Every function enquiry matters.
Whether it’s a birthday celebration, corporate event, wake or community gathering, every enquiry represents a potential booking and an opportunity to generate additional revenue. The challenge for many clubs is that enquiries don’t always arrive during business hours, and today’s customers increasingly expect immediate answers rather than waiting for an email or phone call.
To address this, Southport Bowls Club recently introduced Enquiry Pro, an AI-powered customer assistant designed to answer website enquiries instantly while capturing function enquiries around the clock.
Three months later, the results provide an interesting insight into how AI can support customer service within a club environment.
In its first three months of operation, Enquiry Pro facilitated 132 unique customer conversations while generating eight genuine function and event booking enquiries. Customer engagement also increased steadily throughout this period, with conversation volume growing from 23 conversations in April to 65 conversations in June.
Function enquiries are among the most valuable enquiries a club receives. Enquiry Pro captures these enquiries as they happen, collecting the information staff need to follow up quickly while ensuring potential booking opportunities aren’t overlooked. With customer engagement increasing each month during the first three months, there is every reason to expect these opportunities to continue growing as more visitors interact with the assistant.
The first three months also highlighted that function bookings were only one part of the story. The majority of conversations centred on the everyday questions reception staff answer countless times each week. Visitors were seeking information about dining, opening hours, membership, entertainment, barefoot bowls and upcoming events, often well outside normal trading hours.
For clubs, these routine enquiries make up a significant proportion of daily customer interactions. Providing immediate answers not only improves the visitor experience but also reduces interruptions for front-of-house staff, allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional service to members and guests already within the venue.
Unlike a traditional contact form, conversational AI actively guides visitors through the enquiry process, collecting the information staff need to follow up quickly and efficiently. Rather than receiving incomplete emails or missed phone calls, clubs receive structured enquiries containing the key details required to progress a booking.
Perhaps the most encouraging outcome over the first three months was the consistent growth in customer engagement. As more visitors discovered and interacted with the assistant, conversation numbers continued to increase each month, suggesting that digital customer service is becoming an increasingly accepted part of the club experience.
Southport Bowls Club’s first three months demonstrate that AI can play a practical role in modern club operations. Rather than replacing personal service, it extends it beyond the reception desk, ensuring visitors receive immediate assistance while helping clubs capture valuable enquiries whenever they occur.
As clubs continue looking for ways to improve customer service without increasing staffing costs, AI-powered assistants such as Enquiry Pro are proving that sometimes the biggest opportunity isn’t replacing people, it’s making sure no opportunity is missed.
Enquire below to see how Media Island’s Enquiry Pro AI chat could work for your venue.
Prefer to chat now? Call us on 0438 156 486.
