AutoCamp generates over $1.6 million while saving 15% in operational costs using HiJiffy
January 2021 – September 2024
$1.63M
in direct bookings
10K+
hours saved in the call centre calls
150K
conversations
88%
automation rate
Introduction
This case study explores how AutoCamp, a leading US-based outdoor hospitality brand, partnered with HiJiffy to enhance guest communication and booking processes. Faced with high call volumes and the need for greater efficiency, AutoCamp turned to HiJiffy’s AI Booking Assistant.
By automating routine inquiries and streamlining the booking system, AutoCamp freed its reservations team to focus on higher-value tasks and direct bookings. This collaboration also unlocked new revenue opportunities through enhanced upselling and cross-selling, leading to cost savings, increased direct bookings, and improved customer satisfaction.
The study highlights the transformative impact of AI technology in driving operational excellence and guest satisfaction, positioning AutoCamp as a leader in luxury outdoor accommodations.
The Client: AutoCamp
AutoCamp is a US-based hospitality brand known for redefining outdoor experiences with its unique accommodations. Best known for transforming Airstream trailers into luxurious guest suites, AutoCamp also offers modern canvas tents and cabins, providing diverse options that blend comfort with nature.
Each accommodation is designed to deliver a hotel-like experience, featuring amenities like spacious bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchenettes, all set in stunning natural locations. Central to each AutoCamp location is a clubhouse, serving as a vibrant communal hub with check-in services, a pool, fireplaces, and dining options. To further enrich the guest experience, AutoCamp partners with local outfitters to offer activities like hiking, mountain biking, and fly-fishing, ensuring guests enjoy both comfort and adventure.
Since its inception in 2015, AutoCamp has expanded to over 10 locations across the US, including iconic destinations like Yosemite and Zion National Park. With a focus on high-quality design, AutoCamp offers a distinctive, upscale alternative to traditional camping.
The Challenges
AutoCamp encountered several operational challenges that prompted the need for a robust guest communication platform like HiJiffy. These challenges included:
- High call volume
- Nature of calls: A significant number of inquiries were from potential guests seeking basic information, such as what AutoCamp is, whether guests can bring their own trailers, and other general questions.
- Impact: This led to inefficiencies, as many of these calls did not convert into direct bookings, consuming valuable time and resources without generating revenue.
- Nature of calls: A significant number of inquiries were from potential guests seeking basic information, such as what AutoCamp is, whether guests can bring their own trailers, and other general questions.
- Cost of operations:
- Expense of call centre: Operating a call centre was costly, particularly since phone bookings were the most expensive channel due to the need for human agents.
- Resource allocation: The high volume of non-revenue-generating calls distracted agents from focusing on securing direct bookings, negatively impacting overall productivity and profitability.
- Expense of call centre: Operating a call centre was costly, particularly since phone bookings were the most expensive channel due to the need for human agents.
- Need for automation:
- Desire for efficient solutions: AutoCamp required an automated solution to handle basic inquiries, allowing staff to focus on higher-value interactions and securing direct bookings. This solution also needed to reflect the brand’s voice and provide a personalised experience, rather than a generic automated response.
- Desire for efficient solutions: AutoCamp required an automated solution to handle basic inquiries, allowing staff to focus on higher-value interactions and securing direct bookings. This solution also needed to reflect the brand’s voice and provide a personalised experience, rather than a generic automated response.
- Limited upselling opportunities:
- Third-party experiences: Most upselling opportunities, such as events and experiences, were managed by third-party vendors, which were not integrated with AutoCamp’s systems.
- Revenue generation: The lack of an effective upselling strategy through the chatbot or automated systems limited the potential for additional revenue streams and opportunities to enhance direct bookings.
- Third-party experiences: Most upselling opportunities, such as events and experiences, were managed by third-party vendors, which were not integrated with AutoCamp’s systems.
Recognising these challenges, AutoCamp sought a solution that could not only streamline operations but also enhance guest interactions and drive direct bookings. This led to the implementation of HiJiffy’s AI Booking Assistant, a tailored solution designed to address these specific needs.
