To automate or not to automate during this 'appy' unhappy situation
Many years back, when the self-check-in kiosk made its first appearance, it sparked a debate – ‘technology or the human touch’? In those early days, Hamlet’s soliloquy ‘to be or not to be’ turned into a ‘to automate or not to automate’, question.
A kiosk is connected to the hotel PMS. Once a booking is received online, the guest is sent an email confirming the reservation including their booking ID. When the guest arrives at the hotel, he or she can head to the self-service check in kiosk, retrieve the booking using the ID provided, enter required details on-screen, obtain the dispensed key to the allotted room and head towards it – without encountering or dealing with any member of the hotel staff.
Because it was quick, efficient and more importantly… labour saving it found favour with the lean-operated / budget hotels, whilst the purists disdainfully labeled it as destroying the human interaction factor and in turn the heart of hospitality. Hence, very few adopted it.
Traditionally, the registration process is the initial physical transaction a guest has with the hotel, where, the first impressions are created and arguably, last the longest. Invariably, the process can set the mood for the rest of the guests’ day at the hotel.
Overtime though, some hotels discovered that self-service kiosks created a valuable option to long lines, and wait times during peak periods – customer ‘pain-points’ that often lead to frustration and negative ‘first’ impressions (if you were checking-in) or ‘last’ impressions (if you were checking-out). Consequently, where studies showed that the check in / check out procedures ranked high in rating staff service quality, certain hotels saw it as a dual opportunity - ‘differentiation and problem solving’. They did this by balancing the use of both kiosks and guest service agents. The former to serve those who are in hurry (mostly business travelers) and the latter (leisure travelers) who preferred the interactivity and banter with hotel staff.
Very soon, the digital check-in kiosk, became a ‘nice to have’ gadgetry, particularly for those hotels that could afford it. Soon, sophisticated systems made it even more beneficial – doubling up as a useful ‘concierge’, to provide information about the local area, maps, nearby places to visit and as a source of visual tourist information. Hotels then cottoned on to it as a means of saving on labour costs. Others adapted it, believing that showing travelers that they have introduced the newest technology will increase their chances of improving service quality ratings, Even then, the majority of hotels shied away from going digital until…
Covid-19 came along and hastened digital check-in from a ’nice to have’ to a ‘must have’ for hoteliers. In this thoroughly connected topsy turvy ‘appy; world, guests now prefer to check-in on their own without having to deal with anyone at the front desk. So… what’s it gonna be?
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, trainer, Ex-hotelier
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