AI tools and how to use them in everyday work

• 28.07.2025.
• News, Technology

AI is no longer just a topic for big companies and IT departments. More and more charter companies in Croatia are quietly using AI tools in daily operations. From quick translations to better seasonal planning, these tools are becoming as useful as a good Excel spreadsheet. They’re not magic and don’t do everything on their own, but they can help a lot when the Saturday chaos starts. Below, we bring concrete examples of how AI can truly make charter life easier.

AI is here, even if we don’t notice it...
Anyone who runs or works in a yacht charter company knows that no two days are the same. One week everything runs smoothly, the next you’re putting out five fires at once.
And when days are like that, there’s rarely time to follow tech trends.

The truth is, AI is no longer a story from the distant future or just for IT conferences and newspaper articles. AI has entered our daily lives.
Google Translate that we use to translate a guest’s email? AI.
Suggested replies in WhatsApp? Also AI. Even newer phone models often use AI models.
In other words, we’ve all been using AI for some time now, we just haven’t noticed it or don’t know exactly how artificial intelligence is being used.
But how can we use AI consciously and smartly?

 

Where AI can help right away (without advanced IT knowledge)

You don’t need an IT team or expensive AI software in your company.

Here are some examples of where you can use artificial intelligence:
Guest communication
ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar tools can help with replying to emails, especially when you have 50 in your inbox and they’re all asking similar questions. Just copy the guest’s message and ask for a reply “written professionally but in a friendly tone.”

Translations
If you have a website in multiple languages, tools like DeepL or ChatGPT can translate texts even more naturally than Google Translate. You can use them for boat descriptions, guest instructions, etc.

Faster quote creation
When an agency asks for “something for four people, mid-July, preferably a catamaran and definitely with AC”? Instead of typing it all out every time, an AI tool can draft the offer based on a template and basic info. Just insert the guest’s name, dates, and boat type and send a ready message in 30 seconds.

Damage descriptions for insurance
When something happens on board, the situation needs to be described clearly and quickly to the insurance company. If you have an AI tool, you can just jot down notes like “scratched hull on the right, guests said they hit the dock,” and the tool will create a proper, coherent text in English.

Check-in and check-out instructions
You don’t have to rewrite everything every time a guest asks “where exactly is the marina” or “is there parking.” You can create a database of frequently asked questions and answers, and AI will generate clear and personalized replies, even in multiple languages.

Boat descriptions
Instead of writing from scratch for every boat “spacious saloon, ideal for families,” AI can create several variations of the boat description for different target groups: one for families, another for couples, and a third for seasoned sailors.

Customer support outside working hours
If guests write via your website or social media outside working hours, an AI-powered chatbot can at least answer basic questions (“when is check-in,” “where are you located,” “do you have availability on 10.8.”) and collect a phone number or email for follow-up communication.

Help with complaint responses
When you receive a bad review or complaint, an AI tool can help draft a neutral yet polite response.

 

AI tools and other tools you can use

The point is not to have 20 tools. The point is to know what each one is for, which ones actually help, and which ones truly save time.

Here are tools that combine already familiar ones along with some “additional” tools:
Notion + AI
Used for organizing procedures, email templates, and team tasks. The AI module helps suggest better text formulations or automatically structure content based on the format you define.
Example: You can generate standardized check-in instructions for each base.

ChatGPT / Gemini / Claude / Perplexity
Most commonly used for text. They help write replies to guests, emails for cooperation with agencies, internal notices to the team, or boat descriptions. They can also review contracts when needed and highlight potential inconsistencies (but this does not replace a lawyer).

Canva with AI features
For creating brochures, website images, social media announcements, and guest instructions in PDF format. AI can generate text suggestions, propose colors or design, and align all these elements.

Tidio, Intercom, and similar AI chatbots
They respond to the most common guest questions on your website (e.g. “What is the deposit amount?”, “Is there free parking?”, “How do I get from the airport?”). They operate 24/7 and use your input for answers.

