November 2021 | Relay Blog

Q&A: Using Emerging Technologies to Drive Digital Transformation in Hospitality

November 30, 2021/0 Comments/in Relay for Business

Q&A with Janet Jaiswal, VP of Global Marketing at Cloudbeds,

Does it ever feel as though digital transformation in the hospitality industry moves at warp speed? That’s because technology innovation really has sped up drastically in the past months.

Last fall McKinsey & Company released a survey with information on how COVID-19 brought about accelerated digitization of customer and supply chain interactions. The executives polled revealed that things really are moving faster than before with shares of “digital or digitally enabled products in their portfolios has accelerated by a shocking seven years.” Beyond investing in digital stocks, there is more of an actual investment in digital products to improve the quality of one’s professional life, most especially in the hospitality industry.

Based on all the innovations shared at HITEC 2021, It would seem as though hotels are at the forefront of the newest tech revolution. But not all hotels, casinos, and resorts are keeping up with the emerging technologies. Unfortunately, that means many hospitality-related businesses are missing out on the tools that could help transform their hospitality-related businesses.

We asked Janet Jaiswal, VP of Global Marketing at Cloudbeds, a cloud-based integrated platform for the hospitality industry, for some of her insights into how to channel the newest technologies. She offered tips to improve everything from bookings to customer service to your bottom line.

Digital technology trends accelerated by the pandemic

After nearly two really tough years, the hotel industry is seeing encouraging signs of recovery. But it’s also a bewildering time in figuring out how to implement and use new technology. “Properties can no longer run at full capacity without tools like self-service and automation,” Jaiswal said. She added that “More and more travelers are becoming comfortable with digital technology trends accelerated by the pandemic, such as keyless door locks and self-serve room check-in and check-out.”

HOTELS MUST EMBRACE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION TO ATTRACT THEIR GUESTS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH UNIQUE AND DIFFERENTIATING EXPERIENCES.

Jaiswal mentioned the resurgence of spending on travel. “Millennials are increasingly traveling. Today, they represent 31.5% of the world’s population, spending more than $550 million a year in the US alone. They are undoubtedly the new modern travelers setting the expectations of our industry.” Which has a direct impact on how hotels must pivot to embrace these travelers. According to Jaiswal, “The confluence of these trends means that hotels must embrace digital transformation to attract their guests and provide them with unique and differentiating experiences.”

But those transformations aren’t necessarily cosmetic or trendy. “The biggest mistake that hoteliers can make is thinking that SmartTVs or in-room tablets are enough to satisfy the modern traveler,” Jaiswal said. Instead, “it’s about providing a 360° digital experience in offers, reservations, room access, guest communications, payments, and much more.” The question that hoteliers should be asking is, “What can we do to make every touchpoint of the guest experience more convenient and more seamless?”

Minor technology upgrades with major impact

You might be surprised to find out that not only do some hotels lag behind when it comes to technology, but some still rely on pen, paper, and handwritten notes for important admin tasks. “Technology has been a great equalizer in many industries, and the hotel industry is no exception. It levels the playing field for smaller hotels with the larger, more established hotel chains,” Jaiswal said. Though it’s not always the case. “Unfortunately, many small hotels today still manage their property using old-fashioned pen and paper or a basic spreadsheet in many parts of the world.”

While it can be intimidating to consider setting up or upgrading your technology, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Relay panic buttons offer a state-of-the-art solution that’s also affordable. So if setting up associate alert devices is a priority for your hotel, you can probably check it off your list sooner than anticipated.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect distanced workers and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff and clientele through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

As for the rest of the tech you really need, Jaiswal said “investing in technologies does not always require a large budget and hiring an IT professional. There are many ways to make minor technology upgrades to a hotel that can drive significant ROI.” One of the first steps might be to make up a wish list, a budget, and a timeline to help figure out how to take those next steps.

Start with your website

Jaiswal reminds us that nearly 150 million travel bookings are made online each year. Is your property well equipped to capture those online bookings? “Having a well-optimized website and a mobile-friendly booking engine is a huge first step in making sure travelers can both find and book your property online,” Jaiswal said. “Best of all, it’s one of the hotel’s most profitable channels.”

Implement a channel manager

It’s entirely possible that despite your best efforts you’re missing potential income. Jaiswal said to consider other channels where you might be selling rooms. “Many small properties often rely on selling on a single channel, such as Booking.com or Airbnb, because it can be time-consuming to manage inventory and room rates across multiple channels. Having a simple tool called a channel manager allows you to connect your property’s inventory and availability across multiple channels, so you only have to manage rates in one place.”

