AI at Check-In: What Hotels Can Actually Do

Glenn: [00:00:00] Hey, everybody. It’s your hospitality. Friend Glenn here in a hotel room somewhere around the world. You see, I got the lights dark because I’m thinking I’m sitting here. I’m dreaming about the possibilities of AI. And I realized I’m not smart enough. So I got someone who I know can help us understand how you’re going to be able to, you know, get better technology in your hotel, streamline teams, get closer to the guests. Sounds like a real win win win to me. Mr. Kevin Duncan of Ascendant is here. How are you, sir? It is great to see you. Thanks for being here.

Kevin: [00:00:34] Absolutely. My pleasure. Thanks for having us here.

Glenn: [00:00:36] All right, so I’ve been noodling over this AI issue for a while, and one of the things that I’m finding is everybody talks a lot about it in theoretical senses. I want today to talk a little bit about it in real senses, about how AI can actually be used internally. And in your case, you know how you’re thinking your your world. It can help hoteliers streamline their teams to get closer to their customers. So generally speaking, how are you thinking about this issue?

Kevin: [00:01:02] Yeah. You know, there’s a couple of ways that we’re thinking about it. First of all, is in the data itself, we know that there’s a a world of data that comes through all of our applications that we offer here at Sendai. So how do we start to tie that out so that you’re really looking at one guest profile across your CRM, CRS, and all of the applications that you have, but also how do you start to take that, put AI on top so that you’re getting to a predictability nature. Now in terms of what’s that guest doing? Where are they going and how do we serve them as they’re coming to the front desk? So we’re looking at it in the data lens, but then we also start to transform that and put that forward in terms of AI with front desk modules as well.

Speaker3: [00:01:45] So let’s do that. I want to I want to.

Glenn: [00:01:47] Understand where we are with this data point, because this is interesting because I think what we’re talking about is hotels have been collecting information for a long period of time, and they have all of this, but it’s so much that it’s almost impossible to kind of sort through. And I think AI is that gives us that technology that’s going to be able to do that. In fact Kevin, I’m working on a project right now, and I’m like looking through over a thousand podcasts that I’ve done of interviews. Without AI, it would not have been possible. So now I’m thinking you times that by millions. You guys at Sendai are now taking all of this disparate information and then creating actionable insights, which takes us to that front desk person.

Kevin: [00:02:29] That’s correct, 100%. And we can look at it from the lens of, well, we know where they’re searching, right? And we have all the CRS booking engine information. We know who that profile is coming across from our CRM information as well. And now how do we start to tie that together. Right. Where where are they at in terms of a meta search? Where are they at in terms of the actual booking path, so on and so forth. So that we’re truly looking at who’s that profile, how should a customer target them within a marketing approach, but then also through the booking, how are they targeting them? But as their on property, how are they pulling that forward to know okay, we know who Glen Housman is, where he booked when they booked and what his likes and dislikes are as well. Right. So really taking it in that angle. But then if you bring it up even higher to say great, what’s the right audience though to target and how do we get to that information? And is there opportunities to actually predict an audience moving forward instead of putting some assumptions around it? Right. So that’s the angle that we’re really driving towards with all of our applications to get it into one cross product data application moving forward.

Glenn: [00:03:42] And you know, Kevin, I’ve been I think it was probably about ten, 15 years ago, I really started to hear more about the guest journey and understanding from inspiration through reservations, through stay and departure and then hopefully bringing them back again. And this seems to me to be the connective tissue that helps break through that clutter, to get people, to get hotel marketers to, number one, cut the audience down to this size. And then once they they understand that, then market to them in very specific ways and then follow through with that on property, because you know man better than anyone else these days. You got to have that ancillary revenue to really help push up the total value per customer. And by getting to know them, you can create things that really appeal to those people and get those wallets to open willingly. Right, Kevin?

Kevin: [00:04:30] That’s exactly it. That’s exactly it. And and we’re we’re pulling that through, even from a front desk module that sits on top of your PMS to understand who is checking in, what are their likes and dislikes, and to be able to encourage that upsell through that process at check in.

Glenn: [00:04:44] All right. So how do you do it at check in to make it. So I’m I’m on I’m on day three right. I don’t know too much but I really want to do I really want to do my best and make this guest happy. So how does this product from Sendai and make it easier for me to make that connection with a guest with that knowledge base.

Kevin: [00:05:01] Yeah, we’re prompting that front desk agent with information to to have that conversation across the line with that guest checking in. Right. Here’s here’s what they like. Yep.

Glenn: [00:05:14] Yeah. It pops up. Yeah. Forgive me because, like, I’ve lived in a world all my life where I’ll check into the same hotel for the 20th time and they’ll be like, is this the first time you’re staying with us, sir? So the fact that we can actually create actionable insights that will make a real difference and make that guest feel more loved is is really interesting.

Kevin: [00:05:36] I joke about it all the time as well. Glenn, I checked into hotels and and I like to hit the fitness center. Right. I’m a runner, but nobody knows that. Even though I’ve stayed at that same hotel. So why are they not pulling that through? That’s what we’re working towards. We want to be able to pull that information straight out into that front desk agent.

