5 Questions Every Customer Asks
Research shows 80% of booking calls ask the same five questions. See exactly how AI phone agents handle availability, pricing, policies, and more—with real conversation examples.
The Predictable Patterns of Booking Calls
If you've answered phones for any tour, charter, or activity business, you know the feeling: the same questions, asked dozens of times per day, in slightly different words. "What time is the sunset cruise?" "How much is the half-day trip?" "What happens if it rains?"
This isn't a complaint—it's an opportunity. Research from Vacation Labs, a tour operator software company, confirms what every business owner intuitively knows: travelers ask predictable questions before they book. And if you can answer these questions instantly, accurately, and at any hour, you dramatically increase your conversion rate.
Gartner predicts that by 2027, chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for 25% of businesses. For tour and activity operators, AI phone agents take this further—handling the 80% of calls that are routine while freeing humans for the conversations that truly need a personal touch.
What Customers Actually Ask About: Call Topic Analysis
Let's break down the five questions that make up the vast majority of booking calls—and see exactly how AI agents handle each one.
"What's available on [date]?"
The availability inquiry — asked in 35% of all booking calls
This is the gateway question. A customer has a specific date in mind—their vacation, a birthday, an anniversary—and they need to know if you can accommodate them. Traditional handling requires checking a calendar, possibly shuffling through papers or clicking through software, and hoping you can give an accurate answer.
Example Conversation
⚡ How It Works
The AI queries your booking platform (FareHarbor, Rezdy, Peek Pro, etc.) in real-time. It doesn't guess or estimate—it sees exactly what you see, including live headcounts, blackout dates, and capacity limits. Response time: under 2 seconds.
"How much does it cost? What's included?"
The pricing inquiry — asked in 28% of all booking calls
Price transparency builds trust. Research from Vacation Labs emphasizes that tour operators should "be honest and upfront about your pricing" and "try to avoid hidden charges"—but many callers still can't find this information on websites or want verbal confirmation before committing.
The challenge: pricing can be complex. Group rates, seasonal adjustments, add-ons, deposits—a human needs to remember all of this. An AI has it memorized perfectly, every time.
Example Conversation
⚡ How It Works
The AI pulls from your pricing matrix—including group discounts, seasonal rates, and add-on options—and naturally weaves in the "what's included" details that prevent follow-up questions. No memorization required from your team.
"What's your cancellation/weather policy?"
The policy inquiry — asked in 18% of all booking calls
This question often comes with anxiety attached. Travelers are spending significant money on experiences that depend on weather, health, and timing they can't fully control. According to Smarter Travel, understanding the refund policy is one of the "20 questions to ask before booking a tour."
A confident, clear answer builds trust. A hesitant or inconsistent answer plants seeds of doubt.
Example Conversation
⚡ How It Works
The AI delivers your exact policy wording—no paraphrasing that might create liability issues—while maintaining a conversational, reassuring tone. It can handle follow-up edge cases like "What if I'm sick?" or "Do you offer trip insurance?"
"Can I bring my dog/kids/wheelchair/special request?"
The accommodation inquiry — asked in 12% of all booking calls
These questions are where many businesses lose bookings unnecessarily. A caller with a special need hears "I'm not sure, let me check and call you back"—and by the time you call back (if you remember), they've booked with a competitor who answered immediately.
Austin Adventures, a tour operator, emphasizes that understanding what's included in the price and any special accommodations should be clear before booking. Travelers with specific needs—families with young children, people with mobility issues, pet owners—have often been disappointed before and are watching for red flags.
Example Conversation
⚡ How It Works
The AI is trained on your specific accommodations: which activities are wheelchair-accessible, pet-friendly policies, age minimums, weight limits for zip lines, dietary restrictions you can handle for food tours, and more. Immediate, accurate answers convert browsers into bookers.
"What should I bring? Where do we meet?"
The logistics inquiry — asked in 7% of pre-booking calls (and 100% of post-booking calls)
This question is asked both before and after booking. Before booking, it's a sign of serious intent—the caller is mentally preparing for the experience. After booking, it's an opportunity to prevent no-shows and ensure a smooth experience.