Otter.ai
For transcribing voice messages from WhatsApp, Zoom meetings, or conversations with technicians. For example, when a skipper reports a malfunction, it’s easier to have a text record that can later be copied into a service order.

Trello + AI plugin
For scheduling services, arrivals and departures, delegating team tasks, and managing minor operational duties. AI suggests the order of tasks or sets deadlines based on past activities. Very useful when you have a pile of check-outs on Saturday and everything needs to be done by 4 PM.

ElevenLabs or similar voice AI tools
They generate voice messages in multiple languages with a natural tone. You can send a personalized audio message to the guest in their language instead of text. This is helpful when you need to send additional information or when something unexpected happens.

Google Sheets + AI plugin
Helps analyze bookings, predict when booking slowdowns might occur, compare occupancy by week, and react in time. The AI plugin can identify trends from old spreadsheets you already have.

Typeform + AI
For automatic surveys after the charter. AI groups and interprets responses: where the most common complaints are, what guests liked, how they rate the skipper or the base. It makes it easier to create an internal report at the end of the season.

DeepL
For accurate translations of boat descriptions, price lists, technical instructions, or equipment usage manuals. It often provides more meaningful sentences than Google Translate, which is useful when you need a professional tone.

Grammarly or LanguageTool
For proofreading English text before sending or publishing on social media or your website. They catch grammar errors, suggest edits, and are useful as an extra check when things are done in a hurry.

 

AI is not all-powerful – where you need to be careful

Of course, not everything is perfect. AI is a useful tool, but it is not all-powerful.
Here are a few things that require serious attention, especially if you work in tourism, charter, or any service-based industry:

• It doesn’t know when it’s wrong.
  AI often writes things that sound correct but are not. That’s the worst part, because it doesn’t know if it made something up. It can write a convincing text about boat rental terms, but actually include a sentence that isn’t legally valid. And you might not even notice it if you don’t have the experience. If you’re writing anything for guests, partners, or institutions – double-check it.
• Language and context are still a challenge.
  AI might tell you that Marina Frapa is in Dubrovnik or that Zadar is an island. It sounds like a silly mistake until it ends up on your website or in an email to a client. Especially when using tools that aren’t tailored to local context. AI often “guesses” the answer instead of knowing it. That means you need to read carefully and verify the information it gives you.
• Do not use it for entering sensitive information.
  When using public AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini, do not enter guest names, card numbers, internal prices, login credentials, or anything considered confidential. These tools send data out, and even though it’s often encrypted, it’s not the same as using an internal CRM system or booking management app.
• Overreliance dulls knowledge.
  These tools are great for reminders and faster information processing, but knowledge needs to stay in your head – especially knowledge related to safety, guests, boats, and working at sea. Use AI to make your work easier, but don’t forget how the job is really done.

What’s coming in the next few years?

Looking 3 to 5 years ahead, some things are already quite likely:

• AI booking assistants will be able to lead the entire conversation with the guest from inquiry to reservation.
• Smart systems will be able to track bookings in real time and set prices based on occupancy and competition.
• Guest satisfaction analysis will be possible in real time (e.g. by analyzing messages and comments).
• AI systems will be able to notify you when a boat needs servicing, even before the problem actually happens.

Will all of this be possible? Maybe not right away. But probably much sooner than we think.

 

Better questions than “yes or no” are “where and how”

Artificial intelligence won’t run your company for you.
Guests will still be late, the Wi-Fi will still go down, and someone will still show up in wrong base by mistake. But if you can take 10% of the stress off with tools, especially ones that cost you nothing, why wouldn’t you?

Those who are already testing, playing around, and asking “how can this make my day easier?” are already one step ahead. Not because they know everything, but because they’re learning as they go.

If you have a question, ask us. Čarter.hr is here for exactly that – to help you work smarter and better.

 

 

• Share:

---