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How digital tech changes guests' offline/on-property expectations

2019/1/16 22:34:12
Bill Gates was famously quoted saying "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."

Over the last decade, we have witnessed a period of rapid technological evolution.This is exciting, in many ways — but continuous digital innovation comes with its own set of rules.

From a business standpoint especially, industry leaders must remain privy to how increased digital opportunity inspires a subsequent increase in consumer expectations. Digital technology provides countless consumer touch-points — far more than those which existed within the traditional consumer structure. Rather, with the nudge of technology, brands and leaders have forged a direct path to consumers, to connect with consumers in a genuine, effective and targeted manner.

This shift becomes especially relevant within the hospitality realm, as our industry is built upon the consistent provision of exceptional experiences and the curation of guest-centric relationships. While digital applications help to effectively offset the operational load on staff (for those tasks which can be streamlined and do not require high-touch treatment), they also open the floodgates to an influx of new guest touch-points and expectations. In fact, studies show that 67% of customers say their standards for good experiences are higher than ever, but 51% of customers say most companies fall short of their expectations for great experiences.

Not only are guests hyper-connected to their devices as they travel and engage with hotel properties, but they're spending a more significant portion of their travel experience 'connected' to their social network. So, what does this mean for hoteliers? How can the hospitality industry effectively react and adapt to these large-scale changes in the tech ecosystem and, in turn, meet and exceed evolving guest expectations both online and offline?