Hotel Concierge Software
Hotel concierge software is a digital solution that provides all the necessary tools to facilitate the needs of hotel staff and guests, enabling the hotel concierge and front desk to work as a team.
Concierge software for hotels and resorts is often called by many names, including digital concierge, e-concierge and virtual concierge, but they all provide the same core functions and capabilities. These software solutions are specifically tailored to give the hotel services team, including the front desk staff, access to a complete database of nearby restaurants and attractions that can be offered as suggestions to hotel guests. It also allows hotel personnel to schedule activities, make reservations and accommodate guest requests. The software has the capability to fulfill special item requests as well, which includes accepting requests for travel arrangements, dry cleaning or other personalized service.
While some hotel management systems do offer some type of digital concierge as one of its native features, more often than not, hotel concierge software is deployed as a standalone system. However, it can be fully integrated with other hotel management solutions in order to provide a more seamless staff and guest experience. It can also help the hotel concierge team, the front desk and other hotel staff to coordinate with each other through improved communications in order to provide the best quality service possible. The software empowers the concierge and hotel service teams to collaborate more effectively, minimize downtime, keep track of hotel experiences and offer online bookings.
Hotel concierge software empowers hoteliers to meet the expectations of their guests at scale. It provides the concierge and front desk teams the tools they need in order to work together as one, managing all guest communications and requests within a single unified system. With this type of software, concierges and hotel services teams are able to quickly create and delegate tasks for every request made by guests, produce hotel-branded assets to provide for the guests, as well as communicate with guests in real time through their preferred channel; i.e., via email, phone call, text messaging, chat or through a dedicated mobile app.
The digital concierge system works by streamlining and automating different routine tasks that can be quite redundant and time-consuming. As a result, this enables the concierge staff and front desk teams to accommodate guest requests as well as implement various solutions at a much faster pace. The software serves as a central location for all guest communications and request to be registered and processed. Some typical guest requests like room service, restaurant reservations, sightseeing information, among others can be automatically processed by the virtual concierge system without any hotel staff intervention at all. It helps create more opportunities to improve customer experiences.
A concierge service is a difficult job that requires a professional with extensive knowledge, experience and a well-spoken personality. It demands a deservingly significant salary, which can become quite expensive for any hotelier to maintain. A good alternative is hotel concierge software, also known as virtual concierge, e-concierge or digital concierge. It is a cost-effective solution that provides the same capabilities as an actual professional concierge. This type of software is a guest-facing solution that also offers back office functionality, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology that provides much needed assistance to hotel guests and staff members.
There are a few different types of hotel concierge apps, but the most common is the mobile app concierge and the chatbot virtual concierge.
A mobile app concierge system is typically designed as a support app for web-based or on-premise hotel concierge solutions, providing users more mobility, whether they are hotel staff members managing guest requests or guests trying to engage with hotel services. Concierge mobile apps are often utilized by specific hotels and hospitality chains. Such apps are equipped with menu options, a variety of features and facilities that are built around the services offered by the hotel or resort. The concierge app must be installed in the guest’s mobile and on the devices of relevant hotel personnel, such as the front desk, hotel services team, concierge, etc.
A virtual concierge chatbot, on the other hand, is a virtual assistant chatbot backed by a powerful AI that is fully integrated into the hotel concierge software system. This type of digital concierge application can be programmed to deliver similar conversational experience and assistance capabilities as any real front desk personnel or hotel concierge. The AI technology is responsible for making the chatbot as effective and intelligent as possible when carrying out conversations with guests and providing quality assistance. Both options are designed to accomplish the same goal, provide the best experiences and boost staff and guest satisfaction.
A hotel concierge system is a two-side virtual assistant. It’s a front-facing solution that caters to hotel guests and a back-office application facilitating the everyday tasks and routine processes of hotel staff and service teams. One of its most basic features is the text messaging tool. This provides both internal and external users with a standard communication channel. Guests can use text messaging to contact hotel staff and place their requests, while internal users such as the front desk, housekeeping and maintenance can use the tool to collaborate in providing solutions for the guests.
Some hotel concierge software solutions are equipped with a built-in text messaging tool, while others allow seamless integration with third-party messaging apps, such as WeChat, WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger or a custom hotel-branded messaging app, just to name few. This tool has to be installed in the guest’s and hotel staff member’s personal devices to be fully experienced. The text messaging solution, along with the main hotel concierge system, is often installed via the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android devices, depending on the software provider.
Hotel concierge systems are equipped with a lot more features, all designed to make life easier for hotel personnel and the guests. Some of these features include mobile check-in and stay management, online booking and reservations, online payment options/portals, access to local information, multi-currency and multi-language support, vendor database and customer profiles, request management, lost-and-found portal, in-depth reporting and analytics. These are just a few of the core features of digital concierge solutions that are designed to help hoteliers manage guest experiences.
The implementation of hotel concierge software can greatly benefit hotels and resorts, specifically the hotel staff, front desk team, the maintenance service as well as the hotel guests. This is because the software enables the creation of a seamless customer journey from the moment they step into the hotel website to start their pre-booking process all the way to the post-stay phase. Most hotel concierge systems are designed to deliver digitally optimized tools that enable hotel staff to offer a first-class hotel service experience. The software can serve as a communication channel between the front desk and hotel guests where they can confirm their tour reservations, sightseeing activities, spa bookings, etc.
One of the biggest benefits of using a hotel concierge system is the personalized customer service you are able to provide at scale. This hospitality software provides your hotel staff members with robust organization and communication tools that help elevate the overall guest experience to the next level. It gives you the ability to create a knowledge base of your most valued guests, giving you the opportunity to deliver much improved and more personalized services to both new and returning customers.
Another benefit is the software’s ability to improve team communication. Hotel concierge software doesn’t just help connect guests with the hotel service, but it is also capable of providing seamless communication lines between hotel staff members. Users can leverage core functions and tools such as shared calendars, internal notes and automated reminders to make sure the concierge personnel and the front desk team are all aware of every request given by the guests. A good hotel concierge system ensures transparency for the entire hotel services team and provides better collaboration when it comes to providing solutions and addressing guest requests.
When implementing the right hotel concierge solution, hoteliers can also expect better team organization. This type of software is designed to serve as a single source of information for both hotel staff and the guests. The concierge, front desk and guest services teams can use the application to track all customer/guest requests, since it works as a unified system for managing and facilitating the needs of all hotel guests. Hotel staff can record requests, incidents and other relevant information about specific guests.
Hotel personnel can also use the hotel concierge software to record and process reservations, guest transportation, tour packages, luggage lost and found, as well as other services and facilities that the hotel might offer.
Most best-in-class hotel concierge software solutions in the market are powered by AI technology, allowing the system to intelligently communicate and facilitate the needs of hotel and resort guests over a single unified and mobile platform. This is one of the reasons why digital concierge systems are often referred to as smart concierge or virtual concierge, as they can be deployed on a wide variety of channels like the chat window of a hotel website, a hotel-branded mobile app or a text messaging app.
When used effectively, digital concierge solutions will allow for quicker response times and faster service, which will undoubtedly improve guest experiences and satisfaction. This is a must-have solution for hoteliers who want to improve their concierge service through cost-effective means.
