Benefits Of A Self-Service Guest Journey For Guests & Hotels
Walk into virtually any fast food restaurant today, and you will be greeted not only by the service staff, but also by a row of self-service ordering kiosks. Indeed, self-service kiosks have become increasingly common: you can expect to see them at airports, restaurants, supermarkets, and even in parking lots.
Many businesses today are hopping onto the digitalisation bandwagon, and it is not just because it adds novelty or positions themselves as ‘high-tech’ and progressive. In fact, studies show that consumers increasingly prefer digital services. In a Forbes article[1] that examined digitalisation in the fast-food restaurant scene, Tillster’s research found that more than two-thirds of customers would want to visit a restaurant more frequently if self-service kiosks were present. Additionally, one in three preferred to place their order through a kiosk instead of waiting in line to place an order with a cashier.
Apart from global food and beverage companies like McDonald’s and KFC, hotels today are also seeing a shift towards digitalisation as hotel guests become more health-conscious and tech-savvy. Discerning hoteliers around the world are leveraging self-service touchpoints to optimise their guest experiences as well as bump up productivity in many areas, such as providing a digital platform for placing common room request like bath towels and bath amenities.
If you are keen on knowing how a self-service guest journey can benefit both guests and hotel staff, read on further!
1. Greater flexibility with contactless services
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled a shift away from physical transactions and accelerated the adoption of contactless communication methods. But more than health and safety, there are other reasons why consumers are embracing contactless services – convenience and flexibility are some of them.
Guests no longer need to wait in line or make the trip down to the concierge to make any request. Instead, they are able to perform contactless check-in to the hotel even before they arrive or browse and order room service digitally while discovering hotel amenities and nearby attractions on a guest experience platform.
With a self-service guest experience platform, such as the one Vouch offers, hotels can provide greater flexibility and accessibility for guests while ensuring peace of mind for the health-conscious.
2. Improving efficiency and responsiveness
Timely service is something all guests appreciate. Automated tasks facilitated by self-service technologies can expedite routine services, such as facilities booking and guest check-ins. Instant confirmation and responses make guests feel heard and dramatically reduce the need for guests to queue at the concierge or wait for the hotel room phone to get through.
On the side of the hotel, technologies like hotel mobile check-in also reduce the overall load on service staff. This translates to significant savings in time and manpower. According to the McKinsey Global Institute[2], companies can save nearly 70 per cent of their time by automating mundane data processing tasks. In the hotel context, self-service guest experience platforms will save man-hours spent on swiping credit cards, keying in guest details, managing facilities booking, and relaying customers’ housekeeping requests.
3. Personalised recommendations and seamless cross-selling
Digitalisation is often associated with the dearth of the human touch, but did you know that it can also be utilised to offer highly personalised services? By tapping into audience data and your guests’ preferences, self-service guest platforms like Vouch’s are able to provide personalised recommendations and suggestions – some of these include activities to do in the hotel, dining options, and attractions to visit, among others.
These thoughtful touches are what guests can look forward to in hotels that are effectively maximising the potential of their guest experience platform. At the same time, hotels can benefit by automating their up-selling and cross-selling processes. Vouch’s platform is an example of how these can be performed automatically in a timely and seamless manner, catering to guest preferences with minimal effort from hotel staff.
Conclusion
A recent study[3] found that a significant proportion of hoteliers had already implemented or were in the midst of implementing guest self-service options, with the most common implementation being the use of contactless hotel mobile check-in. With Vouch’s self-service guest experience modules, you, too, can revitalise your hotel with an enhanced guest experience and increased staff productivity.
With an app-less and web-based interface, Vouch is one of the most convenient and user-friendly hotel guest platforms you can find today. Do not hesitate to contact us to design a solution for your hotel’s needs, or simply to learn more about Vouch and our offerings!
References
[1] Kelso, A. (2019, July 30). Self-Order Kiosks Are Finally Having A Moment In The Fast Food Space. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2019/07/30/self-order-kiosks-are-finally-having-a-moment-in-the-fast-food-space/?sh=3e9b20d64275
[2] Bughin, J., Hazan, E., Lund, S., Dahlström, P., Wiesinger, A., & Subramaniam, A. (2018, May 23). Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/skill-shift-automation-and-the-future-of-the-workforce
[3] Gupta, K. & Sharma, S. (2021) Kiosks as self-service technology in hotels: opportunities and challenges. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 13(2), 236-251.
