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Today, a front-of-house manager shares her perspective on how AI can help her and her teams. Read on for more…
TOGETHER WITH HOTEL TECH REPORT
Discover the Future of Hotels and The Technology That Powers Them
If you enjoy the Hospitality Daily Podcast, you’ll love the Hotel Tech Insider podcast - where you’ll find interviews with hotel industry leaders pushing the boundaries of technology to grow their businesses with actionable tools and strategies. It’s run by my friend Jordan Hollander from Hotel Tech Report, and you can see a short preview of some recent guests from his posts on LinkedIn:
Sven Morné Goosen, COO of YOTEL, on redefining the hotel experience by creating a culture that embraces feedback and change
Kari Anna Fiskvik, SVP of Technology at Strawberry, on rolling out a chatbot to empower 20,000+ hotel employees
Roman Pedan, Founder and CEO of Kasa, on using technology to operate with 70% gross profit margins
Check out the Hotel Tech Insider podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
Empowering Frontline Hospitality Workers with AI
Victoria Gordon // Photo: Josiah Mackenzie for Hospitality Daily
Today, we’re learning from Victoria Gordon, front-of-house manager at Timber Cove Resort.
The Big Idea: AI can enhance the guest experience by handling many common questions, allowing front-line staff to focus on in-person interactions.
Why it Matters: Staffing challenges remain, and technology presents an opportunity to improve the lives of both your guests and your teams.
Go Deeper: Listen to Victoria and I discuss this today on the Hospitality Daily Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Spotify).
Today’s Takeaways:
Use AI to Handle Basic Questions: Deploy chatbots for common pre-booking inquiries like room capacity and amenities, allowing front desk staff to focus on guests physically present at the property.
Create Smart Handoffs: Set up AI systems to recognize when questions become complex and smoothly transition guests to the right staff member. As Victoria notes: "Once it gets to that point of not being able to answer it, then there's the direct email for the person that can help you best."
Keep Technology Optional: Maintain traditional service alternatives alongside digital solutions. As Victoria emphasizes: "If you need me to read you the menu over the phone, I will do that... We're not going to say, 'no, you're only going to use this.'"
Maintain Personal Connection: Never let technology become a barrier to human interaction. In Victoria's words: "We're never going to just not let you connect with us. We always close with, ‘If you have any further questions, if you want to talk to us, here’s someone who can help you.'"
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Thank you for reading.
-Josiah
