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Have you ever feared that artificial intelligence (AI) could replace your job? Or heard your hotel teams raising such concerns? This article shows how AI can be used in hospitality as a tool to spend more time on the real purpose of your work and be better organised – not to replace humans. Achieving greater efficiency with AI Integrating AI into hotels introduces a complex dynamic that impacts work results and the employees’ experience. By implementing such technology, certain tasks previously carried out by humans are automated, which not only has the potential to increase efficiency but also to improve the quality of work output. Many workers in the hotel industry, who spend a great deal of their time on repetitive tasks such as answering similar questions over email, social media and phone calls, will be relieved by the use of AI. However, this also requires hotel staff to adapt and develop their skills and competencies in order to be able to work effectively with new AI-powered systems.  The future of the hotel industry lies in the harmonious integration of technology and human expertise, with both sides complementing each other to ensure the highest standards of guest service. To better illustrate this collaboration in practice, it is crucial to look closely at what benefits AI can offer in addition to what your staff are offering. The digital concierge: Use staff resources effectively Using a digital concierge, such as a chatbot that processes guest enquiries autonomously around the clock, not only represents a better use of resources but also increases guest satisfaction and loyalty by responding quickly and accurately to their requests. This functionality extends beyond hotel websites to popular social media channels making the service even more accessible to potential guests. In the 2023 summer season (June to August), HiJiffy’s AI processed 1,707,204 conversations. This enormous number of interactions would otherwise have been processed individually and manually by hotel staff, using up time and resources.  The use of AI therefore makes a decisive contribution to finding the balance between dealing with tasks efficiently and excellent customer service. This technology-supported increase in productivity can also take the pressure off staff during stressful periods such as the peak season. Increase sales and improve the guest experience Planning the perfect holiday can be a challenge, especially when potential guests are confronted with information overload. Answering their questions quickly and in detail can make the difference between a successful booking and a missed opportunity. Artificial Intelligence plays a crucial role in this context, not only by answering enquiries promptly but also by recognising and responding to individual needs. By providing a seamless direct booking process supported by AI, hotels not only improve their guest experience but also significantly increase their revenue. In addition, the use of AI in the hotel industry opens up new opportunities for personalised marketing campaigns, which leads to greater guest loyalty. Automated welcome messages that contain targeted offers for upselling or cross-selling can increase the value of every booking. At the same time, integrating guests into loyalty programmes through AI enables greater loyalty and encourages repeat visits. Data for personalisation: Foreseeing guests’ needs and wishes AI offers the opportunity to process data faster and recognise patterns that humans may overlook. It can help to analyse the behaviour and preferences of guests and offer tailored recommendations and services. Thanks to storing considerable amounts of your guests’ data, you can create a more personalised guest journey and fulfil wishes that have not even been expressed yet. But ultimately it is the staff who deliver these personalised experiences with warmth and personal attention. In a study by Oracle which forecasts the hotel business up to 2025, 47% of consumers stated that AI-supported promotions based on previous purchases would improve their shopping experience. However, when using this data, it is crucial to protect data privacy and ensure that the data is used responsibly. At HiJiffy, data protection and security are of paramount importance. We ensure the secure transmission of confidential data to provide your guests with a protected online experience. A fast service to guests means they are more satisfied Another study by Oracle Hospitality highlights that 74% of hotel guests favour the use of technology to speed up service delivery. By using AI, check-in and check-out processes can be automated, which leads to a noticeable reduction in waiting times at reception. In addition, many travellers prefer this type of contactless service. Another important aspect is social anxiety or so-called “telephone phobia”, where guests may hesitate to call reception to order something for their room. In such cases, a quick text to a chatbot could make these guests feel much more at ease, and they get a positive experience that they are more likely to remember. AI can also improve the satisfaction of your hotel staff. Studies have shown that AI and related technologies have positive effects, such as increasing the work performance of employees and productivity. This also increases job satisfaction and motivation.  Automation of feedback and reviews Feedback and reviews play a decisive role in travellers’ booking decisions. As many as 81% of guests regularly read reviews before choosing accommodation. This figure underlines the importance of guest feedback as a key factor in the decision-making process. It emphasises how essential it is for hotels to create positive experiences and actively collect and manage reviews. By using AI, hotels can make this process more efficient by sending automated WhatsApp messages with feedback campaigns. Guest reviews and satisfaction surveys can be sent during and at the end of the stay to obtain reviews for internal monitoring or external platforms such as TripAdvisor or Google.  Overcoming language barriers for effective guest communication Language barriers pose a challenge for international travellers who need help communicating in English or the local language. Uncertainty about whether information has been understood correctly often leads to repeated queries. Communicating in the guest’s native language would simplify many things. However, it is unrealistic to expect hotel employees to be able to communicate fluently in all languages. Here, the use of AI-supported translation tools offers a practical solution by enabling immediate and accurate translation, thus facilitating communication with guests from all over the world. A solution that supports you and your staff. The strategic use of artificial intelligence to complement human skills enables close collaboration. The ethical and transparent use of AI can bring significant benefits to your hotel without replacing people. Instead, it aims to take over repetitive and monotonous tasks in order to give employees more room to be creative and offer more personal interaction. At a time when guests’ expectations are constantly growing, the targeted use of AI technologies represents an indispensable competitive advantage. HiJiffy’s Guest Communications Hub perfectly embodies the philosophy of optimising the use of AI in the hotel industry. This tool was developed to support hoteliers in coping with repetitive tasks and offers various advantages through the use of conversational AI. The platform can increase direct bookings, send out campaigns, make check-in processes more efficient and save time by reducing incoming enquiries. This allows hotel staff to concentrate on more important tasks, such as personalising the guest experience and creating a unique experience.