Benefits Of A Self-Service Guest Journey For Guests & Hotels
Walk into virtually any fast food restaurant today, and you will be greeted not only by the service staff, but also by a row of self-service ordering kiosks. Indeed, self-service kiosks have become increasingly common: you can expect to see them at airports, restaurants, supermarkets, and even in parking lots.
Many businesses today are hopping onto the digitalisation bandwagon, and it is not just because it adds novelty or positions themselves as ‘high-tech’ and progressive. In fact, studies show that consumers increasingly prefer digital services. In a Forbes article[1] that examined digitalisation in the fast-food restaurant scene, Tillster’s research found that more than two-thirds of customers would want to visit a restaurant more frequently if self-service kiosks were present. Additionally, one in three preferred to place their order through a kiosk instead of waiting in line to place an order with a cashier.
Apart from global food and beverage companies like McDonald’s and KFC, hotels today are also seeing a shift towards digitalisation as hotel guests become more health-conscious and tech-savvy. Discerning hoteliers around the world are leveraging self-service touchpoints to optimise their guest experiences as well as bump up productivity in many areas, such as providing a digital platform for placing common room request like bath towels and bath amenities.
1. Greater flexibility with contactless services
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled a shift away from physical transactions and accelerated the adoption of contactless communication methods. But more than health and safety, there are other reasons why consumers are embracing contactless services – convenience and flexibility are some of them.
Guests no longer need to wait in line or make the trip down to the concierge to make any request. Instead, they are able to perform contactless check-in to the hotel even before they arrive or browse and order room service digitally while discovering hotel amenities and nearby attractions on a guest experience platform.
With a self-service guest experience platform, such as the one Vouch offers, hotels can provide greater flexibility and accessibility for guests while ensuring peace of mind for the health-conscious.
2. Improving efficiency and responsiveness
Timely service is something all guests appreciate. Automated tasks facilitated by self-service technologies can expedite routine services, such as facilities booking and guest check-ins. Instant confirmation and responses make guests feel heard and dramatically reduce the need for guests to queue at the concierge or wait for the hotel room phone to get through.
On the side of the hotel, technologies like hotel mobile check-in also reduce the overall load on service staff. This translates to significant savings in time and manpower. According to the McKinsey Global Institute[2], companies can save nearly 70 per cent of their time by automating mundane data processing tasks. In the hotel context, self-service guest experience platforms will save man-hours spent on swiping credit cards, keying in guest details, managing facilities booking, and relaying customers’ housekeeping requests.
3. Personalised recommendations and seamless cross-selling
Digitalisation is often associated with the dearth of the human touch, but did you know that it can also be utilised to offer highly personalised services? By tapping into audience data and your guests’ preferences, self-service guest platforms like Vouch’s are able to provide personalised recommendations and suggestions – some of these include activities to do in the hotel, dining options, and attractions to visit, among others.
These thoughtful touches are what guests can look forward to in hotels that are effectively maximising the potential of their guest experience platform. At the same time, hotels can benefit by automating their up-selling and cross-selling processes. Vouch’s platform is an example of how these can be performed automatically in a timely and seamless manner, catering to guest preferences with minimal effort from hotel staff.
Conclusion
A recent study[3] found that a significant proportion of hoteliers had already implemented or were in the midst of implementing guest self-service options, with the most common implementation being the use of contactless hotel mobile check-in. With Vouch’s self-service guest experience modules, you, too, can revitalise your hotel with an enhanced guest experience and increased staff productivity.
With an app-less and web-based interface, Vouch is one of the most convenient and user-friendly hotel guest platforms you can find today. Do not hesitate to contact us to design a solution for your hotel’s needs, or simply to learn more about Vouch and our offerings!
References
[1] Kelso, A. (2019, July 30). Self-Order Kiosks Are Finally Having A Moment In The Fast Food Space. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2019/07/30/self-order-kiosks-are-finally-having-a-moment-in-the-fast-food-space/?sh=3e9b20d64275
[2] Bughin, J., Hazan, E., Lund, S., Dahlström, P., Wiesinger, A., & Subramaniam, A. (2018, May 23). Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/skill-shift-automation-and-the-future-of-the-workforce
[3] Gupta, K. & Sharma, S. (2021) Kiosks as self-service technology in hotels: opportunities and challenges. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 13(2), 236-251.