Digitalizing Service to Create a Personalized Welcome and Increase Efficiency

According to the IHG study that came out this year titled “Creating Moments of Trust,” 3 out of 4 travelers agree that international hotel chains are the most likely to offer the same quality of service throughout the world. Travelers to emerging countries (68% in Brazil, 60% in the United Arab Emirates, and 58% in China) prefer international hotel chains because they perceive them as being more attentive to their tastes, customs, and local cultures. But they are also in search of a uniqueness and originality that bear witness to the hotel’s own identity.

Hotels that operate under chain brands have a new challenge to face: satisfying the demand for “de-standardization” while guaranteeing a consistent level of service.

In order to ensure consistency across their services, brands must transition to digital technology and gradually introduce into their hotels an online assistance feature that can be made available on a smartphone or tablet application. This is what we call the digitalization of service.

The idea: the development of a mobile application for hotels in the same chain that could be accessed via reservation number and that would offer a variety of services such as online assistance for conference or seminar activities or concierge service.

The goal of service digitalization is to provide the client the freedom to choose their method of communication and for the hotel staff to be able to respond swiftly to their clients’ needs and desires. Each member of personnel could have access to this application so that they are able to act as quickly as possible the moment a request comes in. The result: a consistent and personalized service.

This article was written by Judith Tricon Russo, whom I recently met as part of her work on her dissertation on “Networks of Franchises in the Luxury Hotel Trade.” I thought it might be worthwhile for her to present you with some of her reflections on the subject. To learn more about Judith, click here.

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