According to Smarter Travel, knowing "what to bring" and "dress appropriately" are essential pre-trip questions that many travelers overlook until the last minute.
Example Conversation
⚡ How It Works
The AI provides complete pre-trip information in one response, reducing the anxiety that comes with trying a new experience. Post-booking, automated reminder texts can reinforce this information 24 hours before the trip.
The Speed Advantage: Why Instant Answers Convert
Research on FAQ chatbots from Sprinklr shows that KLM's "BlueBot" now handles twice the number of flight bookings compared to before implementation, largely due to instant response times. The same principle applies to phone-based AI agents.
| Response Method | Average Response Time | Booking Conversion Impact |
|---|---|---|
| AI Phone Agent | 2 seconds | Baseline (highest) |
| Human (immediately available) | 15-30 seconds | Similar to AI |
| Voicemail → Callback | 4-24 hours | -85% (most won't call back) |
| Email response | 8-48 hours | -60% (caller has moved on) |
| "Let me check and call you back" | 1-4 hours | -40% (momentum lost) |
An FAQ chatbot aids a user's experience by answering some of the most frequently asked questions in a natural and fluid way which feels like a conversation. Think of an FAQ page, but instead of having to scroll through numerous questions and answers, the user is able to get a quick answer to their specific query.
What AI Agents Can't (and Shouldn't) Handle
Honesty is important here. AI phone agents excel at the 80% of calls that are predictable, but some conversations genuinely need humans:
When Humans Are Better
- Upset customers: Complaints about past experiences need empathy and judgment.
- Complex negotiations: Custom group packages, corporate events, multi-day itineraries.
- Edge cases: Unusual requests outside normal operating procedures.
- Emotional moments: Memorial trips, proposals, significant celebrations where the caller wants to feel heard.
Good AI agents recognize these situations and seamlessly transfer to a human. The caller doesn't feel abandoned—they feel routed to the right person. According to Userlike's FAQ chatbot research, "chatbots can be the first line of defense for your customer support team and only let valuable chats through to your agents."
Summary: The 5 Questions at a Glance
Together, these five question types account for approximately 80% of all pre-booking phone inquiries. An AI agent that handles these well captures the vast majority of routine calls, leaving your human team available for complex situations that genuinely need their attention.
The Bottom Line
AI phone agents don't replace human connection—they protect it. By handling the repetitive questions that consume hours of your day, they free you to focus on the moments where human touch truly matters: the nervous first-timer who needs reassurance, the anniversary couple planning a surprise, the corporate client with a complex request. Let AI handle the "What time do you open?" so you can be present for the "This is going to be my father's last fishing trip."
See How AI Handles Your Customers' Questions
Get a custom AI phone agent built for your specific business—trained on your pricing, policies, and procedures. Free demo, 72-hour setup.
Get Your Free DemoSources & Research
- [1] Gartner. "By 2027, chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for roughly 25% of businesses."
- [2] Vacation Labs. "Top 10 Questions Travelers Ask Before Booking a Tour." Industry analysis of common pre-booking inquiries.
- [3] Sprinklr. "FAQ Chatbot Examples to Consider in 2024." Case study showing KLM's BlueBot doubled flight bookings.
- [4] Hubtype. "FAQ Chatbots: Examples and Best Practices." Research on conversational customer experience.
- [5] Smarter Travel. "20 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Tour." Consumer perspective on booking research.
- [6] Austin Adventures. "10 Questions to Ask a Tour Operator." Tour operator guidance on customer communication.
- [7] Userlike. "How to Create a FAQ Chatbot." Research on chatbot types and implementation.
- [8] Kore.ai. "20 Questions About AI Chatbots for Customer Support." Enterprise chatbot research.
- [9] Zephyr Adventures. "Five Questions to Ask a Tour Operator Before You Book." Industry best practices.
- [10] Ochatbot. "5 Customer Service Questions Your Chatbot Should Answer." E-commerce chatbot implementation guide.