Should a hotel or a company servicing hotels stress automation as much as or more than the human touch? Finding the right mix is ever more important when it comes to the changing dynamics of purchasing power. While technology is evolving at a pace that couldn’t have been foreseen, we continue to push not only ourselves but also those around us to do more with less. As hotel owners, this translates to increasing guest satisfaction with the same number of associates, or fewer, as the cost of customer acquisition has increased over the last couple of decades. This provides new opportunities for hotel service providers to offer services that in the past have been unattainable or too expensive.
Making a hotel reservation has largely changed, affecting both hotel and guest. The days you would call a hotel to make a reservation are gone nearly as long as the rotary phone, and not many regret that passing. With all kinds of technology at one’s fingertips, it makes a lot of sense to do without human contact. Online’s ever more the way for both guest and hotel to get to where you need – faster and without spelling and billing errors.
Still, the human touch is welcome, particularly once the guest arrives at the property. That touch also is welcome if and when automation doesn’t quite deliver (many sites don’t readily accept coupons or special requests) or you have a question that can’t be answered via online/mobile/app.
via Finding the Right Balance: Technology vs. Human Touch, by Pamela Barnhill.
