COUNTRY FOCUS: KUWAIT
price, product and you name it on their
devices – everything literally is at their
fingertips on their smartphone devices.
There are so many apps just available for
them to help make choices.
Take for example, location-based
technology. There are so many of us that
use location-services, either driving or
walking. Businesses are using it to attract
customers at a geo-location with offers,
which customers are getting on products
and personalised services that enhance
their travel and stay experiences.
Technology has made an impact on
consumer travelling habits. Any business,
not only hospitality, can reach customers
using technology. They can instantly
reply to their queries, instantly confirm a
reservation, make payment on-line etc. I
cannot think of a business that does not
come with an app of its own.
How have you been able to
utilise technology to improve
customer services?
The most important role of technology is
that it increases the speed of customer
interactions. It makes personable services
effective. Take for example, data analytics
which are so important nowadays. How
else would we know about our customers’
behaviours and preferences?
We would want them to keep coming
back to us by knowing what their
expectations are, understanding their
problems so we could resolve them
quickly and provide tailor-made services.
This way we ensure we build a loyal
customer base and improve revenue.
Social media is another way to improve
customer services. It is one of the greatest
inventions today. It’s fast, transparent,
simple and the most cost-effective way that
we can communicate with our customers,
be it through blogs, post or Twitter. The best
part is that communication channels are
open 24/7 without any middle-men.
How have the technology
requirements of your customers
changed over the last few years?
With technology, our industry is also
changing. From Baby Boomers to the current
Millennials, the use of technology differs
with each generation. With the advent of
technology, many activities that were earlier
performed by humans have been replaced
by technology.
Anita Lobo – Cluster Manager at the Crowne
Plaza and Holiday Inn in Kuwait
an entire meal from a choice of sauces to
spicy tolerance all at the push of a button.
Take the simple example of hotel check-in.
Some hotels today have already adopted
kiosk and mobile check-ins and done away
with reception desks. They no longer have
to wait in queue for a check-in or even get
a room key which is replaced with a mobile
key. Even payments are done automatically
using e-commerce. In fact, at the Horeca event held in Kuwait,
one of the stalls was showcasing concierge
and housekeeping bots. They are already
making an entry in this part of the world.
In a hotel room, a guest can control the
temperature, lighting and TV through a
mobile app now. Some hotel rooms are also
equipped with voice-activated requests for
room services. Providing environmentally-
friendly services is another area that all
businesses including ours are focusing on,
besides mobile keys and replacing papers
for e-newspapers. In today’s competitive world, our
customers have several alternatives.
Keeping customer retention and loyalty can
be a challenge. It is important to us to have
a loyal customer base.
Recently I saw a video in a hotel which
showcased a robot which actually prepared
What are the main
technological challenges in
the hospitality industry?
Then there are the ever-changing
technologies that are costly. Deployment
of these technologies frequently is not
really possible due to cost factors. An
efficient hotel technology must be fast and
acknowledge any guest request instantly. For
a seamless guest experience, responsiveness
in technology is also critical.
With the hospitality sector facing up
to an increase in cyberattacks how
can cybersecurity be ensured?
Hotel infrastructure must be equipped
to secure guest devices and IoT devices
accessing hotel networks. Strong policing
and protocols should be adopted. All digital
interactions with guests must be reinforced
with security and privacy rules. Customer
data should be protected in the most secure
way possible. n
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