Most of you may know, I travel a lot.
Quite a bit. On planes, through security and immigration. Taxi (usually Uber, mytaxi or Lyft) and to the hotel.
Now, usually… the process of travel is getting a lot easier. I don’t need a ‘paper’ boarding pass… it’s all on my mobile phone. In fact… (not showing off) but I’ve even used my watch!
Uber or mytaxi is also very easy. In fact… up to the point of reaching the hotel, if I didn’t want to… I wouldn’t have to speak to anyone, nor would I need to show any form of payment nor would I need anything to hold (like a receipt or card of some sort).
You know where I’m going with this… why are hotels behind the trend?!
When are hotels going to start rolling out… at high speed and on a large scale… mobile phone door unlocking and entry?
We’ve seen the technology. We know it exists. So why is it taking so long?
Even in some hotels… having to queue up at reception desk… to let them know I’m here… honestly?! – how is it that, Canada know I’ve entered their country by me being able so do all the necessary work via kiosks and computers… but when I’m at the hotel, I need to queue and wait!
Ok, there’s mobile check in now being more readily available at hotels…
But once again… the whole process is not being looked at. The whole process from end to end. From the moment, I need a hotel… to the moment I check out.
We all talk about an integrated world we live in. How more and more ‘things’ are connected. Why aren’t hotels more connected?
Ok… we can’t do everything at once, but there can be improvement steps.
Progress over Perfection.
Why not have some services available via mobile phone. Why not use QR codes. Why not use iBeacons. Why not just do something to make the process a little easier…
Yes – this post has been a bit of a moan. But I also see it as an opportunity.
Opportunity for us to a) think about what we do… and are we looking at the end to end process…. and b) whichever industry we are in, are we really connected? – are we really taking advantage of the various API’s that are available out there… and truly being ‘connected’ and serving our customer the best we can.
By the way… not sure what API’s are? –
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a set of functions and procedures that allow the creation of applications which access the features or data of an operating system, application, or other service.
Watch out for my next blog post… with an IT Architect who’ll explain this a little more…