How Can AI be Productive in Guest Management?

By CIOReview | Monday, February 10, 2020

In the hospitality industry, the development of automation and AI are increasing. Let's discuss its negative impact on the guest experience.

FREMONT, CA: In the last few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have completely transformed the travel and hospitality market. Citizens may not see the evil side of AI, though, but it illustrates a rapidly evolving phenomenon that replaces human interaction with technology.

AI and ML have effectively become the marketing buzzwords that attract a lot of clients and investors. Hoteliers are adopting technology for guest engagement to reduce costs, eliminate human error, and improve operational efficiency. Implementing these techniques does come at a cost, however.

Hotels are using AI and automation technology in many areas, such as booking engines, contact with guests, and much more. Such innovations are of tremendous benefit to organizational processes such as staffing, internal communication, and saving resources. But when it comes to guest-facing, hotels need to make sure they don't overload the guests with too many buttons.

Although hotels use AI to serve their guests better, they are unaware of the fact that they insidiously and unconsciously disengage the guest. Too much tech can sometimes overkill. Guests might find filling in countless surveys frustrating, remember to test a robot, download an app, or more. On the other hand, they want someone, listening to them.

Guests take memorable experiences with them from various places, such as the architecture of the hotel room, the view from its window, the meal at the restaurant, etc. Human beings can provide all those interactions. Travelers are more likely to prefer having a chat with a member of the hotel staff rather than a chatbot. This kind of digital contact has no lasting positive impact on the visitor. A chatbot may not respond as effectively as a member of a front-line team would.

Social media has also played a crucial role today in creating a false sense of connection. Modern travelers are thriving at convenience, and they want speed. People have forgotten how to communicate face to face, and this has created a sweet spot for hotels to go beyond to impress guests. Hoteliers will lose some cost-saving when eliminating AI and automation; but, when authenticity returns, it will have an unmeasurable impact, and guest experience improves.

The bottom line is that if hospitality brands want a lasting positive impact on their visitors, they need to create incremental opportunities to engage with a guest in person.