Alok Jha is the Managing Director & CEO of EaseVenture Pvt. Ltd. & also the Director of Gharsenaukri.com (A Home-based Recruitment Portal). Prior to this he was the Managing Director of CyberPlat India Private Ltd, A Russian Multinational company. His key area of expertise includes Setting up and building businesses, Business Mentoring & Scaling, understanding consumers across various spaces, building and working with teams and growing businesses that revolve around Customer, services and brands. He has been also part of founding teams of two known startups. He has worked for companies like Blow Plast limited, Mudra Communications, Forbes & Co, and Suvidhaa Infoserve Ltd among others. He is also a visiting faculty at many leading Management Schools and active speaker on various forums. Alok is also an Investor, Advisor and Mentor to many companies in area of startups and incubators.
Brutally shattered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hospitality industry is struggling to restore consumer confidence. They are striving hard to overcome this unusual situation and to protect their customers and employees against COVID-19. The growth of innovative technologies has paved the way to overcome these struggles faced by the hospitality industry.
The pandemic situation is an eye-opener. It certainly has stimulated the incorporation of advanced technologies into hotel operations. Innovative technologies introduced for sophistication and additional assistance are gradually growing into our necessities in this pandemic era! Consumers have become more aware of safety and are afraid to step out of their homes. The pandemic is just a momentary disruption, but most of these modern technologies will emerge and proceed to redefine the future.
Etiquettes like Wearing masks, hand-sanitizing, and social distancing are current standards and tactics for managing people. The terms “touch-free” or “contactless” solutions are the order of the day! The situation of the hospitality industry is crucial. We must prepare ourselves with the core skills to sustain and thrive in this industry. Let’s look into some of the most recent technologies that are most significant and fundamental for hospitality businesses in the pandemic era.
Guest engagement technologies
Various firms are developing and supplying Guest engagement technologies that efficiently integrate with a hotel’s existing Property Management Systems. New platforms that enable guests to contact hotel workers in real-time are the order of the day. Instead of downloading an additional app, these platforms allow the users to choose based on their app of preference like WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat.
This reliable communications option empowers the hotel workers to reply promptly to customers’ requirements, even without asking their name and room number. For example, messaging “extra bedsheet” is enough for the request to be answered. Enabling a chatbot is also embedded in such softwares. Most of these products also support many languages.
Advanced Sterilization Technologies
We all are aware of Electrostatic disinfectant sprayers and HEPA filters. These HEPA filters are proficient in filtering out 99.9 percent of harmful airborne germs such as viruses and bacteria. There are also additional technologically advanced devices that will be helpful in the pandemic era. Some new advanced devices operate with evidence-based, high-powered UVC technology that can safely, swiftly, and efficiently eliminate up to 99.9 percent of the surface and airborne germs in indoor surroundings. They are powerful even in more open areas throughout various hospitality industries without applying chemicals or leaving behind sediment.
Automation Technologies
Automation doesn’t mean that consumer experience only happens online and through devices, check-ins, and online comments. These experiences need to be part of an integrated dynamic system. Few hotels are trying to produce a completely human-free experience through the use of multiple integrated automated systems. Customers can check-in using their reference details through mobile applications. It provides the consumers a fresh and unique experience. Whenever the consumers experience something new! they get excited. Automation is new and different so, the consumers will have a great guest experience.
The hospitality industry is enhanced effectively by automation technology. It allows self-service facilities to get organized more efficiently to improve the hotel experience. Hotels can employ a variety of strategies to incorporate automated procedures into their operations. Self-service kiosks, which allow guests to check-in and leave throughout their stay, are a straightforward solution.
IT Infrastructure with Cloud Solutions
Investing in upgrades without causing a complete IT system overhaul removes the administrative burden of managing an IT system in-house. Cloud computing is becoming the norm. We will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT infrastructure with cloud solutions. The initial capital investment is lower than IT infrastructure and servers. Apart from this, it gives hotels the versatility to expand and improve their IT demands along with tremendous business growth.
Presenting the consumers with the quality of entertainment they require and online mobile content has led to the inclination of hotels to invest in cloud services. While hotels strive to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT infrastructure and IT staff, making cloud computing the absolute answer.
Domestic Robots
Unlike The Chitti from the movie 2.0, A robot, in the broadest sense, is any equipment or system designed to perform a set of tasks with unrivaled efficiency and precision. Various hotels around the globe have started to use robots for a lot of processes in the hospitality industry like welcoming, housekeeping, cooking, luggage handling, and many more. The artificial intelligence-equipped service robots possess advanced knowledge and communications technology, including space-mapping, autonomous driving ability, and voice recognition.
Technology is progressing at a faster rate! Many industry trends are leading in significant benefits and cost savings for the hospitality business. The pandemic era is an eye-opener for the hospitality industry. Retaining track of consumer demands and expectations is the predominant aspect of the development of any industry. In this COVID situation, the expectations are constantly turning. Accordingly, we have to adapt and rely on technologies at the end of the day.