How Slalom Helped Virgin Voyages Redefine Customer Service with Generative AI

Slalom partnered with Virgin Voyages to create "Vivi," a generative AI-powered digital assistant that helped elevate the cruise line's customer experience while reducing call center escalations by more than 20%. The initiative demonstrates how thoughtful application of AI can improve both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency when focused on real business outcomes rather than technology alone.

Artificial intelligence generates plenty of headlines, but the most interesting stories are increasingly about results rather than technology. One example comes from Slalom's work with Virgin Voyages, where the consulting firm helped create a generative AI-powered customer service experience designed to improve responsiveness, enhance customer satisfaction, and reduce pressure on support teams.

Virgin Voyages entered the cruise market with an ambitious goal: reinvent the customer experience. As the company grew, its Sailor Services organization faced increasing demand from prospective travelers researching itineraries, amenities, and booking options. Customers often required detailed answers before making purchasing decisions, creating significant demand for support resources.

To address this challenge, Virgin Voyages partnered with Slalom to develop "Vivi," a generative AI-powered digital human built on Salesforce technologies. Rather than serving as a traditional chatbot, Vivi was designed to provide natural, conversational responses and deliver an experience aligned with the Virgin Voyages brand.

The results were significant. According to Slalom, the implementation reduced call-center escalations by more than 20 percent compared to the company's previous chatbot experience while helping customers obtain information more quickly and efficiently.

The project built on an existing relationship between the two organizations. Prior to the AI initiative, Slalom had worked with Virgin Voyages on digital experience improvements that increased visitor engagement and website interaction depth by approximately 30 percent.

What makes this story noteworthy is not simply the use of generative AI. The project demonstrates a common pattern among successful AI initiatives: organizations that focus on customer outcomes, operational efficiency, and user experience often see more meaningful results than those pursuing AI purely as a technology exercise.

As businesses continue exploring practical applications of AI, the Virgin Voyages and Slalom collaboration offers a useful example of how thoughtful implementation can improve both customer experience and operational performance at the same time.