Contactless services in the hospitality sector have always been about greater convenience and enhanced hotel guest experience. In the post-COVID recovery world, they’re becoming more important than ever.
But are they making the front-desk staff and other hotel employees redundant? Should they worry about losing their job to the tech industry? Not in the slightest.
Here are some of the top reasons why the hospitality sector shouldn’t worry about unemployment due to tech advancements.
Contactless Technology Offers Multi-Skilling Opportunities
During peak times, many hotels struggle to keep up with all the check-ins, checkouts, and various guest services in between. With contactless tech in their corner, they can manage everything seamlessly.
Since contactless tech automates various repetitive tasks, hoteliers have an opportunity to upskill their staff. They can turn it into a multi-skilled team that can handle many more tasks to increase the overall operational efficiency.
For instance, a front-desk receptionist can help out at the spa when there aren’t many check-ins. When there are, and front-desk workers are swamped with other guest services, bartenders can jump in to greet guests.
Everyone can have new responsibilities instead of sitting around and twiddling their thumbs. They can work in unison to enhance their services and provide outstanding guest experiences.
Making Room for More Hires
Automating repetitive tasks with contactless tech makes hotel workers more productive. They can do more in less time, thus helping hoteliers cut costs and generate more revenue.
All that saved time doesn’t mean that hotels need fewer employees. Why would they settle for the same revenue when they could generate more by utilizing all the freed-up time? Better yet, they could make bigger revenues by hiring more employees, and many are jumping on that bandwagon.
Freeing Up the Time for a More Personalized Touch
Contactless technology is there to provide hotel guests with a seamless, personalized, and pleasant experience. But that doesn’t mean that guests don’t need hotel employees anymore.
Sure, they can order room service via mobile, book guided tours and event tickets, get room upgrades, and more - all without face-to-face contact with hotel staff.
But hotel guests still need the human touch that self-service kiosks, robots, and other contactless services can’t provide. With more time on their hands, hotel staff can provide the necessary social interaction and ensure each guest has an utterly pleasant experience.
Generating New Hotel Revenue Opportunities
There’s growing evidence that contactless service is making hotels more profitable.
UpStay, a SaaS contactless and digital solution, is a great example of how hoteliers can maximize their revenues with contactless services. All they need to do is connect it to their PMS and send personalized offers to guests, such as for room upgrades and various extra services.
Thanks to all the data UpStay collects, they can identify real-time revenue opportunities, boost unsold inventory, and generate more profit on the pre-arrival guest phase.
So, contactless services like UpStay are actually helping the hospitality sector. They support its tech evolution and generate new revenue opportunities that haven’t been explored before.
Moreover, 84% of travelers say that contactless technology will increase their confidence to travel, according to a recent global travel survey. So, implementing it can lead to more bookings and even higher revenues.
Conclusion
Contactless technology will become standard in the hospitality sector, but it won’t pose a threat to people’s jobs. It will empower them to do more, enhance their services, and provide superb guest experiences.
The need for a personal touch won’t change anytime soon. Hoteliers who recognize the potential of both tech and social interactions are certain to enjoy higher hotel revenues and more profitability.