No doubt, many business travelers appreciate the convenience and ease of bypassing the front desk and checking themselves into and out of their hotel room via kiosks or mobile devices – especially after a long day of meetings and/or travel. In fact, nearly 80% of business travelers recently surveyed by software provider Smith Micro said they would use mobile check-in and check-out services over the front desk.
But given 20% still prefer interacting with humans, that doesn’t mean hotels should give up on personal service entirely. eMarketer said it best in a recent article about the survey: Mobile self-service channels are best when they complement – and not replace – existing customer service, otherwise hotels risk annoying customers seeking a human interaction.
What do you think? Can you live without a trip to the front desk? Do you use your smartphone primarily for other facets of business travel – like bookings, itineraries and expenses? Would you take advantage of offers, discounts and deals sent to you via your smartphone?
