined with the advanced conversational analytics of XM Discover enables the airport to spot and respond to potential issues, trends and common questions by analyzing direct messages and social media interactions alongside public-facing social data like mentions, keywords, engagement, reach and comments. After finding that passengers frequently had questions about parking availability and pricing, the MIA social team now proactively alerts travelers via the chatbot and social channels when availability in the parking garages becomes scarcer, encouraging passengers to take alternative means to the airport during busy travel weekends.

While the chatbot handles a majority of travelers’ questions, many still require an agent’s assistance. The customer care team uses the data from Qualtrics Social Connect to create approved scripts and responses with links to relevant information that automatically populate based on keywords from a customer’s question, saving agents time to respond to customer needs faster. With 10% more passengers taking to the skies from MIA in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic, the solution is critical to maintaining smooth operations at the airport.

“Digital customer support became a priority for many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Miami International Airport showcased just how essential it is to maintain effective communication with travelers,” said Fabrice Martin, head of product for Qualtrics Customer Care. “With Qualtrics Social Connect, MIA better understands and delivers on its travelers’ expectations and desires for timely updates and customer service, building loyalty and trust during a challenging time for the industry.”

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