By Tim Hutchison, Head of Guest Experience at Belgravia Leisure.

Here at Belgravia Leisure, we’ve spent the past six years transforming our approach to the guest experience, focusing on bringing leisure to life and creating unique and memorable moments for our guests. Central to this transformation is our Guest First strategy, which drives our commitment to guest-centricity. By integrating innovative technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), we’ve made it easier for guests to engage with us—removing barriers and encouraging more people to connect with tourism and wellness, health and wellbeing, aquatics, or sports. 

During a recent visit to the Belgravia Leisure Contact Centre, Belgravia Group Chairman and CEO Geoff Lord spent time with the team, sharing his passion for providing opportunities for kids to be active. Geoff highlighted the importance of creating environments that encourage health and wellbeing for young people, and he took the opportunity to share Belgravia Group’s story and vision. His message inspired the team, reinforcing our shared commitment to building healthier communities and making activity more accessible to all.

The global chatbot market is expected to continue growing rapidly, with predictions that by 2026, 75% of consumers will engage with a chatbot as part of their customer service journey. This reflects a shift towards faster, more personalised interactions, which is something Belgravia Leisure has embraced. Our omni-channel strategy ensures guests can connect with us seamlessly, whether via phone, email, social media, web chat, or in person.

Our Guest Contact Centre manages over 600,000 interactions annually, and AI has been key in streamlining routine tasks. This enables our Guest Experience team to focus on more personalised conversations. This balance between automation and human connection is central to our Guest First approach, ensuring that every interaction is meaningful and creates a memorable moment. 

In our venues, technology has similarly allowed our Guest Experience Officers to prioritise face-to-face engagement, fostering more important in-person interactions. With centralised digital support, venue staff can dedicate more time to building connections and long-lasting relationships with guests. 

The impact has been significant: increased sales, higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS), and improved staff engagement. A recent survey by Deloitte found that 60% of consumers expect quicker response times and prefer digital channels for communication. By making guest engagement more seamless and accessible, we’ve helped remove barriers to participation and supported the wellbeing of the communities we serve, all while delivering memorable moments that bring leisure to life. 

Looking ahead, we will continue to refine our omni-channel strategy and invest in tools that foster long-term guest satisfaction and healthier, more active communities.

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