Insight
April 6, 2023
Can AI and Technology help improve guest experience in Hospitality and Leisure?
by
Cloudline
The leisure sector is a huge part of our economy but when compared to other industries such as automotive, communication and even healthcare, the average consumer believes that the leisure and hospitality industries are behind the curve. With 69 per cent of customers now stating that they believe businesses should offer digitised alternatives to their existing services, it is more important than ever that the leisure and hospitality sectors focus on innovation to appeal to new customers and retain existing ones by delivering a premium experience for guests. After all, with the leisure and hospitality industries failing to implement technologies or artificial intelligence at the same pace as other sectors, with consumers reliance on information, experience and speed any business that can utilise these tools successfully will be sure to stand out against their competitors and thrive in the market by providing a stand-out guest experience.
Streamlining Attraction Management Via Self-Service
Automating simple yet time consuming tasks can help businesses save time, funds and resources whilst simultaneously simplifying and enhancing their guest’s experience. By enabling self-serve features, you can reduce the number of staff you require on-site and can therefore amplify the efficiency of your teams. A great example of this is in food and beverage services – rather than staff members coming to individual tables to take orders, visitors are encouraged to scan QR codes to access menus and place orders via their phone or tablet. Not only does this reduce the room for potential human error, such as misinterpreting order details, but it boosts efficiency by having technology act as the server rather than your staff. If utilised appropriately, this self service technology can help businesses boost their revenue as well as improve their guest experience. Considering the current cost of living crisis, and the fact that many businesses have experienced a slump as a result of fewer guests having the disposable income to indulge in leisure facilities, these cost-effective technologies are particularly useful.
Interactive And Engaging
Many of us spend our leisure time on our phones and they’ve become an invaluable extension of our lives and an intuitive expectation for consumers interaction with leisure business, simple acts like making your menu’s, maps and ordering technology accessible via mobile, make it easier for people to engage with your business and can create valuable upselling opportunities.
Maps, for example, become far less of a burden when they are on your phone: no awkwardly unfolding, laying it out and attempting to navigate where you are and which direction you need to head in. It is also worth noting that from an ESG perspective, digitising aspects of your business rather than relying on physical versions is a far more sustainable method of providing your visitors with relevant information. Furthermore, reducing or entirely eliminating printed assets can help you save funds, especially when it comes to promoting seasonal events – technology allows you to modify the information you provide to your customers at a moment’s notice, with no need to order entire re-prints of maps and information booklets if certain facilities are closed or you wish to shift focus to promote a different facility.
Digitised maps and information boards aren’t the only ways that businesses can implement AI and technology to improve guest experience. Many businesses are even utilising AI copywriting tools to make their digitised information more concise, appealing and easier to follow for visitors, as well as implementing streamlined session booking tools that allow guests to plan their time more effectively. This makes guests feel as if they are getting better value for money, thereby improving their experience at your leisure facility, whilst simultaneously providing managers with information and tools that allow them to better distribute crowds across their venue.
Ease Of Payment
Businesses have been keen to move away from traditional cash payment methods since the start of the pandemic, with many cashiers and venues offering or indeed insisting on contactless methods of payment. However, more digitised payment methods have become popularised since the pandemic, namely the use of digital wallets and integrated payment types. These methods ensure that so long as your customer has a saved card or bank account on their phone, they will be able to pay for goods and services in just a few clicks, with no need to pay with cash or card. This is the ultimate exercise in convenient purchasing, with guests no longer having to leave their seats to order tickets, food, beverages or merchandise but it does need technology and the right technology enabled behind the scenes. Better yet, with the right visitor technology guests also have a tendency to spend more money when paying via digital wallets, with some studies suggesting that mobile payment users are likely to spend more at your destination compared to those who pay with traditional cash or card methods.
So, if you’re looking for a form of technology that can boost your ability to upsell dramatically whilst providing convenience for guests, implementing more advanced digital payment methods is worth considering.
A Personalised Experience
With the help of technology, especially mobile ordering technology, your customers can browse and pay at their own pace, creating an individual and personal experience: no queuing, waiting, or feeling rushed by fellow customers or staff. Guests can receive order updates without having to consult staff and take up staff time, thereby minimising room for error and providing guests with a fully transparent user experience that is streamlined, intuitive, and accessible on a platform they are comfortable with such as their own phone or tablet device. What’s more, if you utilise your guest’s data properly and build out a CRM database, you can offer them personalised suggestions based on their preferences and behaviours. This in-turn can boost upselling opportunities, improve customer retention and provide your guests with an increasingly tailored guest experience that makes their needs feel catered to.
Are AI And Technology Right For Your Business?
With mounting pressure on leisure and hospitality businesses to get ahead of the curve and start implementing convenient technologies to improve guest experience, now is the best time to start exploring your options. After all, with the current cost of living crisis it is vital that your business gets the upper hand by utilising stand-out technological features that make your guest’s experience as memorable as possible.
If you’re searching for a comprehensive, intuitive and cost-effective platform to sell more, reduce costs and personalise customer experiences, look no further than Cloudline. Our infinitely customizable visitor companion tools can transform the way your customers experience your facilities by providing them with up to date information in the click of a button, as well as convenient order and pay tools, maps, queue times, and event bookings. Better yet, your visitors won’t even have to spend time installing apps to enjoy these premium features – simply scan a QR code and enjoy all of the benefits of the Cloudline platform in one place. For more information on how Cloudline can transform your guest experience, simply contact us via the form below:
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