The Solutions
To overcome the identified challenges, AutoCamp partnered with HiJiffy to implement its AI Booking Assistant, a conversational AI solution crafted to optimise hospitality operations while maintaining AutoCamp’s unique brand voice. This strategic move addressed the following key objectives:
- Automated guest support for common inquiries:
- Handling basic questions: HiJiffy’s AI was equipped to address common inquiries such as what AutoCamp is, whether guests can bring their own trailers, and other basic information. By automating responses to these frequently asked questions, AutoCamp was able to reduce the volume of calls that required human intervention while ensuring the communication reflected the brand’s friendly and inviting nature.
- Freeing up call centre resources: With basic inquiries efficiently managed by the AI, the call centre staff could focus on more complex and serious inquiries, such as direct bookings and detailed guest requests. This not only improved the efficiency of the call centre but also allowed AutoCamp to maintain a consistent and personalised brand voice across all guest interactions.
- Handling basic questions: HiJiffy’s AI was equipped to address common inquiries such as what AutoCamp is, whether guests can bring their own trailers, and other basic information. By automating responses to these frequently asked questions, AutoCamp was able to reduce the volume of calls that required human intervention while ensuring the communication reflected the brand’s friendly and inviting nature.
- Cost reduction through booking operational efficiency:
- Lowering labour costs: By reducing the need for human agents to answer repetitive, low-value questions, AutoCamp significantly cut down on the operational costs associated with running a call centre. The AI’s ability to handle routine inquiries in a personalised, brand-consistent manner allowed for a more efficient allocation of resources, directly contributing to cost savings.
- Optimising staff efforts: The AI Booking Assistant enabled the AutoCamp team to redirect their efforts from answering routine inquiries to more strategic tasks, such as upselling stays, enhancing the overall guest experience, and focusing on converting inquiries into direct bookings. The personalisation of the chatbot ensured that even automated interactions felt warm and aligned with AutoCamp’s ethos of creating memorable, nature-driven experiences.
- Lowering labour costs: By reducing the need for human agents to answer repetitive, low-value questions, AutoCamp significantly cut down on the operational costs associated with running a call centre. The AI’s ability to handle routine inquiries in a personalised, brand-consistent manner allowed for a more efficient allocation of resources, directly contributing to cost savings.
- Enhanced direct booking experience:
- Seamless booking engine integration: HiJiffy’s AI was integrated into AutoCamp’s booking engine, guiding guests smoothly through the booking process. This seamless experience helped to increase the rate of direct bookings, ensuring that potential customers could easily transition from inquiry to reservation, all while feeling personally attended to by a brand that values customer experience.
- Seamless booking engine integration: HiJiffy’s AI was integrated into AutoCamp’s booking engine, guiding guests smoothly through the booking process. This seamless experience helped to increase the rate of direct bookings, ensuring that potential customers could easily transition from inquiry to reservation, all while feeling personally attended to by a brand that values customer experience.
By addressing these key areas with a focus on maintaining the brand’s identity, HiJiffy’s solutions resolved AutoCamp’s operational challenges and enhanced the guest experience, ensuring every interaction felt personal and aligned with AutoCamp’s values.
The Results
The introduction of HiJiffy’s AI Booking Assistant at AutoCamp not only streamlined operations but also ensured that the brand’s unique voice and ethos were preserved across all guest interactions. By automating routine inquiries while reflecting the friendly, inviting nature of AutoCamp, the reservations team was able to focus on what truly matters—providing exceptional service and driving direct bookings. The impact of these changes was both substantial and far-reaching:
- Automated guest support for common inquiries:
- Over 153,096 conversations handled automatically: The AI system efficiently managed these inquiries, reducing the need for high call volumes while maintaining AutoCamp’s brand voice. This freed up significant time for the call centre staff and allowed them to focus on more complex guest needs and direct bookings.
- Automation rate at 88%: With almost all routine inquiries managed by the AI, AutoCamp experienced a seamless and efficient guest interaction process, dramatically reducing the workload on human agents while ensuring that every interaction felt personal and in line with the brand’s ethos.