If you’re unfamiliar with channel managers, they’re a technology that allows hotels to offer online listings across multiple booking sites, apps, and more. Managing rooms and rates is easily managed as well. Hoteltechreport.com compiled a list of the ten best channel managers for hotels to manage everything from booking to room inventory.

Consider an integrated payment solution

Jaiswal said adding an integrated payments solution can make all the difference when it comes to saving your staff time and headaches. “Accepting credit card payments can be a huge hassle when it comes time to reconcile your books — which payment belongs to which guest?” She recommends the newer integrated payments solutions which not only automate this process to save you hours of manual work. “They also offer convenient ways for the guest to pay, such as contactless and mobile e-wallet payments, which ultimately enhances the guest experience.”

Keep it simple

When a hotel operates more efficiently, guests take notice. And it isn’t always the overpriced technology upgrades that improve their experience. The simple technologies mentioned above “vastly improve the lives of both hoteliers and their guests, and they don’t require huge upfront investments,” Jaiswal said.

Newer cloud-based SaaS platforms like Cloudbeds are able to offer properties access to these tools for modest monthly subscription or transaction fees, allowing a hotelier to start small and expand from there.

And it might seem like a no-brainer, but make sure your staff is trained in all the new protocols and systems.

The Relay difference:

If you’re ready to set up your own network of panic buttons, look no further than Relay. Our products are affordable and efficient. Relay is an easy to deploy, flexible panic button. Best yet, it’s also an elevated communications solution, so you’re combining two critical line items into one (with better value). With Relay, you save money, setup is nonexistent, and our products offer hotel staff a practical, easy solution.

How to Budget Your Hotel’s Technology Expenses

November 8, 2021/0 Comments/in Relay for Business

It’s budget season again, so while everyone else prepares for the upcoming holidays you and your team will be crunching numbers. As you prioritize your expenses for the coming year, chances are good that technology spending will top your list.

Before adding in your predictions, you might want to spend some more time understanding how your staff interacts with existing technology that fuels your hotel. You should also try to understand what’s on your employee tech wish list and why.

Next year’s budget will be different

For most hotels and resorts, budgeting for the year ahead used to mean analyzing past data and predicting the spend needed for the future. Since this year turned out to be a bit of a wildcard, predictions might not be as easy to define. The good news is that predictions for business travel in the year ahead are incredibly optimistic. Reuters reported that the Lufthansa CEO said business travel is recovering even faster than anticipated. Another anticipated change is that leisure travelers expect to use technology more than ever when traveling.

Technology is more important than ever to travelers

In late October 2021, Booking.com released predictions for travel in 2022. The report stated that 79% of travelers agreed that “travel helps their mental and emotional wellbeing more than other forms of self-care.” Another important trend revealed was the 64% of travelers agreed that technology will be more important than ever while on vacation. Also worth noting, 62% of those polled agreed that technology helps to alleviate travel anxiety.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect distanced workers at hotels and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff and clientele through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

Prioritize technology spending

If finalizing the budget for the year ahead feels a bit daunting, try dividing it into several categories. You can start with anything from upgrades to replacements, but to compete on a global level you’ll have to allocate a healthy budget for tech and IT spending. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Compare your tech spending for the past two years only. It might sound a bit extreme, but is there anything you once thought was imperative that is barely used? And try to discuss the flip side as well. Is there one tech upgrade that your competitors all have or that your staff is grumbling about? Understanding how to keep your team happy while keeping up with the competition will also help you to figure out where to focus your budget.
New doesn’t always mean better. Just because you spend a fortune on the newest version doesn’t mean it will produce the desired results. Before deciding to spend on the newest servers or desktop units for executives, take a glance at the model that came before. It’s entirely possible that older hardware with upgraded software can save you money while improving your hotel’s overall performance.
Make sure you’re following the correct protocol and state mandates. In the past year, we’ve all heard a lot of buzz about the new laws regarding panic buttons for staff. But randomly buying a walkie-talkie system for your housekeeping staff simply to tick a box, isn’t the best approach. Before greenlighting a spend on walkie-talkies for your team members, try to understand how they use them, what they expect and what the actual laws are in your state. You could find that buying the best doesn’t mean buying the most expensive. Relay associate alert devices are easy to use, comfortable to wear, and most of all, reliable. We also know that being the best doesn’t mean we have to charge the most for our devices.
Look for quirky, useful technology. In a recap of HITEC Dallas, Hotel Tech Report shared their picks for the hospitality technology innovations hotel managers needed to know about. Interestingly enough, a program with enhanced currency conversion functionality, ProfitSword, made their list. The reasoning being that having instant access to multiple currency values at any point of the year could streamline the budgeting process while also helping to understand profits and losses.
Leave a monthly cushion. As we all know by now, there will always be unexpected moments in the hospitality industry. It’s entirely possible that in a few months from now a new technology will be announced that could change the way you do business. Try to create a monthly cushion that allows you to make unexpected tech spends throughout the year. And if you find that you have some funding left over, you can always figure out a way to make small and necessary tech upgrades for the team you might have put off.

