Tech Talk

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Definitely Doug 6/9/23: Hotels Fighting Trafficking: The Role of Technology
Posted: 06/09/2023

This week I want to address an important issue for the hospitality industry, albeit one that technologists have not historically had on their radar. They can potentially play a significant role in addressing the issue, which is human trafficking, and more specifically sex trafficking.

In my last column, I reviewed some key trends in autonomous mobile robotics for hotels, and dove into three categories of delivery robots in more detail – room delivery, food delivery, and heavy-lift robots. This week I will round out the topic with several other robot types and applications, as well as general guidance for evaluating, acquiring, and adopting mobile autonomous robotics. If you have not yet read part one, I recommend going back and doing so before continuing below, as some of the introductory material is important background to what follows.

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Best Practices for Hotel & Resort Operators in Pool Season 2023
Posted: 05/25/2023

With the arrival of warmer weather and summer fast approaching, hospitality operators are gearing up for another pool season. This year, technology is at the forefront of driving booking revenue and taking operational efficiency to the next level. Modern technology platforms (such as hospitality’s newest technology category – the Property Experience Management System or PXMS) are providing brand new capabilities that unlock new strategies and approaches to filling the pool with satisfied guests.

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The Growing Role Technology Plays in Hotels and Restaurants
Posted: 05/25/2023

In the past few years, hotels and restaurants have grown into hubs for entertainment, leisure, and human connection. In an effort to best serve their guests, operators have begun rethinking their technological investments and working to adapt to recent shifts in consumer preference and operations. To ensure that guests have the best on-site experience possible, brands are increasingly looking to new technologies to make their experiences more convenient and comfortable. Advanced property management systems (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) systems can increase operational and staff efficiency, while also meeting changing customer expectations for a high-value but relatively low-touch experience.

This week I will return to a topic I have covered before, because it has, within the last 12 to 18 months, become one of the hottest-growth categories in hospitality technology. That topic is autonomous mobile robots – specifically, ones that can move around the facility as well as perform specific tasks. Many of these products were launched pre-Covid but were often seen at the time as more of a marketing gimmick than a legitimate operational solution.

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Guest-Facing Kiosks Are Here to Stay

11/21/2016

by Shuja Rahman

From the guest’s point of view an excellent experience is one that is simply frictionless. No one wants a struggle to meet a basic need; today’s population insists on convenience. They want an experience without the friction of having to repeat things that have already been communicated, or spending time trying to solve issues that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Such friction takes away from the overall experience.

Guests Who Want to Serve Themselves

In an ideal setting, the guest can meet his or her needs effortlessly, without having to jump through hoops. Interactive kiosks in hospitality environments give guests control over their product browsing and purchasing decisions. Kiosks not only connect guests to more products, they also contribute to the overall brand and stay experience.

With this shift in shopping behavior, guests are becoming more empowered and accepting of self-service kiosks. In our do-it-yourself culture, users are happy to take control of their spending experience. This “grab and go” experience addresses the desires of today’s younger generations.

Greater Convenience Contributes to Guest Satisfaction

Hotel lobby pantries with kiosks make the experience simple and efficient for everyone. The guest can select, pay for her breakfast item, and be on the way to her business meeting without having to wait in line at a front desk, for example.

Perhaps the guest is taking in the scenery on the casino floor and needs to satisfy a craving for a pumpkin latte from the coffee shop on the third floor. Or consider guests who use the kiosk to order dinner from any of the restaurants on property and schedule the meal to be delivered just when the guest is returning to his or her room. Tracking down the restaurant and waiting to served will become a pattern of the past. Kiosks have their place in delivering the most imaginative experiences for guests, making for truly unique experiences.

Touchscreen kiosks are also being used to promote new products, even suggesting additional items that might accompany the guest’s intended purchase. This suggestive sell or upsell increases guest spending and your bottom line. Studies show that this self-serve shopping experience leads to customers making larger purchases, boosting overall sales.

Why Operators Should Consider Kiosks

As automation tools and kiosks continue to advance in functionality and reliability, operators should expect to see significant ROIs soon after deployment. Building guest loyalty, reducing costs, saving time, maximizing sales and building brand exposure are all compelling reasons operators should consider expanding some of their workflows to self-service kiosks.

Kiosks are inevitable – they are expected to have an increasing presence that supplements hospitality experiences, bringing enormous benefits. Those benefits often include:

• Labor cost savings
• Reduced line-ups
• Increased guest engagement
• Streamlined data entry and management
• Greater analytics accuracy regarding effectiveness of promotions
• Mobile integration with reduced technical complexity
• Extended access to even reach more guests

Through kiosk interactions, guests are building a relationship with the property’s products and services, which in turn increases revenue for the business.

As self-service kiosks play an ever-increasing role in guests’ lives, the functions those kiosks perform are also expanding. Combined with newer technology that includes smartphone apps and cloud-based information storage, kiosks are able to provide services which were previously unheard of and are now available virtually anywhere your guests prefer to be.

About The Author

Shuja Rahman
Principal Product Manager
Agilysys, Inc.

Mr. Shuja Rahman is the Principal Product Manager at Agilysys, a leading technology company providing advanced software solutions for point-of-sale, kiosk, property management, analytics and mobile solutions for the hospitality industry. While leading the strategic development of the company’s next-generation rGuest® Buy kiosk technology, Mr. Rahman is responsible for bringing innovative capabilities to market with a strong focus on guest-facing and self-service F&B ordering experiences. He has extensive enterprise software product management experience ranging from Fortune 50 to startups. Mr. Rahman received his MBA from Booth School of Business, University of Chicago.