At CapeHolidays, we recently faced an unusual challenge: a one-star review from someone who had never stayed with us. Enter Thomas P, our mysterious non-guest reviewer. Instead of getting defensive, we decided to take a creative approach with the help of AI. Here’s how it unfolded:
The Situation:
We received a one-star review from Thomas P, who had never stayed with us or done any business with CapeHolidays. Faced with this puzzling situation, we turned to AI for assistance.
Our AI Prompt:
“We’ve received a one-star review from Thomas P, who has never stayed with us or done any business with our company. How should we respond? Please craft the most humorous reply possible while still addressing the issue professionally.”
This prompt encouraged the AI to think creatively and humorously while maintaining a professional tone – a perfect blend for our unique situation.
The Review:
Thomas P: ★☆☆☆☆
Our AI-Assisted Response:
“Dear Thomas P,
Wow! A one-star review for a stay that never happened? That’s like winning the lottery without buying a ticket! We’re impressed by your ability to transcend space and time.
Was it the invisible bed bugs? The non-existent noisy neighbours? Or our phantom receptionist was too snarky.
We’d offer you a full refund, but we must figure out how to return imaginary money. Would you like us to compensate you for your next astral projection visit instead?
In all seriousness, if there’s been a mix-up, we’re all ears. We’re pretty good at hosting real guests, so we’d love a chance to turn that one star into five – in the physical realm, of course.
Until then, we’ll be here, polishing our crystal ball and working on our telepathic room service.
Cheers from the twilight zone,
The CapeHolidays Team
P.S. If you decide to stay with us someday, we promise a real five-star experience. Or at least a real experience. Baby steps, right?”
The Result:
Within hours of posting our response, Thomas removed his review. Our humorous, non-confrontational approach, crafted with the help of AI, allowed Thomas to recognise the mistake without feeling attacked.
Key Takeaways:
1. Humor disarms: A light-hearted response can defuse tense situations.
2. AI can enhance creativity: It helped us quickly craft a unique, engaging response.
3. Non-confrontational works: We addressed the issue without accusation or defensiveness.
4. Quick action matters: Responding promptly showed we take all feedback seriously.
By leveraging AI in our customer service, we turned a potential reputation crisis into a positive showcase of our brand personality. It’s just one way we use technology to enhance our guest experiences—real and imaginary!
Have you had success using AI in your customer interactions? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below!
By the way, an excellent FREE tool to use is Perplexity. Assume you have guests coming to explore Cape Town for the first time. It’s mom and dad with teenage kids wanting action. Just ask Perplexity. No ads. Just facts. See the ten fun actions things example here.