HOTELIERS STILL TO LEARN FROM AIRLINE CHECK-INS
In the 21st century, the need for effective service delivery in the diverse sector and business has once again proven effective.
The power of the internet in ensuring a customer-business owner satisfaction in the process of productivity has also been harnessed.
This is very evident in the way airline companies now run their service in such a way that gives little or no stress for both parties to carry out their enterprise — comfortability and smooth service delivery.
The era of taking a long time and having to deal with human staff, receptionists with long processes have been cut away by the presence of IT. And it is to be noted that travellers of this century derive major satisfaction in businesses that are tech-inclined because of the need for ease and for their busy schedules which does not give room for such time wastage when it comes to booking air flights. Time management is a virtue that most companies that want to remain in the market have taken very seriously.
The era of the human staff has been cut away
Running a hotel has gone beyond the practice of yesteryears, with the advent of new technologies that give travellers more sense of being in charge and comfortability in its sole hospitality function which continues to drive patronage from different parts of the country and beyond.
Unlike many hotels, the airline sector puts several factors into consideration and ensures that irrespective of the class travelers are flying, budget and destination, online booking/self-service have been made available for all options.
This is not exactly so when it comes to having receptionists. It is adjudged that some receptionist favour high-class visitors or clients over those of the lower class.
Beyond the normal gestures of lodging and welcoming guests in a hotel, comes the gargantuan power of the internet in the facilitation of the quick process of; finding a suitable hotel, booking a lovely room beforehand and check-in to the same choice of hotel without any waste of time with the front desk officer or receptionist at the hotel for discussion, registration or handing over of room keys. This above factor, however, depends on the budget of the visitor, as mentioned above, there is a disparity between the financial class of travellers or visitors which dictates the value-added services each gets from their hotel.
Booking a room and checking-in at the hotel without wasting time
Some hoteliers have embraced the automated way of doing business which makes their guests find utmost pleasure in more patronage after a good, lasting customer relation experience.
As much as this is a development, it, however, boils down to the question that what services do they offer?
Most hotels, provided they have embraced automation, still choose to be redundant when it comes to choosing a table at the restaurant, calling a cab manually, reading vouchers and menu list, buying opera or concert tickets, etc.
The growing gesture towards automated check-in and self-service process in hotels can only be improved via mobile application and a specific machine in the hotel premises instead of still keeping a receptionists to tend to a large number of guests, as guests may not find it pleasing after all; since the century has moved beyond having a ‘must’ physical interaction with a hotel staff for further direction and guidance.
Automated check-in is the essence of extending first-grade customer service
Amongst other benefits, automated check-in is of great essence for hoteliers to extend their first-grade customer service by adding more spice of technology to their system.
An IT-driven registration would give hoteliers fewer problems to deal with as it spreads from ensuring timeliness and stress-free registration which further extends to guests having a form of privacy in regards to their data when they do not have to deal with any human registrant.
It is to be noted that technology used by hotels in developed countries do not require the presence of a receptionist to hand the room key over to the guest who can easily get a passkey to his room while checking-in and completing his registration process by a hotel automation machine.
Technology renders the presence of a receptionist obsolete
It becomes interesting to note the level of security and automatic data record that automated check-ins offer hoteliers which enables them to have details of guests without sweating over paper works. Guests with the aim of theft won’t go scot-free due to the super-intelligence ability of the system.
Nevertheless, hoteliers have often argued the need for a receptionist to complement the automated check-in process of guests and ensure that first contact between both parties keeps a lasting impression on the guests. Even though the machine can give access keys usable by guests to access their rooms, receptionists according to them, are still needed to lead them to the right room and maybe help with luggage, so as to avoid any mistake in the case of big hotels. In all, a big percent of hotels are yet to embrace the use of automated kiosk which ensures that guests are not stifled or disturbed, nor as most of them rise to the point of having a code key instead of the normal traditional physical keys.
The fact still remains that hoteliers would do anything to retain their receptionists because of their default orientation of receptionist’s ability to interact with guests who may be in need of certain services in the hotel. And, guests believe that the availability of receptionists instead of machines or robots offer a free will to talk about service experience, their reservations or complaints so that they could, in quick and orderly succession, meet the need of the guests. In fact, it shouldn’t be forgotten that how a customer rates the service enjoyed in a hotel’s website goes a long way in bringing others to the company or even to get others referred hence, the usefulness of a receptionist. It suffices to affirm that, a bad service would mar a hotel whose guest comments and rates their service in a bad light.
A good automated check-in machine like ‘Sezam24’ give hoteliers an assurance of better hotel experience for their guests.
With Sezam24, hoteliers will be able to increase their revenue due to the possibility it gives for 24 hours check-in. With an automated check-in like this, guests are checked-in in simple steps by the ID recognition features and hoteliers also save themselves the stress of employing many receptionists that can understand a particular language of a guest as the machine offers multilingual service experience for international travellers which would make the guest navigate with happiness and a feel of homecoming. The cashless payment is another plus because it records according to who pays what.
Irrespective of what tech-savvies may think, the need for a human staff relating with guests will still come into play
Combining the application of automated check-in and the human receptionist would also give hotels more time to receive orders and serve the guest in the most convenient way as there is no way a guest can be served by a machine. Irrespective of what tech-savvies may think, the need for a human staff relating with guests will still come into play. Its eventual happening would not be stopped. Let’s also remember that not all guests would be able to operate the automated self-service check-in machines and would definitely need the help of a human receptionist to complete the process, improve precision, reduce mistakes and generally increase the tech-atmosphere within the hotel.
As much as it is important to have functional automation to speed things up in hotels, it is advised that receptionists are retained to aid the automation process, human assistance and provide real-time help in case hotel visitors need help. This reduces stress at both ends. Automated kiosks reduce the financial weight on hoteliers.
Many times, travellers may need to visit strategic places in the town or city where the hotel is located and the presence of the human factor in the hotel would eventually be needed to suggest best places to visit irrespective of ratings he has seen online about the places.
Nowadays robots can do basic things better than humans. Beyond the fact that they are simple to manage, designed to create a swift, smooth user experience, Robots do fewer mistakes in routine operations, so we should use them for a better experience.
Thus, the cuddle of technology then, shouldn’t disregard the essence of having a human to relate with, in a hotel but, an integration of both, in order to bring the best of experience in hospitality and hotel management and, hoteliers shouldn’t slack in developing the company and staff alike in new Hi-tech knowledge. Even though robots are doing well, assisting people in their job, they should serve as a compliment to the important hospitality roles of the receptionist in a hotel because no machine can assume the entire important roles of the human being.
