Originally Posted by
manu08
I agree that the tech is anchored in driving down costs first and foremost, but I think it can also create a better guest experience. Consider my #2, if you could order room service with a simple in-room app (not an additional phone download, no new account, just clicking buttons on a provided in-room tablet) would you prefer that or would you stick to the phone?
If you still prefer phone, I'd love to know why? I think the digital ordering is less error prone and likely takes less of your time. As for the labor point, I think about it much more as keeping staff focused on things like preparing and delivering food, instead of transcribing phone calls into orders. I'm not trying to reduce labor costs (but I totally hear your concern that hotels will abuse it to that end), I just want to keep staff free to focus on things humans do better than machines (which will remain quite a lot for the foreseeable future).
I've had significant experience this past year using in room tablet, in app, or redirected to website (QR code) food ordering at multiple Hyatt properties.
Most have been a disaster.
Most of these solutions seem to have been rushed, without regards to special requests. As someone who cannot eat cheese, it's been comical trying to get a hamburger instead of a cheeseburger for example. During a stay in May at the Zilara Jamaica it proved impossible to get a pasta dish via room service that was not topped with cheese (And multiple calls to room service at this and other properties remained unanswered. Complaints to the front desk resulted in being told to use the tablets/app/etc lol).
Some locations do allow special requests, but limit it to about 12 characters printed right below the item ordered on the "Pick" sheet. Of course this is often ignored (It took 3 tries to get a burger without cheese at the Park Hyatt Washington DC for example). Many properties it's been difficult to get a bagel with butter instead of cream cheese as well (Andez 5th ave, and the dreaded Butler).
I work in I T myself, and I like the idea of using an app for everything except food, I prefer a human for that.