- Over 153,096 conversations handled automatically: The AI system efficiently managed these inquiries, reducing the need for high call volumes while maintaining AutoCamp’s brand voice. This freed up significant time for the call centre staff and allowed them to focus on more complex guest needs and direct bookings.
- Cost reduction through booking operational efficiency:
- 612,384 minutes (over 10,000 hours) saved in call centre calls: The AI’s ability to handle basic questions resulted in substantial time savings, allowing the reservations team to concentrate on securing bookings rather than addressing repetitive inquiries. The personalised nature of the AI interactions ensured that guests felt well-cared-for, even in automated exchanges.
- Internal savings of 10-15% in booking operational costs: These efficiencies translated to approximately $1 million in cost savings, significantly reducing the expenses related to running a call centre and enhancing overall profitability.
- New upselling and cross-selling opportunities: With more time available, the reservations team could also focus on upselling and cross-selling opportunities, offering tailored recommendations that boosted additional revenue streams within the existing structures.
- 612,384 minutes (over 10,000 hours) saved in call centre calls: The AI’s ability to handle basic questions resulted in substantial time savings, allowing the reservations team to concentrate on securing bookings rather than addressing repetitive inquiries. The personalised nature of the AI interactions ensured that guests felt well-cared-for, even in automated exchanges.
- Enhanced direct bookings experience:
- $1.63 millon generated in direct bookings with the chatbot’s help: The AI’s seamless integration with AutoCamp’s booking engine led to a smoother, more efficient booking process, resulting in a significant increase in direct bookings and a direct impact on revenue. The personalised and brand-consistent experience ensured that guests felt valued throughout the booking journey.
- $1.63 millon generated in direct bookings with the chatbot’s help: The AI’s seamless integration with AutoCamp’s booking engine led to a smoother, more efficient booking process, resulting in a significant increase in direct bookings and a direct impact on revenue. The personalised and brand-consistent experience ensured that guests felt valued throughout the booking journey.
With these developments, AutoCamp has reduced the workload of its reservations team and ensured every guest interaction aligns with the brand’s values. This shift shows how AutoCamp is effectively engaging with guests, paving the way for ongoing success and innovation in hospitality.
Testimonials
“HiJiffy has been a great partner of ours as we scale our outdoor hospitality brand across the country. Not only does the platform provide best-in-class automation, allowing our Guest Service team to spend more time on the phone with our guests, it has also proven to be an invaluable revenue-generating channel. Our team’s interaction with the platform could not be easier, as they are able to efficiently and effectively update info to ensure our guests are getting the best advice and information.
The ease of use also extends into the data that we use to better understand the performance of the platform and its impact on our organisation. Reports and dashboards are easily accessed and digested by our team, allowing us to make tweaks to our processes to best serve our guests, employees, and investors.”
Vinny Cuneo – Vice President of Revenue Strategy at AutoCamp
“Since implementing HiJiffy, our customer support has reached new heights. The platform’s advanced capabilities have improved our response times and accuracy, allowing us to handle inquiries with unprecedented efficiency. The ability to make real-time adjustments to settings and content ensures we consistently provide the most accurate information to our guests. HiJiffy’s intuitive and reliable solution has seamlessly integrated into our operations, becoming an indispensable tool for our team. We are thrilled with the profound impact it has had on our organisation.”
Michelle Waldron – Director of Reservations at AutoCamp
“Working with AutoCamp has been an exciting opportunity for HiJiffy to showcase the flexibility of our AI communication solutions. While we typically work with traditional hotels, our partnership with AutoCamp demonstrates our ability to tailor our technology to meet the unique needs of their upscale, outdoor-focused guest experiences. From streamlining booking inquiries to personalising responses, our solution has been adapted to reflect AutoCamp’s brand and the expectations of their adventurous guests.
This collaboration also marks an important milestone as HiJiffy continues to expand into the U.S. market. AutoCamp’s iconic locations required a solution that not only improved operational efficiency but also enhanced the guest journey, and we are proud to have delivered a seamless, customised communication platform that supports their growth and innovation.”
Joana Rodrigues, Senior Customer Success Manager at HiJiffy
Curious about conversational AI?
Schedule a call with our experts to see how you can streamline and automate your guest communications.
