// SCALING UP //

Zendesk Suite and pulls the ticket information , producing a report that the finance team can easily process .

EVEN THOUGH OUR AGENTS DON ’ T ALWAYS HAVE A MAGIC WAND TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM , IT ’ S STILL IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHO COULD HELP YOU .

Eurail believes that , by using Zendesk and leveraging AI , the company is eliminating the seasonality in its hiring process – which helps keep consistency in its service . “ We have a core of really well-trained and experienced agents who can focus on customer-related cases that require the human touch , while we automate the rest ,” Verweij said .

Eurail also understands that travel can be unpredictable , and sometimes its customers need more than just a quick solution , especially in unexpected situations in a foreign country . Reassurance and empathy are key in these scenarios , and Eurail agents are trained to provide that human connection , offering personalised support and guidance . For example , all Eurail agents went through training which focused on what to say versus how to say it . This helps agents get into the mindset of the importance of the impact they can make towards customers .

Delivering this human touch is a core part of the company ’ s mission . “ When customers are travelling to countries they ’ ve never visited , which are potentially alien to them , and they have concerns over strikes or cancellations , it ’ s important that they can have a direct conversation with us ,” Sias said . “ Even though our agents don ’ t always have a magic wand to solve the problem , it ’ s still important to have the chance to speak to someone who could help you .”

“ It ’ s so nice to see my team happy , helping customers have a nice trip – coming from a situation where they were only able to apologise for delays , it completely changes the service ,” Verweij added .

And while Zendesk might have started in the customer service department , Verweij and Sias can see the wider potential and are looking for ways to use the platform internally .

“ We have the space to explore options , make improvement plans and changes using automation and expand to internal B2B requests such as IT incidents . We did all these things starting with Zendesk , and now we ’ re building on it and bringing in new partners ,” said Sias . “ If we didn ’ t have Zendesk anymore , it would be a nightmare , it ’ s so central to the whole business .”

“ We ’ re excited about the possibilities AI offers and are constantly exploring new ways to leverage this technology to further enhance our customer service and create a seamless travel experience ,” added Verweij . “ This includes personalising travel recommendations , proactively addressing potential travel disruptions and continuously improving our self-service options . We also see AI playing an important role in improving our agent experience in the future , making sure it becomes easier for them to deliver support that is beyond expectations .

“ With Zendesk as our central platform , we ’ re building a future where every customer feels empowered with the right information and support , exactly when they need it .” �

68 Intelligent SME . tech