The effective deployment of technology is now judged against multiple factors including: does it successfully delight customers, increase efficiency, inspire loyalty, and generate profits.
Hospitality Technology examines the evolution and adoption of customer engagement technologies across hotels and restaurants.
Digital has become ubiquitous, but digital for digital’s sake is not enough. As a part of any business strategy, it must solve a problem and yield returns – this can only happen with thoughtful application. This must start with identifying what consumers want.
57%
of diners
will return to restaurants based on the availability of tech they
deem important.
72%
of hotel guests are likely to return to a property when the tech they want
is available.
DINING IN
TOP 10 TECHNOLOGIES INFLUENCING GUEST DECISIONS
TAKEOUT
HOTELS
67%
59%
56%
49%
48%
47%
40%
37%
36%
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
Positive reviews/
ratings online
Ease of online reservation
process
The restaurant offers
free Wi-Fi
Ability to make
reservations from mobilE
Loyalty program
membership
Ability to track
order status
Mobile app with a
variety of features
Mobile payment
Tableside ordering
via tech at table
2
1
8
Consumers Willing
to Pay Extra for
Access to Tech
84%
The hotel offers
free Wi-Fi
1
61%
Ease of online
booking process
2
59%
3
Being able to clearly view photos/video of the property
56%
4
The hotel positive
consumer reviews
49%
5
Ability to make reservations from a mobile device
48%
6
Member of hotel
loyalty program
47%
7
Able to check-in/
out via kiosk
40%
8
Smart TVs/Content Streaming
37%
9
Personalized
communication
36%
10
Ability to preview menus
and nutritional info
61%
Beyond basing decisions on transparency of social sentiment, potential diners are more likely
to patronize restaurants that
enable connectivity.
Diners want simplified online ordering and mobile ordering and the ability to attract order status is paramount for a generation that is accustomed to Uber-like and Amazon-esque experiences.
Free Wi-Fi and ease of booking eclipse membership in a loyalty programs. To win customers, hotels need to optimize websites and mobile apps, streamline booking processes, and show they are responsive to negative customer feedback.
62%
Ability to preview menus
and nutritional information
1
61%
Positive reviews/
ratings online
2
59%
3
Ease of online
ordering process
52%
4
Mobile ordering
50%
5
Ability to track
order status
48%
6
Mobile app with a variety
of features
43%
7
Mobile payment
42%
8
Loyalty program
membership
38%
9
Connectivity to delivery
service (ie UberEats)
35%
10
Personalized communication based on order history
Mobile app with variety features
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Digital functionailty and features that matter
most to consumers for dine-in experiences are
location-based integration and technical attributes that will improve the ordering and delivery experience. Restaurant operators should evaluate their technology capabilities and priorities vis-à-vis this list to see how well aligned they are and work to close any gaps that may exist.
Hotel guests greatly value ease of booking
via mobile and for the most part hotels are delivering here. Guests are increasingly interested in and demanding location-based services. As this becomes ubiquitous, guests expect devices to know where they are at all
times and make appropriate recommendations.
Mobile Tech Diners Want
Mobile Tech Hotel Guests Want
Location-based integration
60%
Ability to make reservations
59%
Redeem coupons/gift cards, etc.
57%
Track order/delivery status
54%
Mobile
ordering
49%
Mobile
payment
48%
Loyalty program management
48%
Room reservations
76%
Receive/redeem coupons, gift cards, etc.
62%
Room selection on property
map
58%
Retrieve bills
56%
Ability to change reservations/
itinerary
65%
Request service
58%
Location-based services
61%
29%
Restaurants Offer
45%
Restaurants Offer
38%
Restaurants Offer
24%
Hotels
Offer
Click Icons to reveal
what Guests want
CHATBOTS POISED
FOR GROWTH
36% of HOTEL GUESTS
want to request service via
chatbot. Only 14% of
hotels offer it.
35% of DINERS want to
order via chatbot. Only 8%
of restaurants
offer it.
Restaurants Push the Tech Envelope for Guest Engagement
The line between restaurant and technology brands are becoming blurrier as restaurants seek partnerships to give them access to tools and capabilities in areas such as predictive analytics and artificial intelligence that can be integrated with point-of-sale, mobile app, and other restaurant systems to enhance customer experience.
