Rose, the concierge chatbot of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, has delivered on her initial vision to drive more direct bookings, and will soon be linked to the hotel's loyalty programme. Pamela Whitby finds out more

When The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas decided to invest in a chatbot concierge back in 2016, there was a very clear vision.

“We were looking for a way to connect directly with customers, especially OTA or third-party customers who might book our hotel through companies like Expedia or Travelocity,” says Mamie Peers, Vice President, Digital Marketing, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

In essence, through Rose the team wanted to create a relationship with customers so that when they returned they would choose to book direct. For a hotel with 3,000 rooms, 21 restaurants, over 12 retail outlets, three distinctive pools, an eclectic art collection and more, an AI-driven bot seemed a great way to give guests an unique, VIP concierge experience to all customers. Rose is proving that she is a more engaging way for guests to explore the resort than an in-room brochure or television.

She is, indeed, “the answer to the question you never asked’.

Straight out of the starting block, in January 2017, Rose was able to answer 80% of all guest queries, with the remaining 20% diverted to customer service agents. Aside from requests for basic services, like more towels or a toothbrush, the most common query, says Peers, has been: ‘What should I do tonight?’ 

According to Peers, who will be speaking in Las Vegas, not only has Rose delivered on the original vision, but also on a number of others, an outcome that can be backed up by data. “She is delivering on transitioning many guests into direct customers,” she says.  

In 2017:

• 7% of all guests who checked in engaged with Rose
• 11% return to Cosmopolitan
• 43% of those who return book direct

Another key metric is how much individuals spend at the resort, and how happy they are when they leave. Guests that engage with Rose spend 30% more than guests who don’t, and are 33% happier when they leave.

Guests that engage with Rose spend 30% more than guests who don’t, and they are 33% happier when they leave.

Brand power

While any hotel can invest in an AI-driven or keyword based bot to quickly deliver a functional service, Peers argues that for the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan, it was absolutely crucial to reflect the hotel’s sassy, eclectic ‘personality’. “We aim to achieve a level of connection with the guest that feels distinctly ‘cosmopolitan’. To be distinct from a service perspective a bot needs to be more than transactional, to be a personality,” says Peers, who chose to work with Chicago based digital agency R/GA to achieve this.

Personality Rose has in spades. Naturally, guests want to test how the bot works, and over hundred have done so by telling Rose they love her. To which her response is:

Creating a frictionless experience was another top priority, explains Peers, and when guests arrive at the front desk they are introduced to Rose. Her number can be found on the hotel key card and, once they have accepted her terms and conditions, customers are immediately able to text her; there is no need to download an app.

Something to consider is this, says Peers: “Not many organisations have all their data services in the cloud, and not all are API based. So, you might have to make an investment to update some of your core systems so can the bot can easily solve problems for you.”

Loyalty programme link up  

Rose continues to evolve and in the next few weeks, she will be linked to the hotel’s loyalty programme to service top-tier customers. Guests will be able to ask Rose out how many points they have and what offers are available; direct links will be embedded to those.

Being able to service a customer via text message feels far more personal

This reflects what guests are asking for. “A lot of loyalty programmes have apps. But being able to service a customer via text message feels far more personal and is what our hosted customers are accustomed to,” says Peers, explaining that in a casino there are often ‘hosts’ who deliver a high-level of personal service to guests.

So soon Rose will be able to do just that. “Extending Rose to offer a more personal level of service in the hotel and casino is going to be a lot of fun,” says Peers.

And fun for a brand like The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is what it is all about.

Join us in Las Vegas October 18 – 19 to hear more from Mamie Peers about how they are driving loyalty with Rose