In this Product Highlight series, we take a closer look at the various features and functionalities of the Console, the interface of our Guest Communications Hub. This is a practical approach that shows you how easy it is to optimise communication with your guests using our conversational artificial intelligence. In this article, we explore the AI Text Refinement feature. Where can you find it in the Console? If you go to the Inbox tab, you will find a magic wand icon on the right side of the bar where you normally write your messages. By clicking on this button, you’ll be able to choose one of the options available to refine your communication. A natural and correct translation Professionals in the hospitality industry usually speak at least two or three languages. But in an increasingly globalised world with a growing number of communications channels, it is impossible to demand that your team is fluent in all the languages there are. This is no longer an impossible feat. With our new AI-powered tool, it is possible to translate your messages. With just one click, your staff will be able to answer correctly and naturally sounding in languages currently including English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Avoid losing a potential booking due to a poor translation or inability to understand a message in a foreign language. Say goodbye to grammar mistakes Even if you are fluent in the language but have doubts about an accent or verb conjugation, it’s possible to click on the Check Grammar option and make sure your message is 100% correct before it reaches the guest. The less common the language of the guest with whom you are communicating, the easier it is to make mistakes. Unless you use this advanced AI functionality, of course. Tone up the quality of your messages To communicate most efficiently with your guests, you need to adapt your language and tone of voice according to their travel intention, demographic, and the channel through which they reached you. Now, with the Change Tone functionality, your reception or reservations teams can choose whether they want to use an informal, professional, empathetic or even informative tone. Personalising your messages is now even more accessible and quicker to customise. Raise the quality of your communication With so many interactions we sometimes have with our guests, it is easy to become repetitive in answering them and providing information. It used to be difficult to find the time (and even the patience) to be innovative with your writing style. But with the “Rewrite” option, this has become a quick and automatic solution that will allow your teams to offer your guests an original, interesting and more human way of communicating. More direct messages? Or more complete information? You decide! Often, guests are given too much information about the different services hotels offer. Now, you can shorten your messages so that your guest receives only the most relevant information in a form summarised to their needs. However, the opposite is also possible. You can also expand your information without having to invest extra time in the process. It comes particularly useful when you don’t have the time to write longer messages, but want to offer a more comprehensive answers. Automatic messages: the basis of your automated interactions Take advantage of all the messages you create for your interactions with your guests, save them and send them whenever you need to. This tool aims to optimise your processes and save you time on the most repetitive tasks, making automatic messages an excellent tool. The good news is that you can also create messages that both you and your colleagues can use, thus avoiding duplication of effort. Or, if you prefer to write and send messages in a personalised way, you can do so in your private tab. Need assistance with making the most of the AI Text Refinement feature? Browse our Help Center and access over 200 articles exploring the practical side of using the Guest Communications Hub. From onboarding videos to step-by-step guides to troubleshooting, it packs valuable information available to you instantly at any time. If you need further assistance with making the most of your solution, reach out to your Customer Success representative.

In the Product Highlight series, we have a closer look at various features and functionalities of the Console, the interface of our Guest Communications Hub. It’s a practical take illustrating how easy it is to improve your guest journey with the support of our conversational AI. This product highlight focuses on the sentiment analysis feature. What does sentiment analysis offer? This innovative feature gives the Console user an overview of the dominant sentiment expressed in conversations, associating emotions with every interaction with your guest or potential guest. Aplysia analyses a sample of dialogues and, based on key indicators, classifies each conversation with a Happy or Unhappy sentiment This artificial intelligence tool is essential to help you and your team prioritise guest conversations, transforming every interaction into an opportunity to improve your communication and guest satisfaction. Imagine that you have an emotionally intelligent assistant that improves prioritising your communications and makes them more effective! Where can I find sentiment analysis in the console? This function can be found in the Inbox of your HiJiffy Console, where you can filter conversations by sentiment analysis. How does it really help me? The chatbot is able to discern the sentiment of guests in certain messages they send. Are they happy or frustrated? The chatbot will tell you when the conversation is transferred to the console with two types of sentiment: A: A sense of dissatisfaction (Unhappy) B: A sense of satisfaction (Happy) This analysis will help you to make more informed decisions, as well as prioritise and personalise your customer service. HiJiffy’s sentiment analysis, available in the Console, is a revolutionary tool that provides deep insight and effective control over guest interactions. Its ability to classify emotions and feelings transforms the way we interact and respond to guests’ needs, from reception to hotel management. Now, conversations have become a valuable source of information and an opportunity to continuously improve the guest experience, which in turn drives operational efficiency, guest satisfaction and, of course, the success of your hotel. Need assistance with making the most of the Sentiment Analysis? Browse our Help Center and access over 200 articles exploring the practical side of using the Guest Communications Hub. From onboarding videos to step-by-step guides to troubleshooting, it packs valuable information available to you instantly at any time. If you need further assistance with making the most of your solution, reach out to your Customer Success representative.