26% 21% Social Media engagement
61% 23% Mobile webpage/app
45% 33% Mobile ordering
38% 38% Mobile payment
26% 40% Mobile devices for employees (ordering/payment)
29% 36% Location-based technologies/services
24% 31% Interactive Digital Signage/Menu Boards
30% 30% Internet of Things (IoT)
18% 28% Interactive Kiosks to Order and Pay
10% 30% Tableside Payment
TOP EXPERIENCE-ENHANCING TECH ROLLOUTS FOR RESTAURANTS
Considering the fervor around delivery, restaurants are focusing more on convenience. When asked what investments they are making to enable seamless delivery, operators are investing more on giving customers easy ways to order food for delivery, offer feedback, and receive incentives. The middle tier of delivery-related technology allows guests to have more insight to the inner workings of delivery that can ultimately impact the overall experience – such as monitoring food quality and tracking the driver’s progress.
WINNING THE DELIVERY WARS
WITH TECH INVESTMENTS
45%
Delivery
specific marketing/
rewards
53%
Integration
between customers’
mobile device
and POS
40%
Customer
real-time feedback options
35%
Food quality/
temp control
& tracking
35%
Driver-
tracking
20%
Voice
ordering
Where CX
and ROI Collide
To provide additional context and strategic guidance regarding customer engagement technology prioritization and investments for restaurant decision-makers, restaurateurs were asked to indicate the value and impact derived from customer engagement technologies (CETs).
This graphic illustrates the importance of investing in mobile ordering and mobile payments and suggests that restaurants need to do more to improve commerce through mobile web/apps and loyalty programs. Customers are finding value in these apps, but restaurants are not yet fully realizing the business potential.
IMPACT COMPASS:
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT V. BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Click the labels to reveal effectiveness levels of technology.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES FOR HOTELS TO SUPPORT
A CX-FOCUSED CULTURE
Click the icons to reveal top delivery tech investments
48%
Mobility & Personalization Drive CX Investment
Hotel companies are investing in enhancements to the guest experience with an emphasis on mobile serving every phase
of the customer journey.
Hotels Seek
to Solve the Paradox of Differentiating Digital
As lifestyles have become increasingly digital-centric, hotels from global brands to boutique concepts are seeking to gain competitive footing through experiences. Hotels struggle to find the right balance between high tech and high touch. Hotels favor using technology to better equip employees to offer personal service at each customer touchpoint.
Expanding staff/internal resources
42%
Investing in
staff-facing technology
39%
Omni-channel customer loyalty/reward programs
36%
Single view
of customer
data
27%
Investing in guest-facing self-service technology
27%
Increasing budgets
for CXM
27%
Improving reporting/
measuring
24%
Investing in technology
to automate service
18%
Enhancing workflow management
/training
TOP 10 EXPERIENCE-ENHANCING HOTEL TECHNOLOGIES
TECHNOLOGIES POISED
FOR GROWTH
INNOVATION LEADERBOARD
Some customer engagement technologies provide high impact in terms of positively shaping the guest experience whereas others have high return on investment based on the business value generated. The real opportunities to focus on are those that simultaneously contribute to high impact and strong business value.
There is high correlation between respondents’ ratings for impact on customer experience and business performance. That is, most CETs fell squarely into the Most Effective or Least Effective categories. The biggest reported gap was “mobile roomkeys” which has strong guest experience impact but fewer realized business benefits. Some technologies (such as chatbots, interactive kiosks, voice controlled devices, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things) appear to have promise, but based on the results, the business case for return on investment is not ready to be made.
Social media engagement
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
96%
90%
80%
72%
58%
56%
96%
52%
52%
46%
Mobile website/app
Loyalty program
Smart mobile devices for employees
Interactive in-room TVs
Personalized offers based on guests’ history
Interactive Digital Signage
Customer Experience Management Platform
Mobile check-in/out
Predictive Analytics
Click number to reveal the technology
Click the labels to reveal effectiveness levels of technology.
IMPACT COMPASS: CHARTING BUSINESS GAINS VERSUS ENGAGEMENT WINS
LEAST EFFECTIVE MODERATELY EFFECTIVE MOST EFFECTIVE
1. Mobile check-in/out +40%
2. Mobile room keys +46%
3. Internet of Things +46%
4. Mobile payment +54%
5. Location-based
services +46%
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the full Customer engagement study pdf
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the executive insight from
the title sponsor
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Click here to download the executive insight from the title sponsor
LEAST EFFECTIVE MODERATELY EFFECTIVE MOST EFFECTIVE
2018
2019
The Impact Compass measures CET performance on a 1-3 scale
in two categories: customer experience (the vertical axis) and business performance (the horizontal axis). The resulting graph provides directional tools and guidance for how and where
to invest in CETs.
More than half (58%) of diners and 66% of hotel guests indicate they will pay more for technology they deem important.
Click here to see how the network
is key to taking
brand engagement to the next level
Click here for
3 ways that
seamless experiences
are key