CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
From Inquiry to Booking and Beyond—How Manawa Uses AI to Streamline Support & Travel Recommendations.
The Company
Manawa
Industry
Travel & Outdoor Activities
The Goals
High inquiry volumes and seasonal spikes stretched Manawa's support team thin. They needed a solution that could handle the volume of inquiries and provide accurate, helpful responses.
They needed a scalable solution to reduce phone reliance, streamline travel & experience recommendations, and let agents focus on high-value interactions.
The Results
- 80% of chat inquiries are resolved by AI (out of the box)
- Response Time Improved from 40 min to under 1 min
- 43% lower workload for the Support Team plus lower load going into peak season
- CSAT Improved from ~80% to 85-86%
The Challenge:
Managing Seasonal Surges Without Expanding the Support Team.
As a leading platform for booking outdoor and adventure experiences worldwide, Manawa saw significant seasonal demand fluctuations. During peak travel seasons—summer, Christmas, and major holidays—customer inquiries surge, creating a heavy workload for the support team.
- Support volume spikes based on seasonal travel trends and holidays.
- Many customer inquiries were repetitive, such as activity availability, location details, and cancellation policies.
- The team relied heavily on phone support, making it difficult to scale without continuously hiring more agents.
- Multilingual support added another layer of complexity, requiring agents fluent in multiple languages.
“I knew summer was going to be crazy, and optimizing our processes wasn’t enough. If we wanted to keep growing, we needed to balance the workload—without hiring more and more people.”
Lina Dziaugyte
Customer Support Lead at Manawa
With the team stretched thin, Manawa needed a solution to handle high inquiry volumes efficiently—one that could scale with demand, reduce reliance on phone support, and allow agents to focus on high-value interactions.
The Search for a Solution
Manawa explored six to seven AI tools, searching for a solution that could integrate seamlessly, provide accurate real-time responses, and eliminate the need for constant manual updates.
Why Alhena AI?
After rigorous testing, Alhena AI emerged as the clear choice, offering unmatched accuracy and the ability to pull live data directly from Manawa's website and internal resources.
What sets Alhena AI apart?
- Effortless AI Training: Unlike other solutions that required frequent CSV uploads or manual updates, Alhena continuously pulls information from Manawa's website, keeping responses accurate and up to date.
- Rapid Implementation: While most AI tools demanded lengthy onboarding, Alhena AI was fully operational before peak season, requiring minimal effort from the Manawa team.
- Responsive Alhena Support: The Alhena team provided fast, reliable support, ensuring smooth deployment and ongoing optimization.
- Multi-Language Capabilities: With a diverse customer base, Manawa needed AI that could assist in multiple languages, easing the workload on multilingual agents.
“We evaluated different tools, but many only worked with FAQ-based data. That wasn’t enough for us. Alhena AI stood out because it could absorb everything from our website, meaning we didn’t have to manually update it all the time.”
Lina Dziaugyte
Customer Support Lead at Manawa
A Partner That Goes the Extra Mile
“I also have to say—your team has been absolutely fantastic. Every time I had a question or request, it was looked into and either solved within a day or followed up with a clear response and next steps. What impressed me most is that I never had to chase—your team always thinks ahead and anticipates what’s needed. I’ve honestly never experienced this level of support before.”
Lina Dziaugyte
Customer Support Lead at Manawa
Results: A Leaner, More Scalable Support Operation
By implementing Alhena AI, Manawa saw immediate and measurable improvements in efficiency, response times, and customer satisfaction.
- 80% of chat Inquiries Resolved by AI: Alhena handles 80% of chat requests, including travel recommendations, tour comparisons, and itinerary details; and resolves 34% of all inbound volume across chat, email, and phone.
- 47% Drop in Phone Volume as Customers Shift to Chat More customers started using AI chat for quick info, a shift Manawa encouraged. Phone support was reserved for paying customers, while Alhena cut down 3-minute information request calls to instant answers. Previously, around 30% of phone calls were for info requests. Now this number has dropped to 12%. Manawa's users now prefer 'Philippe the Bot' over any other support channel.
- Response Time Cut from 40 Minutes to 1 Minute: Before Alhena AI, customers waited an average of 40 minutes for a response. Now, they get answers in under a minute—dramatically improving service speed.
- CSAT Improved from ~80% to 85-86%: With faster, brand-aligned AI responses, customer satisfaction rose from around 80% to 85-86%. The AI's ability to handle multilingual interactions also contributed to this increase.
- 43% Lighter Work load: With Alhena in place, Manawa is heading into peak season with less pressure and fewer hands on deck. The AI now handles much of the summer surge. The team is heading into the peak season of the year i.e. the summer months with much less stress. Before Alhena, the entire company needed to jump in to the support.
- 24/7 Support Across Time Zones: Headquartered in Paris, Manawa's audience stretches across multiple time zones—about 30 % of enquiries used to land after the team had signed off for the day. Since rolling out Alhena, the company now provides genuine 24/7 coverage: customers can open a chat at any hour and 80 % of those conversations are resolved instantly by the AI, meaning no more overnight wait times and happier travellers worldwide.
Looking Ahead: Taking AI Further
With AI already transforming customer support, Manawa is setting its sights on the next evolution:
- AI-Driven Booking Management: Exploring ways for AI to assist with modifying, rescheduling, and finalizing bookings in real time.
- Automated Cancellations & Refunds: Streamlining post-booking changes, reducing manual workload for agents.
- Deeper Integration with Provider Systems: Enabling AI to access live availability and booking details directly from suppliers for faster, more accurate responses.
“AI changed the way we do support. It removed the repetitive work so our team can focus on what matters—helping customers book amazing experiences.”
Lina Dziaugyte
Customer Support Lead at Manawa