Expert’s Voice: How real-time guest service impacts the hotel industry

by | 14 Feb 2020 | People

Hotels guests demand a tech-savvy experience in 2020. (Photo from Unsplash)

With big data, hotels can benefit from patterns which often relate to the behaviour and interactions between people, writes Atul Gupta from Chetu Inc.

For any hotel in the hospitality industry, taking advantage of real-time analytics and response time is essential to providing the best service. The modern technology in the hospitality industry uses real-time analytics to help hotels learn more about guest preferences, length of their average stays, rates they are willing to pay and also how they rate the overall service and experience at the hotel.

Along with monitoring guest data, hotels can use technology in the hospitality industry to provide real-time analytics of their competition. They will be able to find information about what other rates hotels charge, the average experience at the hotel and guest feedback. With this data, they can find ways to better serve their guests and improve.

Along with using analytics in real-time, hotels will also benefit by using response time to effectively serve their guests. With response time, a hotel can help resolve any issues that guests have. This will provide guests with a better experience and prevent problems from getting worse. The responses are also common whenever it is looking to address other issues that pertain to operations such as making repairs and completing maintenance tasks.

Guests demand a tech-savvy experience

In recent years, hotel guests have favoured a more tech-savvy experience. As a result, hotels throughout have looked to become more efficient by staying current with the latest tech trends. With a more tech-savvy approach to conducting business, hotels have been able to become more competitive in the hospitality industry as well as attain more satisfaction among guests.

Technology for hotels has established some key trends in recent years. One of these trends has been catering to millennials. This generation of individuals will make up half of all travellers in the United States by 2025. As a result, companies will need to devise their strategy based on satisfying the needs of this demographic group. For hotels to satisfy this group, they will need to provide easy and fast check-in, high-quality dining options and affordable prices. In exchange for satisfying the millennial guests, the hotel will receive more promotion for their establishment on social media.

Another demand that guests will have from hotels in the next few years is personalization. Guests will now want to receive a more personalized service. This means that they will prefer that hotel workers accommodate them in a way that caters to their personal needs such as introducing them to their preferred dining options and providing guests room service. Personalization can also include helping guests being informed about any visitors.

Whenever a person visits a hotel, they will have certain preferences since they are coming with disposable income to use on leisure time. These preferences include the type of room that they want to stay in, dining options, health and wellness facilities and how they can check-in. Hotels have now begun catering to the specific preferences of guests to provide them with a more satisfying experience.

It is important to understand that during the past few years, the hospitality industry has experienced a tech explosion. Technology has advanced quite rapidly and hotels have adapted by using it more to serve guests as well as manage daily operations. In terms of serving guests, hotels have allowed them to make reservations and check-in online. They have also provided guests to make requests for room service via applications. Along with enabling guests to take advantage of technology, hotel workers have been able to use touchscreen devices to monitor guest check-ins and check-outs, record guest requests, find out if a particular task has been completed and also reviewing schedules.

Ways real-time guest service impacts hospitality

1. MORE SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGY

Another major impact that technology will have on the hotel industry is new features such as mobile apps that allow check-in and digital concierge services. Guests are now able to use cloud-based mobile device applications that provide features such as facial recognition and mobile room keys to provide an overall smart hotel guest experience.

2. NEW ROLES FOR STAFF

With the recent changes in hotel technology trends, there are going to be new roles for hotel staff. As a result, hotel workers will need to be more personalized and attentive when interacting with guests. This includes providing more insight on local tourist destinations, planning and hosting events and leading guests to certain hotel rooms and locations on the property.

3. UNIQUE PERKS

To remain competitive with hotel industry trends that are arising, hotels will benefit by offering unique perks. These are extra things that the hotel offers to entice visitors to stay at the hotel.

4. REAL-TIME DAMAGE CONTROL

Hotels will now use technology to address any complaints from dissatisfied guests. A hotel nowadays will use technology to respond to complaints by engaging with customers and finding ways to address any issues more effectively. This will help the hotel act in good faith and remain a desirable lodging option for future travellers.

Hotels that are looking to adapt to the advances in hospitality technology and remain competitive will need to begin using the most updated hospitality and travel software. With the use of the latest hospitality and travel software, hotels can manage their operations more easily as well as provide the best possible assistance to their guests. The software can allow hotels so make their scheduling more organized, improve communication between staff members and also monitor the financial activities of the establishment. It can also help hotels make it easier for guests to plan their stay and make reservations more easily.

Atul Gupta
Atul Gupta

Atul Gupta is a Technical Project Manager for Chetu Inc. based in Las Vegas, Nevada who brings over 11 years of software development experience in the hospitality industry.