Gusto 54 Restaurant Group is an acclaimed hospitality company with a diverse portfolio of restaurants in Canada and the U.S. The group has a reputation for its commitment to transporting dining experiences, soulful hospitality, and culinary innovation. With multiple high-volume restaurants, efficiently managing guest communications is critical to the company's operations.
For Gusto 54, managing a high volume of inbound calls across its locations was a significant obstacle. At one point, a small group of several employees fielded calls for all Toronto concepts. However, coinciding call volume still led to unanswered calls and the need for callbacks.
“[For] years, we actually had three or four individuals who answered phones for all of our Toronto concepts,” said Stephanie Domyslawski, Director of People Operations at Gusto 54. “We had multiple lines filtering into the same individuals that would answer the phones.”
Eventually, Gusto 54 shifted phone answering responsibilities to individual restaurant teams. While this allowed for more direct guest interactions, it also meant that front-of-house staff had to manage incoming calls while assisting in-person guests. An unintended consequence was that coinciding calls led to countless missed opportunities.
After discovering Slang.ai through an industry introduction, Gusto 54 saw an opportunity to streamline operations without sacrificing guest experience. Slang’s AI-powered voice concierge was implemented across seven of their locations, handling more than 34.4k+ inbound calls.
Of those, 4.1k+ were coinciding calls, which enabled Gusto 54 to answer more common inquiries from more callers. Additionally, Slang seamlessly helped Gusto 54 manage 1.9k+ reservations via the Slang + OpenTable integration over a 90-day period, all while achieving a 94.2% caller satisfaction score (CSAT).
“People get frustrated when they call during a busy period and can’t get through,” said Stephanie. “With Slang, guests are getting answers in real-time, whether it’s making a reservation or letting us know they’re running late.”
By implementing Slang, Gusto 54 dramatically improved guest satisfaction while freeing up staff to focus on hospitality. And with Slang’s 24/7 availability, Gusto 54 ensures that after-hours callers can still make reservations, inquire about events, or get essential information without involving staff.
"Slang AI is an automated attendant that will allow you to meet the needs of a greater client base and reach more of your guests. It’s going to increase guest satisfaction.”
— Stephanie Domyslawski, Director of People Operations at Gusto 54 Restaurant Group
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