The Relay difference:

Relay is establishing a benchmark for the next technological revolution that focuses on innovative, durable, and highly adaptive voice-first technology for frontline workers. Our vision is to empower frontline teams with technology that allows them to safely and quickly connect to the people and information they need to get their jobs done more efficiently.

5 ways you can leverage data to make your staff more effective

November 4, 2021/0 Comments/in Relay for Business

One of the greatest dichotomies of the hospitality industry is finding the right balance between exceptional customer service and bleeding-edge technology. But neither you nor your guests should have to sacrifice excellent service for constantly updated and improved tech. Instead, it’s wisest to shift from the more traditional corporate mindset to incorporate ways to dip into that data lake you’ve collected to find ways to make your staff more efficient and effective.

What stays and what goes?

During the Hotel Data Conference held in Nashville, TN, in August 2021, panels of hotel industry experts analyzed various topics and predictions. At a breakout session called “Operational changes: What stays and what goes?” there was a deep dive into both the operational changes in hotels and projections of what might come next. While much changes quickly right now as the industry reopens more fully, some trends remain evergreen. And one of the topics that came up repeatedly during the conference was the need to fully utilize and leverage all that data you’ve been gathering.

“So many hotels and golf resorts are so busy focusing on the guest experience that they lose sight of keeping staff happy.”

5 tips to get started with leveraging your data

If you’re looking for a few quick ways to leverage your data to elevate your staff’s productivity, we pulled together a starter list to inspire you.

1. Update your staff loyalty programs. So many hotels and golf resorts are so busy focusing on the guest experience that they lose sight of keeping staff happy.

As hotel occupancy continues to grow, it’s crucial to remember that if your team is unhappy, they could be eyeing other options.

Our survey discovered that nearly 50% of hospitality workers might switch jobs for better tech. By ignoring your staff’s happiness factor, you might be encouraging them to seek employment elsewhere.

Now is a great time to do a deeper analysis of your staff’s likes or pet peeves. And instead of grumbling about the results being potentially costly, realize that hiring or training alternate staff would be far more expensive. Try rewarding the most loyal, conscientious, or even cheerful staffers with rewards ranging from free lunch to upgraded tech. Allow them to become your internal brand ambassadors to their coworkers.

2. Shift team leaders. Despite vigilant vetting processes, not everyone hired for a specific role is best suited for the job.

Take some time to analyze positive results, growth, feedback, and more to learn more about those who act as team leaders for the rest of your staff. If there’s a positive result, reward them. If they don’t seem as well suited to the job as anticipated, try sitting down with them and discussing the results of your analysis, and offering them a chance to improve. In the interim, consider shifting someone from a different team to bolster a lagging group. Depending on feedback or other data, you may find that moving team leaders will improve the entire staff’s outlook and output.

3. Identify potential trouble spots. The reason some teams underperform could be because of their specific environment. Or perhaps they’re avoiding certain areas of the property.

By studying data gleaned from associate alert devices, you may discover that certain areas of your property are considered less safe by staffers. It’s also possible they avoid shifts in those spots. By making a few changes like upgraded lighting sensors and outfitting all staffers with updated and easy-to-use panic buttons, you instill more confidence in remote staff. Housekeeping teams then understand that isolated rooms or hotel areas are as safe as the front desk.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect distanced workers at hotels and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff and clientele through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

4. Understand how to support meeting planners. As predictions for upcoming business travel continue to grow, hotels have to learn how to accommodate a greater volume of guests.

By best understanding the needs of meeting planners, you can pave the way for more advance group bookings. By leveraging the data you gather from past meeting planners, you understand the way their own needs have shifted and by association the clients they serve.

Depending on how useful you find this data, you can decide if it’s worth it to create a specific branded portal or incentive program geared just to meeting planners and their groups.

5. Beat the competition. It’s not petty to want to outperform the competition. A huge part of the guest experience is staff performance. By ignoring collected data about your team, you could be negatively impacting your bottom line. It’s also possible that that tiniest tweak could increase guest satisfaction drastically. By ignoring the collected data, you’re effectively ignoring your customer’s needs and desires.

The Relay difference:

Relay is establishing a benchmark for the next technological revolution that focuses on innovative, durable, and highly adaptive voice-first technology for frontline workers. Our vision is to empower frontline teams with technology that allows them to safely and quickly connect to the people and information they need to get their jobs done more efficiently.