The Key to Hospitality Success? Technology.
Customer expectations have changed. Technology can help businesses in the hospitality industry stay ahead of the competition, save time and money, and increase client satisfaction.
As technology innovations continue to transform every industry and job role in the United States, the hospitality industry is more than keeping up; Gartner believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will create 2.3 million jobs in 2020 while only eliminating 1.8 million, for a net gain of half a million jobs added to American company payrolls. Most of the day-to-day activity relies directly or indirectly on technology, making IT more important to hospitality operations and the guest experience than ever before.
Here are three key technology advancement categories propelling hospitality establishments to the forefront of customer experience excellence:
1. Relevance
Up-to-date locations are more likely to have guests recommend their establishments to others. Stay ahead of the technology curve by integrating modern devices into your business such as mobile keys (see more on check-in efficiency below), smart TVs, room controls, interactive digital signage and things of that nature. The same goes for relevance in safety and security: Instead of storing guests’ details exclusively in computers on-site, where they can get lost or stolen, use the cloud. Most modern software applications include cloud storage and backup capabilities which are coming to be expected across the hospitality industry.
2. Efficiency
Your guests hate waiting in line, especially when waiting to unwind after a day of travel. Today, many guests prefer technology over human interaction for simple tasks. Remote check-in and check-out options are becoming popular, and some hotels are beginning to work with apps that let guests order room service right from their mobile devices. Watch out for the next evolution of the hotel key as it transforms it into data on a guest’s mobile device. Those not ready to make the investment of self-service or app-enabled check-in can improve the check-in process with less-expensive technology such as front-desk tablets. In the hospitality industry, using tablets at the front desk will streamline the check-in and check-out process. Not only will this improve satisfaction, but it will save time so you can focus on improving the guest’s experience.
3. Sustainability
Global warming isn’t going away, and your guests are more aware of the detrimental effects of humanity on the environment than ever before. Luckily, saving energy and money has never been easier. Go green by installing programs that adjust room lighting based on the amount of natural light provided. And use motion sensors to automatically shut off electricity in unoccupied spaces. Give guests the option to re-use their towels, provide guest room recycle baskets for newspaper, paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard, metal and plastic, if your hotel has a restaurant, consider transitioning it into a Certified Green Restaurant. Buy organic, locally-grown food and/or plant an organic garden to provide fresh produce for your guests. Finally, invest in waste reduction technology; Tracking and monitoring the items that are being thrown away using technology such as LeanPath will help make staff more aware of areas in which the most waste is being produced, leading to better and more informed decision making.
Keeping up with the latest technology trends is essential for those operating in the hospitality industry, because the industry itself is extremely competitive. We are now at the halfway point for 2019, and the future of the industry is looking brighter than ever. Today’s hospitality technology outlook is full of innovation and transformative solutions, allowing tomorrow’s establishments to surpass guest expectations and stand out from the competition.
How can BARE International Help Your Business?
Quite simply put, if you have customers, BARE International can help you. Today, we set the industry standard as the largest independent provider of customer experience research, data, and analytics for companies worldwide. Every 2 minutes, a BARE evaluation or audit is completed by our field force of more than 500,000 evaluators. Using calls, clicks or in-person visits, the common thread of our services is always revealing the moment of truth when your customers interact with your brand.
Businesses like yours come to us to find answers, and stay with BARE because we build relationships and custom, long-term solution programs. Our average client relationships last beyond 8 years, compared to an industry average of 2 years. This longevity allows us to really know and understand your business and its particular challenges.
Our proven success across industry categories stems from asking the right questions to help you address the challenges you face everyday, so contact us here today to set up a complimentary evaluation of your business.
