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Merlin Entertainments is deploying NiCE CXone across its visitor attractions, including LEGOLAND Resorts, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE.
The rollout covers customer interactions from trip planning and ticket purchases to reservations, support during visits and post-visit follow-up. The aim is to connect guest journeys across its attractions and give staff better information when handling enquiries.
Merlin operates more than 140 attractions in 24 countries and said it welcomed 60.5 million guests across its estate in 2025. Its portfolio includes LEGOLAND resorts, Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE and regional theme parks.
The group reported improvements in several service measures over the past year as the new setup was introduced. Its "Likely to Recommend" score rose from 8.3 to 9.3, while its customer satisfaction score for helpfulness increased from 8.3 to 9.4.
Issue resolution rates improved from 75% to 95%, according to figures released by the companies. Call answer rates also rose from 78% to 93%.
Guest service
NiCE said its software is being used to automate routine requests, route more complex enquiries to specialist staff and provide employees with guidance during customer interactions. For operators of large attractions, call centres and digital support channels have become a bigger part of the visitor experience as guests book in advance, amend reservations and seek help before and after visits.
The adoption of artificial intelligence tools in customer service has spread across travel, leisure and hospitality as businesses try to handle higher volumes of enquiries without matching increases in staffing costs. Companies are also seeking to reduce resolution times and improve consistency across phone, digital and in-person contact points.
For Merlin, the scale of its international estate means customer service teams may need to support guests across multiple brands, locations and stages of a visit. Bringing those interactions together on a single platform can help staff avoid duplicating information and may shorten the path to resolution when plans change or problems arise.
Naomi Sale Hancock, Director of Guest Service and Standards at Merlin Entertainments, said the company is focused on making the visitor experience smooth and memorable.
"From LEGOLAND to Madame Tussauds, every visit should feel effortless and memorable for our guests. With NiCE, we can connect customer journeys across our resorts and attractions, giving our teams the tools to respond faster, solve issues sooner, and keep the focus where it belongs: on creating great experiences that guests want to come back for," said Naomi Sale Hancock, Director of Guest Service and Standards at Merlin Entertainments.
AI adoption
The agreement also reflects broader competition among software providers for contracts with large consumer-facing groups that manage high volumes of service contacts. Vendors are positioning AI-based automation as a way to reduce pressure on contact centres while preserving access to human agents for more difficult cases.
NiCE, which sells customer experience and automation software, said Merlin is adopting an AI-first model for customer service. The system is intended to support guest interactions from the planning stage through to post-visit contact.
Darren Rushworth, President of NiCE International, described Merlin's approach in those terms.
"Merlin Entertainments is embracing an AI-first customer service model that puts connected, personalized guest experiences at the heart of every interaction. From planning a visit to post-visit engagement, NiCE CXone enables Merlin to seamlessly orchestrate guest journeys across its attractions, empowering employees with CX AI to deliver faster, more proactive service while driving operational efficiency and stronger guest loyalty," said Darren Rushworth, President of NiCE International.
Merlin's business spans the UK, the US, Western Europe, China and the Asia-Pacific region, and includes partnerships with brands such as Lego, Peppa Pig, DreamWorks and Ferrari. The company said it welcomes more than 60 million guests a year across more than 20 countries.
The customer service changes show how operators of theme parks and visitor attractions are placing more emphasis on the administrative parts of a day out, not just the on-site experience. Ticketing, booking amendments, accessibility questions, reservations and post-visit support can all shape whether visitors return or recommend an attraction to others.
The rise in recommendation and satisfaction scores suggests Merlin views service infrastructure as part of the wider brand experience across its attractions. The figures released alongside the deployment also showed issue resolution rates improving from 75% to 95% and call answer rates rising from 78% to 93%.