New HeyGuest data reveals how guests really interact with AI – with nine in 10 enquiries resolved without human intervention and some callers even asking AI how its day is going.
New hospitality data is giving operators fresh insight into how guests are actually using AI, suggesting that getting the job done quickly and accurately matters more than whether they are speaking to a person or technology.
Analysis of thousands of guest interactions by conversational AI platform HeyGuest shows that guest frustration with AI falls from 5% to just 1% once an enquiry is successfully resolved, while overall customer frustration stands at just 1.5%. Around 90% of guest enquiries are resolved by AI without human intervention.
The way guests interact with AI is revealing too. Some callers even ask “How are you today?”, suggesting increasingly natural interactions with the technology.
David Charlton, Managing Director of HeyGuest, said: “The hospitality industry has spent years asking whether guests are ready for AI. Our data suggests we’re asking the wrong question.
“What matters is whether guests can get what they need quickly and easily. If they can make a booking, check the menu or find out where to park without waiting for someone to answer the phone, most simply aren’t concerned that AI has handled the interaction.
“We’re transparent from the outset that guests are speaking to AI, but once people realise it can actually help them, the technology quickly becomes secondary to the experience.”
The data also provides insight into what guests want help with. The five most common information enquiries relate to opening times, parking, location and directions, menus and dietary requirements, and pricing.
Around 10–15% of inbound calls are information enquiries rather than reservations, while one in 10 hospitality calls arrives between 11pm and midnight, demonstrating that guests want access to practical information at all hours.
Personalisation is also making interactions more intuitive. Where a guest’s telephone number is already held within an operator’s CRM, AI can recognise a returning customer and offer a personalised greeting.
At one hospitality group using HeyGuest, the AI saved more than 2,000 hours of staff time over 12 months, the equivalent of around two full-time roles, and approximately £40,000 in labour costs. Across HeyGuest interactions, calls are typically handled in under two minutes.
David continued: “When you look at what guests are actually asking, much of it isn’t complicated. They want to know when you’re open, where to park, what’s on the menu or whether you can accommodate a dietary requirement.
“If technology can handle those routine interactions quickly and accurately, hospitality teams can spend more time delivering the human experiences that really matter.”
With one in 10 calls arriving between 11pm and midnight, AI can also respond when venue teams may no longer be available, helping operators reduce missed opportunities and provide a more consistent service around the clock.
David added: “Hospitality has always been about meeting guests where they are. Whether someone chooses to call, use webchat, send an email, message on WhatsApp or get in touch through social media, they expect the same fast and seamless experience.
“That’s why AI can’t operate in silos. It needs one brain across every channel, so every interaction shares the same knowledge and understanding of the guest. Get that right and AI simply becomes part of delivering great hospitality.”
For more information about HeyGuest, visit HeyGuest.
