We often come across the notion that hotel technology is in direct conflict with the general hotel experience because "this is where people come to relax and switch off." Let's be fair, there are industries that have certainly been faster in adopting new technologies and introducing new ways of doing things, and there is enough reason for hoteliers to be sceptical when it comes to solutions that "revolutionize" the hotel experience. This is partially the case because the relationship between a guest and hotel staff is extremely intricate - the traveler has many options to choose from and when traveling for leisure, a one-week stay at a hotel becomes a lot more critical and can create lasting memories. Unsurprisingly, technology providers can be viewed as not empathetic to this phenomenon.
Why is Portier Different?
We have always believed in the magic that hotel staff and a unique guest experience can create. In that sense, we developed solutions that have always focused on enhancing the ability of hotel staff members, rather than exclusively looking at efficiencies and productivity outputs. For example, if guests don't speak the languages spoken at the hotel, should they receive a less personal experience? Absolutely not!
Portier Chat & Auto-Translate
Imagine having guests at your hotel that simply don't speak your language - with the right application of technology, these guests can also benefit from your staff members' ability to make a difference. In our case, this happens via an auto-translated chat - if those guests are from Japan for example, and struggle to express themselves in English, they simply utilize Portier's in-built guest-to-staff chat and speak to hotel staff in Japanese while staff simply respond in their preferred language. In many ways, a person that would have not been able to make a difference due to language barriers, now delivers recommendations, guidance and help, utilizing the skills gained in the hotel environment.
Training, Training, Training
The whole team here at Portier Technologies loves the romance of a unique hotel stay, so when our team arrives at the hotel to train staff on all things Portier, we love to bear in mind that the way in which our platform is utilized needs to fit this particular environment. The amount of features available on Portier can be overwhelming but it's important for us to focus on those that will make a difference at any given hotel. For instance, if we're dealing with a hotel with a butler service, the design and training of Portier Chat is critical, whereas a hotel focused on MICE guests will need to be better trained in delivering group updates to corporate guests.
In essence, we continue to genuinely partner with hoteliers and don't aim to just be a provider. This has served us and our partners well, and we drive the industry's highest numbers in terms of engagement and amount spent on our platform, and our belief in the ability of hotel staff continues to be central to our technology development.
Comentários