Glenn: [00:05:52] Yeah, and that and that sort of thing. Again, we’ve got to talk more about loyalty. And that’s where it really falls in, because not only do you get the loyalty, but you know how it works out there, folks, right? 80% of your business is probably coming from that top 20%. This helps you get closer to those guests, gets them to want to spend. And I would say, Kevin you know, makes them less likely to look at the competition if they get if they if they get that real one on one.

Kevin: [00:06:15] It’s, it’s it’s the touch, right? It’s that personal touch that people want.

Glenn: [00:06:19] So how do you balance that personal touch with privacy concerns? Although I think that was probably more of a challenging question ten years ago than it is now. I think culture has shifted a little bit, but how do you see that and balance?

Kevin: [00:06:32] Yeah, that’s a really interesting question, Glenn. And and one that I’ve, I’ve kind of toyed with back and forth. Right. There’s there’s applications out there today, security cameras as an example. And casinos that track where you’re at and can actually ping you and say, hey, we see your next to this casino or next to this bar, come have a drink. Right. Does that skirt the line of that privacy? Possibly. I think what we need to keep in mind is the hospitality industry is what’s the personal approach of really servicing the guest based on their needs, not based on what you want from a commercial organisation, if that makes sense. Right. So understanding that Glenn does enjoy a glass of wine, maybe that’s the time to prompt them to go enjoy a glass of wine, right? Like there is a fine balance that we have to to walk.

Glenn: [00:07:23] There is. But but I also think, Kevin, we’re in a fortunate period of time when it comes to this specific issue, that people are willing more to share and opt into those things because they do want that sort of stuff. I innately believe that you know, if I was walking by and I got an opportunity for a cocktail and that’s the kind of thing I’m liking and it’s the right time of day, then, oh, I might be able to jump in and take advantage of that offer. If not right that second, then I know that maybe I’ll come back later when maybe that wasn’t even in my thought consideration pool earlier in the day. So I see it as a real win for sure.

Kevin: [00:07:58] For sure. Yeah, you’re right. As long as that guest is willing to opt in and say yes, hit me right like I’m the same. Yeah, I want to see that. I want to hear it. I want to feel it from that hotel as I’m walking through it as well.

Glenn: [00:08:10] Yeah, I do too, because I think what the big problem up until now has been a lot of promises made but unkept. Like, we want to we want to do this for you, but there hasn’t really been mechanisms in place in order to make it easy. And with so much turnover in our business, they need a really easy solution, such as just on screen prompts to help get you there, but also give those teams the ability to funnel down that audience and really connect with them on activities and experiences that they’re looking for. In fact, Kevin, I’m at a hotel right now covering grand reopening, and they just invested $70 million redoing it from top to bottom to triple down on experiences, because they know that that’s where we’re headed. And the key to doing that is figuring out the right human beings that are going to want to do things that in this particular environment.

Kevin: [00:08:57] I’ve done a lot of presentations over the course of the last 6 to 12 months, and it all for me, all the research going into it is dialing into personalization and hospitality, right. How are we still servicing the guest to give them that one on one personalized experience? Right. Whether it’s in the hotel or even when they go back home, are you able to tie that guest information and say, oh, they really like this restaurant, and we know that their restaurant is in their local city as well. Let’s let’s give them a gift card to go there.

Glenn: [00:09:35] Right. Yeah, I love that. Give me one more cool idea or thing that you’ve seen utilizing your technology that really enabled that that connection.

Kevin: [00:09:52] Yeah. Good question. So right we talked about the data and how we’re utilizing that. We’ve talked about a front desk module and how we’re utilizing that in order to get to that personalization. I think the next real cool thing for us is what we’re working towards this year is how do we manage the content that actually serves all of our applications so that we can start to pull that personalization, the same branding throughout every touchpoint that that guest has online through that process as well. So content hub servicing all of our applications, that’s going to still serve and know that, oh, we know who Glenn is. So and now we see him over here on our booking engine. And now we see him over here on the website. Let’s make sure that we have the same imagery, the same tone, right through all of that expectation or all of that experience as well.

Glenn: [00:10:39] Right. And the cool thing is for everybody out there, not only are you you know, getting closer to your guest and raising raising up your your income, but you’ll probably be able to lower expenses because you’re taking a lot more technology driven shortcuts that helps you alleviate a lot of this stuff that you weren’t able to do before. Kevin, I think this is a good time for you to tell us a little bit how to find you over at Sondheim.

Kevin: [00:11:03] Yeah, you can find us at com. You can certainly reach out to me direct. It’s K Duncan at Com as well.

Glenn: [00:11:10] Easy enough. Man. I really appreciate it. Thanks for thanks for helping us out today. And and finally giving me hope that these hotels that I go to are going to know what I like and how to get more money out of me in a way that makes me happy. So thank you. Absolutely. Appreciate it I appreciate it. Yeah, I appreciate all of you all for watching. Thanks so much. And be sure to share, like, subscribe and all that kind of stuff. There we go. And remember everybody. You got one life. So blaze on and I’ll see you next time. Be good. Take care.