Hotels are finding it hard to say if self-service kiosks are helpful or hurting their guest interaction and satisfaction. According to the author, "kiosks can free front desk personnel to spend extra time with guests who prefer or need personal assistance, while enabling business and other travelers to speed through check-in and check-out by serving themselves" (Carlin, 2008). Front desk employees may find this new technology as a threat to their jobs. They can encourage guest use, but guests may want personal interaction. Employees should not rely too heavily on kiosks and should be trained on how to use them. Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and Club Quarters are just a few who have commented on the issue. The consensus seems to be that kiosks are efficient and offers variety to the guest. These hotels also agree that the placement of the kiosk is important for usage. Most are placed by the front desk, or built into the front desk. This would be convenient for an assistant to help if there are problems. Boarding pass printing is also being integrated into the system. The author commented that "future hotel lobbies will incorporate self-service technology into their overall design" (Carlin, 2008). It will function as a hub, similar to a living room in a household, where guests experience can be enhanced.
I think points made by the hotel chains were valid. However, several problems are also present that the author did not bring up in the article. Yes, kiosks are beneficial to the guest by providing them with variety and introducing them to technology in hotels. I used to work at a Hyatt hotel and there are a few things that I doubt managers know about front desk situations. Some guests are very reluctant to use the kiosk and find it hard to navigate. Hyatt hotels require the guest to have the credit card used to book the room to retrieve their reservation. Most actually don't have it and then have to get in line and wait even longer than they should have. If the guest said they requested something but it wasn't given to them, the same thing happens. Plus, when they are at the front of the line, they usually tend to bypass those that are in line making them wait longer. Older guests do not generally want to use the kiosk, so it is very difficult to approach them and ask them if they want to use the kiosk. I was on "kiosk duty" a lot and found that perhaps 1/8 of the time guests used the kiosk and got their room with no problems. Some guests even went up to their room and would come back down because they didn't want or request that room. Interaction with the employee might be easier when it comes down to it.
Carlin, Mary L. February 2008. High Touch vs. Touch Screen. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from HospitalityTechnology, from http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=1F14B173AACB4D08A3834FA59A12B66D
4 comments:
I agree with the author that is hard to distinguish if self-service kiosks are helpful or hurting their guest. Many guests enjoy self-service kiosks for their convenience and speed. However, I feel many customers are not comfortable with technology and would much rather deal with a hotel desk employee. Many, in particular elderly guests, are not as well educated when it comes to modern technology and do not have much practice with it. I also feel that an increase in kiosks will slowly and eventually replace the jobs of front desk employees. In my opinion this is not beneficial to the hotel because many people enjoy the comfort and greetings received when checking in to a hotel.
I would have to agree with what Beth said – I don’t think that hotels should totally rely on the use of a kiosk for check-ins. Having worked in a hotel before, I found that the majority of the guests wanted to see a friendly face when they came into the hotel, not a computer screen. And, like Beth mentioned, many of the older guests are not familiar with the kiosk system and find it difficult so they end up waiting in line to receive the assistance of a front desk rep anyway. If a hotel is mainly for repeat business travelers than perhaps a kiosk system would work well there, but otherwise I think that hotels should simply leave the check-in/check-out process to the trained front desk staff.
I must say that I have been a little skeptical of self-service kiosks. Although I do use them and find them quick and convenient the thought that they may eliminate jobs has crossed my mind. Being a soon to be professional in the hospitality field it is important to keep up with the technology, but we also must make sure that we do not lose the relationship characteristic of our industry. So overall I do think that kiosks can take pressure off the front desk and make it easier for the business travelers and others that prefer them. The good thing about this article is that it does demonstrate that employees are valuable and may be needed to assist guests. In the end I do think that self-service kiosks are a great addition to our industry just as long as they do not take away the hospitable aspect.
I believe it is necessary to have both self-checkin kiosks along with check in at the front desk. It all depends on the customer's preference whether or not they believe the kiosks are a attribute. Some people prefer human contact and others do not. How High tech or easy to use the system does not have as much of an impact as preference. I prefer to deal with a person rather than a computer under any circumstances. I do not think that self-checkin kiosks will compermise all of the jobs at the front desk. Guest are often going to need some assistance with the computer system. I think that self kiosks are great idea and will eliminate alot of traffic at the front desk. But, I do not think that they should replace the front desk staff especialy to the point where jobs are lossed. I agree with beth, self-checkin kiosks should not be rely upon for the majority of the service provided by the front desk. Person to person interaction developes a standard of which no computer can reach.
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