Why it helps
You've clicked through your own booking pages so many times you can't see them any more. A first-time visitor, on a phone, maybe from overseas, sees every confusing word, surprise fee and extra form field. AI can play that visitor. Describe each step and it'll point out where people might hesitate or leave, with one simple fix for each.
It's also good for the other end of the problem: the quiet months. Ask it for shoulder-season ideas that don't just mean cutting your price. You still make the calls. It gives you more ideas to test.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
I run a [type of business, e.g. campervan hire, guided walks, holiday park] in [town], New Zealand. Here are the steps a customer goes through to book on my website, in order: [list each step and what's on the screen, e.g. 1. pick dates, 2. choose a vehicle, 3. add extras, 4. driver details, 5. payment] Act as a first-time international visitor booking on their phone. For each step, tell me: - What might confuse or worry them - What might make them leave - One simple fix Then suggest 5 ideas to lift bookings in [quiet months, e.g. May and June] that don't rely only on discounting. Use NZ English. Only comment on what I've described. Don't invent features, prices, numbers or statistics. If you need more detail about a step, ask me instead of guessing.
Then keep chatting
Rank the fixes by which would make the biggest difference for the least effort.
Now do the same walk-through as a Kiwi family booking a school holiday trip.
Rewrite the wording on step [number] so it's clearer, under 30 words.
Turn idea [number] into a short email to past customers.
What questions should I ask my staff about where people get stuck on the phone or email?
Step by step
- Open your booking page on your phone, ideally in a private browser window, and go through it like a customer. Write down every step and what you see: buttons, fields, prices, fees, pop-ups.
- Copy the prompt, fill in your business, town and quiet months, and paste your list of steps.
- Read the answer with your own knowledge. Some points won't apply, and that's fine. Tick the ones that ring true.
- Pick two or three fixes you can do this month, like clearer fee wording or fewer form fields.
- Use the follow-ups to rewrite the wording on any step, or to try a different type of visitor.
- For the quiet-season ideas, pick one to test. Note your bookings before and after so you know if it worked.
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Don't paste customer lists, booking exports or anything with names, emails or licence numbers. Describe the steps, not the people. The Privacy Act 2020 applies to the customer details you hold (privacy.org.nz).
- AI doesn't know your costs, fleet, local demand or what your competitors charge. Treat pricing ideas as a starting point and test them.
- If you change how prices show, make sure the total is clear and not misleading. Check the Fair Trading Act guidance on pricing at consumerprotection.govt.nz.
- Check any public holiday or school holiday dates it mentions against employment.govt.nz and education.govt.nz before you plan around them.
Go further
Do this walk-through every few months, and every time you change your booking system. Ask a friend who's never seen your site to try it on their phone while you watch, and compare their stumbles with the AI's list. Once you've fixed the steps, use the guest message set to tidy up the emails that go out after someone books.
