How to balance automation with authenticity in Guest Communications

In a nutshell: 

Clink needed to automate guest communications while maintaining authentic interactions and a personalised guest experience. By implementing Bookboost, they successfully transitioned from human-based customer support to an AI-driven system, resulting in decreased response times, increased guest interactions, more direct bookings, and significantly higher customer satisfaction scores.

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Clink is one of the largest independently owned chains of hostels in Europe. The essence of the team translates in their deep commitment to authenticity, staying true to their roots while simultaneously embracing innovation. 

"Clink is a brand that tries to be as authentic as possible to its roots... with the vision of evolving and being one of the most modern companies out there when comes to the hostels world", mentions Diogo Vaz Ferreira, Head of Commercial at Clink.

As a smaller player competing against hospitality giants with larger marketing budgets, Clink leverages technology to create unique guest experiences. They were among the first hostels to adopt various software solutions in their sector, demonstrating their forward-thinking approach.

The Challenge: Balancing Automation with Authenticity in Hospitality

Clink faced a growing dilemma: Today's travellers demand instant digital service while still expecting personalised attention.

"The challenge is delivering automation without losing the feeling of authenticity," says Diogo. "Even when people know they're talking to a robot, they still expect the experience to feel tailored to them."

With fewer resources than large hotel chains but equally high guest expectations, Clink needed to solve different operational challenges:

- Centralised customer support creating distance between properties and guests

- Fragmented communication across multiple channels

- Inconsistent messaging between different properties

- Growing expectation for immediate responses at all hours

Clink turned to Bookboost to help them meet modern demands without losing the heart of their hospitality. “It was not only focused on finding the right partner that would automate using AI, but also in a way that we could provide different ways of communicating with our guests”, adds Diogo. 

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Three pillars of Clink's guest engagement strategy with Bookboost

For Clink, a superior guest experience meant having consistency across every channel, giving the same level of personalisation and automation. To achieve this, the team reimagined how they connect with travellers by focusing on four core principles.

Powered by Bookboost, this strategy allowed them to improve speed, relevance, and authenticity across every guest interaction.

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Enabling AI-Powered automation with a human touch

Clink made the strategic decision to transition from a human customer support team to an AI-driven solution, using Bookboost in combination with D3X technology, another of their partners. This shift allowed them to automate routine inquiries while maintaining authenticity through customised responses.

"The goal is to have customer support as automated as possible, and what can’t be automated, goes to the hostels", explains Diogo.

Clink gave their hostel staff the tools to talk directly with guests. Using Bookboost, they could respond faster and more accurately because the people answering the messages were the same people welcoming guests at the front desk.

“It gives the ops team more empowerment because they now have the tools to do something that before they didn’t”, he shares. “Having operations deal directly with the guest means the guest gets a faster, more accurate reply. It feels more personal, more engaging”.

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Meeting guests on their terms

Clink used Bookboost’s multi-channel setup to connect with guests wherever they preferred to chat: WhatsApp, email, chatbot, or even social media. All these channels were integrated into a single platform, giving both staff and guests a smoother, more consistent experience.

“It’s effective to give us so many possibilities of integrating so many different channels... WhatsApp, email, chatbot, social media,” says Diogo. “I think it gives exactly that sense of personalisation that the guest wants.”

By consolidating all communication into one place, Clink reduced response times, eliminated missed messages, and made it easier for guests to reach out in the way that suited them best.

Watch what Diogo says about communicating fast with guests:

Personalising at Scale

With direct access to the guest information they need, the Clink team can segment their audience and tailor communications based on their guest data, like guest type, journey stage, and preferences, all without lifting a finger. 

In addition, with Bookboost's CRM capabilities, they can use workflows to automate sending messages, such as SMS, email or WhatsApp. All in all, this means valuable information is being sent to guests via different channels without the team having to spend hours on it. 

"Bookboost can work on different segments, different strategies and different campaigns according to the different target groups... it's not the same than a human having 3,000 different reactions to 3,000 different people, but it's as close as possible", adds Diogo. 

One of the most important angles is that Clink now has a single source of truth for guest data, enabling them to make better decisions about how and when to communicate with different guest segments. 

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The future of intelligent hospitality

Clink’s journey shows that in hospitality, technology enhances rather than diminishes the human connection. The automation vs. authenticity challenge isn't an either/or proposition; with the right platform, you can achieve both. 

Their approach is inspiring because they view technology as an enabler, not a replacement. By automating routine tasks and equipping teams with better tools, they've created a more responsive, consistent and authentic guest experience across all properties.

"The commitment that we had with Bookboost from the beginning is ongoing, with customer support and account management, helping with the problems of today and potential problems of tomorrow. It's an amazing relationship, and we are happy with the partnership in both terms of the people and the product", finalises Diogo.

Three Lessons you can learn from Clink Hostels: 

1. Communication is key when implementing new technology

When making significant operational changes, bringing the team along by clearly communicating the vision is essential for success.

2. Partner selection goes beyond features and functionality

When selecting a technology partner, consider not just the product capabilities but also the quality of the relationship and support. Clink values Bookboost's customer support and account management as much as the platform. For Diogo, there is a three-question framework for evaluating partners: "Are these guys able to do the job? Are these guys willing to do the job? And do I see myself working with these guys?" he says.

3. Understand the modern guest's communication expectations

Today's travellers, especially younger audiences, expect immediate, personalised responses through their preferred channels. Meeting these expectations requires both technological solutions and a commitment to authenticity.