In business travel, timing is everything. A delayed response is not just an inconvenience; it can mean a missed flight, a stalled meeting, or a trip that falls apart before it even starts. That is why an Outlook inbox can no longer be the center of a modern customer service operation.
Mfg.Travel recognized this as its travel experts faced increasingly complex, time-sensitive requests. Rising volumes of inquiries, rebookings, policy questions, and coordination threads were becoming harder to manage without a unified view of cases or enough experienced people to keep up.
The challenge was not simply to move beyond inbox management, but to build a centralized service operation that could bring structure, efficiency, and intelligence to every customer case.
With ThinkOwl, MfG.Travel began making the shift. We have created a detailed success case, highlighting how ThinkOwl helped address their business challenges by replacing established Outlook-based processes with a centralized service platform. Read the complete story here.
Why complex travel queries needed more than Outlook
The shift was a response to the growing demands placed on its travel experts every day. MfG.Travel caters to an industry where speed and coordination are essential.
Headquartered in Unterhaching near Munich, the company serves business travelers across the German-speaking market, and has been an established provider of travel services since 1999. The company specializes in business travel, travel management, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE), catering to companies across the DACH region and the Eurozone.
Meeting the needs of travelers means managing a wide range of requests often with multiple stakeholders, changing requirements, and little room for delay. Mfg.Travel’s existing mailbox-based approach had supported the business for years, but it was not designed for the operational complexity that was arising as the business grew. Emails could be handled, but cases could not easily be managed end-to-end. Without centralized visibility or intelligent support, scaling service quality depended too heavily on individual experience and manual effort.
Reflecting on why this shift was necessary, Silvana Heiß, Head of Digital Communication at MfG.Travel, said —“The biggest change is the shift from a mailbox-oriented to a process-oriented way of working. Previously, the focus was often on the individual email. Today, we view the entire customer request as a cohesive process. Communication, responsibility, processing status, and internal agreements remain interconnected.”
How MfG.Travel built an AI Assisted service operation
The rollout began with a pilot team and was expanded step by step, allowing employees to adapt the new processes while day-to-day service continued. Now, MFG’s 30 travel experts work on cases that carry complete context and communication history. Instead of treating each email as a standalone task, OwlDesk merges every related message, attachment, and internal note into one continuous case.
The transformation was not limited to just centralized case management. AI now works alongside every travel expert. AI automatically categorizes incoming requests, summarizes them, and gives travel experts the context they need without digging through email threads.
On the role automation now plays in the company’s service processes, Silvana further said — "The data from the process is automatically inserted. Our employees review the message, adjust it if necessary, and send it directly. This saves time, ensures consistent communication, and reduces errors,"
Of the roughly 5,500 service cases Mfg.Travel handles each month, 6.4% are now resolved fully automatically. This reduces interruptions in daily operations and frees up more time for requests that require personal consultation and expertise. The automation rate is expected to increase to 8 to 10 percent by the end of the year.
Smarter replies with AI-powered templates in OwlDesk
Automation helped Mfg.Travel streamlining distribution and management of cases, but efficient customer service also depends on how quickly agents can respond when a case still needs human attention. This is where AI-powered reply templates bring further structure to everyday communication. AI-powered response templates make routine communication faster and more consistent. Rather than starting each reply from scratch, travel experts can use pre-approved templates based on the request type and available case context while retaining the flexibility to tailor responses for complex or sensitive situations.
Unlike basic Outlook text snippets, templates in OwlDesk include the full response structure, such as recipients, attachments, and signatures. New replies are also automatically connected to the right case and assigned to the responsible employee, with the complete communication history and processing status immediately available in one place.
“We see the greatest potential in an intelligent assistant that provides our employees with precisely the information they need to process requests at the right moment—for example, summaries of lengthy processes, alerts about missing details, or the identification of particularly urgent requests. Our goal is not to replace personal service. AI should reduce routine tasks and free up more time for consultation and complex solutions,” — says Fred Buchberger, Managing Director of MfG.Travel, emphasizing the benefits of the smart AI Assistants within OwlDesk.
Learning for other service teams and what comes next for Mfg.Travel
Following the successful implementation of centralized email processing, Mfg.Travel is now extending its service platform to additional channels, including WhatsApp, a website chatbot, and telephone support. This next phase carries its process-driven approach beyond email, enabling customer interactions to be managed more consistently across the service operation. Fred summarizes MfG.Travel’s transformation journey —“Today, we are working on core service processes where communication, knowledge, responsibilities, and automation work together intelligently.”
Mfg.Travel’s experience offers a practical example for travel organizations and customer service leaders across industries. Rather than pursuing a complete IT overhaul, teams can address specific operational challenges first and expand their capabilities over time. When technology is introduced around clear processes, even focused automation initiatives can reduce routine work, support employees, and create a stronger foundation for future service growth.
Your service team should not have to manage complex customer needs through disconnected inboxes. Explore how ThinkOwl can bring structure in your customer service. Schedule a personalized demo.
