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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Five Ways Chatbot Will Improve Your Website

10/08/2018

by Nimesh Dinubhai

There are several functions you can add to your website which while minor will improve the website's and business' effectiveness by a great margin. A chatbot is one of those functions and it brings both the business and customers a number of real benefits. The idea of having a website is so that you can reach customers at their convenience and be easily accessible with information about your services. A chatbot takes this further allowing for communication between the two parties.

1. Real-time, Fast and Convenient Communication

A chatbot provides real-time communication between you and your guest or website visitor. This could be a current customer or a prospective one. Any inquiries can be easily addressed allowing you to provide faster and reliable service. This increases the business' credibility and rating. The customer does not have to stop other activities to hear from you and it can take place anywhere.

2. No Costs

A chatbot allows you to provide customer service and support at no cost to the business or customer. There are no infrastructure costs and ensuring there are enough lines and people manning them. The customers do not also face phone costs in opting for billed customer care service lines.

3. Gain Useful Data

With a chatbot on your site, you can easily get to collect a great deal of useful information from visitors who use it. Such information includes their location, the device used, time spent on your website, number of visits and the source that brought them to your site. All this data is useful information to help you understand the type of people responding more to your product's as well as understand where your marketing is effective and where it fails.

4. Building Relationships

A chatbot is an effective and easy way to build meaningful relationships with guests. By delivering effective service and guiding them through their purchases, visitors are satisfied and develop an attachment to your brand. This creates chances for future purchases.

5. More Sales

Ultimately, a chatbot leads to more sales. Whether, it is with a prospective or a returning guest. The fast response and supply offered provides a platform for persuasion and demonstrating why your company is the right pick. This increases conversions and results in more sales.

About The Author

Nimesh Dinubhai
President
Websrefresh

Nimesh Dinubhai completed his studies in 2003 and launched Websrefresh to help businesses grow their ROI. He also owns two Arizona hotels, one of which earned the Historical Hotel Award in 2014.