Originally Posted by
The Road Goes On Forever
When this comes to fruition, it'll be a big win for the franchisee owners. Sure, they'll bear some part of the upfront start up and implementation costs, but in the long run, it'll be a slam dunk as they will be able to shed a ton of labor across their portfolios.
It'll be a huge loser for the employees who will have their jobs eliminated. Desk staff will be freed up alright, as in freed up forever.
Need help with an actual desk related issue? Instead of calling or stopping by, it'll be messaging via the app and waiting ?? for a response as the singular person working a, as an example, 3-11 shift will be a roving float with an iPad that is primarily expected to clean public areas/do laundry/handlle maintenance calls/clean rooms while by the way, having some desk knowledge.
I agree with you. I understand that common questions, such as what time is checkout or what time is the free breakfast, could be taken over by AI. However, the idea that the employees will be freed up to provide better customer service is likely not going to happen. Most likely, the hotel will just eliminate redundant positions.
At a lot more "select" hotels, I am seeing front desk employees having to fold towels and even do basic in-hotel maintenance tasks.