K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
As guests begin their return to hotels, some for the first time since the 2019 holiday season, they’ll do so expecting a higher level of comfort, convenience and customer service, as well as new experiences. Driving this demand isn’t just a year spent wistfully watching “No Reservations” reruns and scrolling travel accounts on Instagram. Consumer expectations are like a rising tide, and the travel, retail and hospitality industries are the ships.
During the pandemic, people grew accustomed to greater convenience and customer service from their favorite places to eat and shop. Restaurants and retailers swiftly deployed digital-enabled ordering capabilities, rapid delivery and next-level customer care. Like their newly developed hyper-awareness of personal space and penchant for hand sanitizer, travelers will unconsciously bring heightened expectations along with them on family vacations and business trips for the foreseeable future.
Three Technologies You’ll Want To Explore
Addressing these new expectations while facing a host of pandemic-related challenges, including tighter budgets and an industry-wide staffing shortage, may seem insurmountable. However, with just three technologies, hotel leaders can tick the comfort, convenience and customer service boxes, plus a few others, to provide guests with an unforgettable experience, while ultimately driving better business outcomes.
The Internet Of Things (IoT)
From smart speakers and doorbells to robot vacuums, the potential applications for IoT in individual daily life are nearly limitless, and the same is true for hotels on a larger scale. Connected technologies can enhance the guest experience from the moment they step into the lobby. Self-check-in kiosks equipped with germ-killing UV light not only get jet-lagged guests up to their rooms faster but can also provide hotel operators with data insights to help them make more informed business decisions. Once guests enter their rooms, smartphone-controlled lighting, thermostats and even shower temperature make for a more convenient and comfortable stay.
Behind the scenes, sensors alert housekeeping that rooms are unoccupied and ready for cleaning. Wearables streamline staff communications, and smart sinks in the hotel restaurants regulate water temperature, soap and sanitizer levels. Meanwhile, connected utilities alert building management immediately when minor issues arise before they become major disruptions. In addition to the direct benefits enjoyed by guests, IoT-enabled processes and utilities help optimize staffs’ time and reduce energy consumption and waste, cutting both costs and carbon emissions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Building on IoT, AI takes the data gleaned from sensors and connected devices, identifies patterns over time and adjusts accordingly. For example, AI could bring the personalization, convenience and customer experience of the previous guest room example up several levels. With AI, after the first 24 hours of a guest’s stay, adjustments to their room’s lighting and thermostat could happen automatically based on their previous smartphone inputs. In addition to these past inputs, factors such as the weather and time of day may also be used to predict the most ideal temperature or lighting more accurately.
In hotel grab-and-go markets, AI can help ensure the optimal level of stock is maintained for specific items based on historic purchasing behaviors. On the back end, it can identify trends in bookings and then automatically adjust room rates to make them more attractive to potential guests while maximizing revenue on rooms.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/27/three-technologies-hotel-leaders-can-leverage-to-improve-customer-experience-and-business-outcomes/?sh=3bf7dd425648
During the pandemic, people grew accustomed to greater convenience and customer service from their favorite places to eat and shop. Restaurants and retailers swiftly deployed digital-enabled ordering capabilities, rapid delivery and next-level customer care. Like their newly developed hyper-awareness of personal space and penchant for hand sanitizer, travelers will unconsciously bring heightened expectations along with them on family vacations and business trips for the foreseeable future.
Three Technologies You’ll Want To Explore
Addressing these new expectations while facing a host of pandemic-related challenges, including tighter budgets and an industry-wide staffing shortage, may seem insurmountable. However, with just three technologies, hotel leaders can tick the comfort, convenience and customer service boxes, plus a few others, to provide guests with an unforgettable experience, while ultimately driving better business outcomes.
The Internet Of Things (IoT)
From smart speakers and doorbells to robot vacuums, the potential applications for IoT in individual daily life are nearly limitless, and the same is true for hotels on a larger scale. Connected technologies can enhance the guest experience from the moment they step into the lobby. Self-check-in kiosks equipped with germ-killing UV light not only get jet-lagged guests up to their rooms faster but can also provide hotel operators with data insights to help them make more informed business decisions. Once guests enter their rooms, smartphone-controlled lighting, thermostats and even shower temperature make for a more convenient and comfortable stay.
Behind the scenes, sensors alert housekeeping that rooms are unoccupied and ready for cleaning. Wearables streamline staff communications, and smart sinks in the hotel restaurants regulate water temperature, soap and sanitizer levels. Meanwhile, connected utilities alert building management immediately when minor issues arise before they become major disruptions. In addition to the direct benefits enjoyed by guests, IoT-enabled processes and utilities help optimize staffs’ time and reduce energy consumption and waste, cutting both costs and carbon emissions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Building on IoT, AI takes the data gleaned from sensors and connected devices, identifies patterns over time and adjusts accordingly. For example, AI could bring the personalization, convenience and customer experience of the previous guest room example up several levels. With AI, after the first 24 hours of a guest’s stay, adjustments to their room’s lighting and thermostat could happen automatically based on their previous smartphone inputs. In addition to these past inputs, factors such as the weather and time of day may also be used to predict the most ideal temperature or lighting more accurately.
In hotel grab-and-go markets, AI can help ensure the optimal level of stock is maintained for specific items based on historic purchasing behaviors. On the back end, it can identify trends in bookings and then automatically adjust room rates to make them more attractive to potential guests while maximizing revenue on rooms.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/27/three-technologies-hotel-leaders-can-leverage-to-improve-customer-experience-and-business-outcomes/?sh=3bf7dd425648
