From collaboration to partnership: How the Podcatcher became the best ally for Maison Cailler.

Challenge

Get the ideal audio guide solution that could answer the visitors’ needs from Maison Cailler, allowing international visitors to listen to the story in their language, independently and at their own pace.

Solution

Guide-ID’s audio guide solution made it possible thanks to its ability to evolve with new technologies like AI, user-friendly design, multilingual support, and always putting the visitor experience first.

Results

A satisfying collaboration that led to a long-term 10-year partnership, answering the visitor experience needs from Maison Cailler’s evolution over the years.

Great stories deserve to be told. And who better to tell one than the most beloved character in the world… chocolate. At Maison Cailler in Switzerland, thousands of visitors arrive every year to experience a full journey through this particular bean, “cacao”. From the early stages of harvesting all the way to the creamy, signature flavor that makes a Cailler chocolate bar what it is.

How does the chocolate sensory experience comes to life?

When visitors arrive at Maison Cailler a journey through three different stages waits for them. It starts with a series of immersive storytelling rooms that take visitors back in time. From the mystical origins of cacao among the Aztecs to the refined traditions of today, the rich history of chocolate comes vividly to life, room by room.

From there, visitors step into the world of the finest ingredients Cailler uses in their chocolates, getting up close with the production process and the chocolatiers whose passion and mastery shape every single creation.

And then comes the grand finale. The iconic tasting room, where visitors get to indulge in a generous selection of their signature chocolates. An irresistible moment that chocolate lovers from around the world keep coming back for.

The mission of Maison Cailler is simple, sharing the authentic story of chocolate while creating a memorable, sensory-rich experience that leaves every visitor inspired, delighted, and probably reaching for one more piece.

Why is an audio guide to complement the visitor experience?

“Hearing a voice guide you through the tour makes everything more interactive, more immersive, and helps visitors connect more deeply with the story behind the chocolate”,

affirms Sam Yi – Operations Support Specialist at Maison Cailler.

An experience this immersive needed the right partner to carry all the stories it had to tell. And that’s exactly why, in 2016, the Podcatcher entered the picture at Maison Cailler. The audio guide was brought in to give visitors richer, accessible information in a simple and engaging way.

Being a cultural attraction that welcomes visitors from all over the world, multilingual support was essential. Making sure every visitor could fully explore the different themes and discover the story of chocolate in their own language, independently and at their own pace.

The big transition to the Podcatcher Pro

After almost a decade of working with the Podcatcher, Maison Cailler was ready for a change. This time they were looking for a system that was intuitive, visitor-friendly, and made every visit more enjoyable. Their priority was a system that is extremely easy to use, and a device that does not rely on a touchscreen, and for them the Podcatcher Pro was exactly that.

The upgrade brought to a whole new level their visitor experience, with advanced features like AI-powered translation and AI-generated voice. For Nestlé’s IT department, modernizing the infrastructure had become an important priority, and the new tour editor platform matched with their interests.

Such a significant change required a lot of planning from Cailler and Guide-ID to help to make the installation and migration as smooth as possible.

Sam Yi describes the upgrade and migration process like this:

“The migration was done without impacting the actual visit. The Guide-ID team supported us by migrating all audio files to the new platform, and I personally carried out the installation of the equipment. The process was straightforward and easy to understand.”

One of the biggest concerns for the Cailler team was if the equipment was going to arrive on time, because they had scheduled to close only for a few days. At the end all the equipment was delivered as planned and they were supported thought the whole process by the Guide-ID team.

New system, new results

One of the first things the Maison Cailler team noticed with the new system was time efficiency. Since the Basecamp now synchronizes languages automatically, the team saves valuable time that used to go into manual processes. And the speed of the Podcatcher Pro itself made a difference too, with synchronization now taking just a few minutes compared to the hours that the previous device required.

One of the financial advantages they have noticed is the use of AI for voice generation and translation, helping the team not only reduce costs but also save time.

For Sam Yi, the analytics have become a key part of the day-to-day. From there, she can check which beacons remain in place, review stats on language usage, and keep a close eye on how the tour is performing. And with 24/7 access to the platform, she can update audio files, modify text, and verify the status of the equipment independently, without waiting on external support.

A sweet 10-year collaboration

In 2016, Maison Cailler and Guide-ID started their journey together, introducing the Podcatcher to the experience with one clear goal: offering visitors a high-quality narration journey from start to finish. Almost a decade later, in 2025, Cailler made the upgrade to the Podcatcher Pro, an audio guide built to respond to the new challenges of visitor engagement.

What started as a collaboration has grown into something stronger. A trusted, long-term partnership.

Sam Yi attributes such a successful partnership to a number of factors:

“Our partnership has been successful over the years thanks to a few key factors. I always receive quick and helpful support, whether it’s for a major issue or a simple question, and that builds real trust. The solution itself is also very reliable, requiring little intervention from our side, which is essential for Maison Cailler and its maintenance team. And overall, the collaboration is smooth and positive, making it easy to work together and keep a stable, long-term relationship.”

For Guide-ID, this kind of collaboration fills us with pride. It has been a partnership built on trust, mutual support, and real growth on both sides. Seeing how our customers evolve over the years is exactly what pushes us to keep developing solutions that meet their needs.

Here’s to another 10 years of sweet collaboration.

Wonder what a Podcatcher Pro could do for your visitors? We’d love to show you. Get in touch with us: Contact Guide-ID, Audio Tour Guide Services