Shown on giant screens, it was the first time a chatbot had been blown up to such giant proportions - which turned out to be an important factor as the travel management company sought to educate delegates on just what it is a chatbot does...

Below, Chris Gamlin, head of mobile product at FCM Travel Solutions, gives us the lowdown on what happened when the technology was demonstrated...

TTG: How has the launch of Sam been received so far?

Chris Gamlin: Very positively. We had a huge amount of interest in Sam at the Business Travel Show and gave demos, either on the large screens on the FCM stand, or on our mobile phones, to around 400 visitors. Many people expressed surprise at how advanced and clever Sam is already. People seemed to feel it represented a real step forward in the practical application of technology to create a really different traveller experience – they felt it could be genuinely useful to them and their colleagues. There were also comments about how refreshing it was that a TMC was not only looking at the booking and reporting side of business travel, but also the whole experience of the traveller and offering a really ‘complete’ customer service.

"People seemed to feel it represented a real step forward in the practical application of technology to create a really different traveller experience"

TTG: At the show, what did delegates make of Sam? Any misconceptions it was purely a chatbot, with no human interaction?

CG: For a lot of people the very idea of a chatbot (or ‘chatwhat?’ as some of them asked) feels alien. Not many people have actually interacted with a chatbot before. I think people understand a lot better what Sam is when it is described as your ‘pocket travel assistant’. This concept is much better understood – effectively the pocket travel assistant provides an enhanced FCM service that is accessed digitally on your phone.

 "For a lot of people the very idea of a chatbot (or ‘chatwhat?’ as some of them asked) feels alien"

Most people "got it" when we explained that certain simple tasks can be automated and actioned more rapidly by Sam. They also understood all too well (as I think we all do from experience) that while emerging technologies are improving, they are not perfect and can still fall down on more complex travel planning tasks. People have, in the past had bad experiences with non-intelligent ‘barriers’ (like poor automated telephone services for example) and want to know that there is an experienced qualified professional to fall back on if needed.

"People actually seemed reassured that Sam was a hybrid mix of real human interaction, via live chat with an FCM consultant, and automated assistance"

There have been huge strides in artificial intelligence (AI) technology that make experiences a lot different from that analogy… but it’s pretty important for any service brand to ensure an enhanced, not potentially diminished customer experience. People actually seemed reassured that Sam was a hybrid mix of real human interaction, via live chat with an FCM consultant, and automated assistance. They felt reassured that automation of new functions will only be introduced as and when it is proven to ameliorate customer experience.

"There were also a lot of smiles raised by the sometimes quirky, amusing – almost human replies to their questions. Personality has a huge irony in AI!"

That said, people were quite wowed by both the experience of chatting to a machine and getting real answers and assistance back quickly and efficiently. There were also a lot of smiles raised by the sometimes quirky, amusing – almost human replies to their questions. Personality has a huge irony in AI!

TTG: Any plans to launch it for Flight Centre’s leisure business?
CG: There are clearly huge opportunities for Sam to offer different service experiences in the leisure space too, but for now Sam is only being developed for FCM clients. We’re focused on delivering a market leading, dedicated travel experience for business customers. FCM already has a high level of personal interaction with these corporate customers; we know a lot about them and their lives are often exceptionally busy, so we feel Sam can add real value in this space.