Artificial Intelligence has found a home in hospitality

When you think Artificial Intelligence, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a robot from a popular movie (Terminator, anyone?). Or maybe you think more high tech, such as machine learning restricted to specialized industries. Did you know AI is quickly becoming the unsung hero in unexpected industries? Such as in the hospitality industry – you may not know that AI is quietly working away to perform a wide range of tasks, from basic customer service initiatives to innovative problem-solving.

Quick housekeeping tip: AI can be described as a technology that performs tasks previously dependent on only human intelligence, such as decision-making or speech recognition. With so many advancements in AI, hotels and resorts can now easily streamline processes, uncover valuable data insights, and optimize customer experiences. Keep reading to discover how AI is cozying up to the hospitality industry.

Provide information more quickly with chatbots

Customer service has always been a cornerstone of the travel industry and with rising expectations around hotel experiences, it’s a race to find new ways to keep your guests happy. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you hire a robot to handle the valet or to carry bags, but AI can play a major role in refining your customer experiences at every touchpoint. For example, AI-powered virtual assistants or chatbots can help with answering FAQs or providing relevant information which shortens the response time or eliminates the need for human assistance altogether. Save valuable time so your staff can focus on higher-level priorities pertaining to the guest experience rather than answering basic queries like “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” or “Where is the pool?”

Many hospitality providers are adopting messaging support with AI-based chatbots to proactively provide updates to travelers on popular social channels like Facebook and WhatsApp. Add mobile booking options and automate notifications to let guests know when their room is ready and speed up the check-in and check-out process. AI enables hotels and resorts to easily enhance guest satisfaction by giving them that warm fuzzy feeling before they ever step foot on the property.

Mine data to better understand customers and improve processes

AI has been disrupting a number of industries over the past decade, but now hotel administrators are getting in on the action and paying close attention to the potential benefits. In fact, 89% of hoteliers agree that AI significantly reduces operating costs and minimizes human error. With AI, you can collect information about guests and gain valuable insights from the enormous amount of data that guests create throughout their customer lifetime. From search and booking to checking-in and out, and even contact center interactions, collecting and using advanced analytics can provide the ability to automate processes and gain better decision-making power. By having real-time access to these statistics, hotels can gain a significant competitive edge while providing unmatched guest experiences.

AI technology is becoming so pervasive and meaningful that the hospitality sector can’t afford to ignore its capabilities. For example, you might use data to predict lulls in reservations and offer special rates to mitigate the revenue impact, or view call volume and usage to better manage contact center resources. Hotel kitchens and bars could also gather data on the food that guests order so they can better identify what to keep on the menu and what to scrap. Think about using data to better predict who would be interested in booking your rooms, then target your advertising toward them. While high-level decision making will always maintain a level of collaboration, letting data guide important decisions is a smarter, more risk-tolerant way to go. Hospitality corporations that fail to embrace analytics-driven decision making will likely lose market share, guests, and profits to more forward-thinking and data-obsessed competitors.

Achieve results with Atmosphere Insights

Successfully operating a hotel has no shortage of challenges, but those that incorporate advanced analytics can gain a better understanding of
how they can best meet and exceed customer expectations. I’m sure hotel operators are ready to save huge amounts of money and eliminate human error, but how? It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Atmosphere Insights.

Atmosphere Insights was built to help you understand the value of data by tracking all interactions across the enterprise. Atmosphere Insights
delivers analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to uncover trends and anomalies in your data. From top to bottom AI is making the hospitality sector more profitable, enjoyable, and efficient. Once you add Atmosphere Insights to your customer experience strategy, you’ll be able to relax knowing you’re creating exceptional guest experiences all while saving time and money.

Get started today!