How Concierge Services in France are Benefiting from Technology

Travel & Hospitality Tech Outlook | Tuesday, March 28, 2023

As one of the world's top tourist destinations, France has numerous hotels offering concierge assistance. Hospitality is a thriving business in the country. To keep up with competitors, many companies offer added services to lure customers. Among these are concierge services, where guests can ask for help with tours, sightseeing, and more. To further improve their ability to provide concierge services, some companies are investing in technologies to provide better customer experience.

Here's how concierge services in France are benefiting from technology.

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1. By Automating Tasks       

One of the ways concierge services in France can benefit from technology is through automation. Unfortunately, many concierges spend too much time doing several tasks and not enough time focusing on their guests. By automating some tasks, concierges can provide better customer experiences.

If you ask those who work as concierges, they will most likely tell you that most of their time is spent performing mundane tasks, from opening their computers to sending emails. With the help of automation, they can eliminate many of these tasks and use their time to do more essential duties.

Companies that provide concierge services should invest in customer-focused technologies like guest messaging software. Automating guest communication channels will lead to a better customer experience while lessening employees' time spent on tedious manual work.

A guest messaging platform can work as a digital concierge by sending automated responses to frequently asked questions. For complicated requests, the platform can forward these requests to appropriate departments. These tools have an integrated chatbot and a ticketing system to handle guest queries, including upsells.

Another tool that concierges can leverage to automate some tasks is a reservation platform that can manage the entire process of customer reservation using a single system. Instead of opening up a new window each time a guest makes a reservation, the tool can pull in Google search to recommend the best restaurants, etc.

2. By Connecting with Their Network         

Another way concierge services can benefit from technology is by leveraging their network. In busy cities like Paris, concierges struggle to stay updated with the latest entertainment venues, gallery openings, art exhibits, etc. As such, they can leverage technology to improve their competitive advantage.

One of the benefits of using a guest service system to manage concierge-related tasks is it allows staff from different departments to work together. Adding information about entertainment venues, gallery openings, art exhibits, and other happenings from your network allows the guest services team to offer recommendations, resulting in an improved customer experience. Employees can also update the platform once they discover new hotspots.

Today's guests expect timely interactions, and technologies that allow you to leverage your network can help to address this emerging demand. For instance, AI chatbots allow concierges to communicate with other departments 24/7 without any language barrier.

3. Through Checking in and Out Systems

Provence is one of those regions in France that's becoming a top tourist destination. There are plenty of incredible places to stay in Provence, making it a better option for those leveraging these technologies. Many of the hotels in Provence are investing in technologies that allow them to automate customer check-in and check-out.

Due to the increasing trend of long-haul international travel, many guests are arriving in Provence from far-flung destinations. You can no longer expect them to check in at predictable hours. As a result, the usual check-in time of 2 PM has become one of the most hated aspects of hotel experiences. Imagine being told you cannot check in yet after travelling for 12 hours with no sleep!

Thus, the most innovative way concierges can profit from this trend is to offer self-check-in and check-out, which allow guests to check in and out anytime. The technology is a win-win since it gives guests the room as soon as they arrive while allowing hotels to earn more. Aside from the cost of investing in the technology, hotels will not deal with added costs associated with this service. You will only give guests access to their room a little earlier or later. In addition, it will not impact existing operations or add workload to your concierge team.

4. By Understanding Their Guests Habits     

Another way concierge services in France can benefit from technology is to improve their understanding of guest habits. The secret to providing superior concierge service lies in sending the right guest to the proper venue. As your team is building its database, you can better understand their habits and preferences using certain technologies, which help improve the recommendation quality of your concierge.

For instance, you might learn that 80% of your guests are visiting the same restaurants, which could influence your on-property menu items or lead to an opportunity to partner with such an establishment. More importantly, if you find out that one of your most prized guests is visiting the same dining places, you can make a reservation on their behalf the next time they stay at your hotel.

In addition, these technologies allow you to keep notes and provide accurate tagging to guests, making it easier to look up relevant suggestions according to your guest's needs. Each time you add a new restaurant, your staff can include relevant tags and notes, which other staff can view, allowing them to send guests to appropriate establishments.

5. To Improve Team Communication

Concierges rely on effective team communication and collaboration to provide positive experiences to guests. When teams can communicate well, they can efficiently address all guest requests. In addition, effective team communication can improve employee morale and lessen operational costs.

Technologies can help concierges in France improve team communication and collaboration by offering a centralized platform for team members to communicate and share information. It can include many features, like document-sharing capabilities, a task management system, and a shared calendar. These technologies help team members to get updated on tasks, deadlines, and other essential company information. In addition, the software can serve as a platform for team members to communicate, allowing for more effective collaboration.

 

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