It is a reality that, in a short period of time, mobile technology has changed the way the world moves. There is no doubt, the Smartphone is dictating how we live our lives.
Alfredo Lamadrid Alducin*
Only with mobile devices in our hands and connectivity, there are unlimited possibilities for access to information and services. This is a game-changing event for the hospitality industry. It opens a wide variety of extremely interesting options to be able to offer services to guests, efficient and easy to use. Not only is it now easier to travel the world, it's also easier for hotels to operate and be able to change how guests interact with a hotel.
Traveling is not really easy. I have had the opportunity to do it in different latitudes and in my experience mobility technology has definitely made my life as a traveler much easier, but the benefits do not stop there.
Mobile technology is also having positive effects on the hotel's operation layer, including the Sales, Marketing, Event and Banquet Organizers teams to name a few. All of them are now in a position to be able to carry and deliver information related to a special promotion or an event around the hotel through a Tablet, or even on their Smartphone. To be sure, this can include hundreds of event and banquet orders (BeOS) eliminating annoying and expensive printing by using software like DropBox or a PDF reader. A mobile device easily replaces this process that takes time and money.
All of them can save valuable minutes when there is a crisis and be able to have all the information they need in the palm of their hands, no matter where they are on the property. This will result, without any discussion, in better guest service and mitigate BeOS update confusion.
Hotels, restaurants, convention centers and entertainment are also using mobile devices to gather real-time information from their guests and customers and be able to make immediate changes. Using social networks and geolocation services, hotels can contact those who write details about their stay on site, offering a simple "Thank you for staying with us", or act quickly and make decisions in solution to service problems before check-out, with details that could be presented during the stay.
Another powerful tool for the sales and marketing team is the use of social media and geolocation services on mobile devices to generate last-minute deals in any of the hotel's consumption centers.
In short, as the previous example illustrates, mobile technology has the potential to do many things today and generate a radically different atmosphere in the hotel.
1.- Money and electronic payments
Some banks and credit card companies already have services and mobile applications of an electronic wallet, which allows you to pay for the room and, much better, gives you the opportunity to choose which credit card you want to use, all from the Smartphone and apply a highly secure transaction for the client and a very smart way to be able to disperse travel budget to the family.
2. Electronic room keys
Currently there are technologies that allow guests to safely use their mobile device as a room key by sending an encrypted signal to the guest's Smartphone, unique to each user. This is really very useful for guests with much more application of use where they have to travel very long distances to return to the Front-Desk in case they have forgotten their key or for some very common reason it stops working.
3. In-room telephone services
I don't remember when it was the last time I took the phone in the room to generate a call outside the hotel. Almost everything that the hotel room phone can do can be done today on a mobile device. Once hotels find and adopt technology so guests can contact the front desk in case of emergency (whether it's a text, messaging system, or an E-Concierge), room phones could be history.
4. Concierge
With E-Concierge points available wherever you are on the property, there will be no need to drop down to the front desk or call to have a Concierge available to generate dinner reservations or entertainment nights and any kind of entertainment around.
5. Room Service
With the use of location-based apps and services, you will no longer need to be tied to the room in order to receive your order. With the use of the mobile device locator, Room Service is perfectly capable of delivering the order to any part of the property.
6. Front Desk
The Front Desk is already being revolutionized by mobility, the operation of the Hotel will change as the hotel adapts to the use of a mobile device, such as being able to deliver an electronic key to access the room. Today it is much more common to be able to receive consumer bills electronically via an e-mail or download it directly from an Internet site.
7. Hotel promotional forms
The hotel's sales and marketing team will be able to stop worrying about printed material that quickly becomes obsolete in every room. Guests will be able to scan a QR code with their mobile device and learn about the latest developments in the hotel and in the area. Hotels only have to update one thing when there is a change, the website.
8. In-room entertainment
This is already a real change, as Guests prefer to spend on a high-quality broadband Internet service and watch a movie from their Lap-top, Tablet or have access to a game on their mobile device, which does not force them to be anchored to the room and have to spend extra money on hotel room entertainment. Then, the question is, is your Hotel prepared to handle and offer a high quality service in connectivity?
9. Automation and control of the room
Centralized automation of room amenities is already a reality, and will allow guests to have control of air conditioning, temperatures, lights, curtains, and entertainment services such as TV, music, and more. I think it's a matter of time before hotels continue to move forward in adopting this technology.
10. Mobile Device Charging Centers
I really believe that there is always a positive part and another not so much. Mobile devices are a big help, but having to charge so many batteries constantly and having to carry so many annoying cables inside the suitcase is really complicated. The next step for this is wireless power, it's definitely a trend that will advance rapidly and fully wireless charging centers will be much more accessible.
11. Cashless & Bracelets
This is definitely a great experience for guests and customers from all over the hospitality industry, this technology has many applications and can turn a hotel into something really disruptive in the way it offers consumption options and payment management within the hotel, resort, casino, events, cruises, convention center or entertainment, etc.
12. Kiosks & Self-Service
When we mention Kiosks it sounds like an old technology, and it may be true. The issue is that the application of this today to hospitality gains a lot of strength and relevance in the way of expressing and presenting service experience to customers. It seems to me that if you don't have a full integration with your PMS, POS, ticketing, reservations, etc., and you can offer true Self-Service, this technology will not meet its goal and will fall short in the hands of your customer. My recommendation is to use this technology if and only if it can offer a real Self-Service experience.
13. Remote Check-in & Mobile Check-in
The advanced use of this technology is definitely something that will be a reality in a very short time. I do not predict that it will replace the Front-Desk in a range of the industry, but definitely in Business segments, Budget, Self-Service, is and will be a required and indispensable technology to be able to deliver an experience desired by Guests.
Of course, no one said that it would be easy for Hotels to adopt some of these technologies is sure to create opportunities and challenges for hotels. But it is very likely that the change may lead to new and creative ways to reach the bottom line of the hotel.
My vision is that guests will demand that the industry accelerate the adoption of these technologies much more, as they themselves do for their daily lives. And once immersed in them, the operation of the hotel will change irreversibly.
*Alfredo Lamadrid Alducin is Managing Director @ PDT Positive Disruptive Thinking Hospitality Guest; Managing Partner @ HOSTEC Mexico, Expert consultant in hospitality technologies, Enterprise Social Technology, Social Media & Relevance. You can contact him through [email protected]
http://www.pdt-hospitality.org
http://www.hostec.mx
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