***Guest post from Breezeway, a WebRezPro partner***
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, hospitality businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their operations, streamline processes, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), lodging operators now have a powerful tool at their disposal to achieve these goals and stay competitive in the market.
While AI is a powerful tool, you can’t take humans out of hospitality. Our industry will always require a human element with staff in the field maintaining properties and units, finding unique ways to grow the business, and adding a personal touch to each guest stay. However, AI can surface information that helps busy hospitality operators work smarter, not harder.
First of all, what is AI and how do you use it?
AI systems are designed to analyze vast amounts of data, recognize patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention. Tools like ChatGPT help you research industry trends, overcome writer’s block, or brainstorm marketing strategies.
More importantly, hospitality software, like Breezeway, connects with ChatGPT to help you analyze operational data, suggest guest messages, and categorize issues. With increased staffing shortages in the hospitality industry, this support from AI is more important than ever to keep your teams running efficiently. Human resources are limited, so make sure you’re using them for what guests actually see and care about.
Why should hospitality operators care about AI?
Integrating AI into your hospitality business can offer numerous benefits across various aspects of operations, ultimately enhancing the overall guest experience and driving business growth. Here’s how you can leverage AI effectively:
Streamlining Operations
One of the key challenges for hospitality businesses is managing operations efficiently while maintaining high standards of service. AI can revolutionize operational processes by automating routine tasks, reducing errors, and optimizing resource allocation.
AI can also help surface operational data and reporting. Tools like Breezeway Insights are designed to drive operational efficiency through powerful data on staff performance and property care. These reports help operators get an in-depth look at company performance with data on tasks, reported issues, staff performance, and more.
Additionally, AI-driven solutions can streamline inventory management by monitoring supply levels in real-time and automatically notifying you when stock is running low. This not only ensures that businesses never run out of essential supplies but also helps in reducing excess inventory and minimizing costs.
Enhancing Guest Communication
How many times has a guest texted you, “What’s the Wi-Fi code?,” “What’s the door code?,” “Can I check in early?,” leading you to waste time searching through your system of record for that specific property and guest information. What if AI could do this for you? Well, it can.
Breezeway partnered with ChatGPT to create suggested replies to solve this exact issue. When enabled in Breezeway Messaging, ChatGPT will read Breezeway property profile, reservation, and Breezeway Guide data, along with context from guest messages, to generate suggested responses that you can edit or send as is. Upon analysis, AI-generated messages resulted in 80% accuracy.
Data includes Wi-Fi instructions, house rules, property manager standards, directions, local restaurant recommendations, parking availability, and anything related to the tasks completed on the Breezeway platform. Managers can even set their tone and professional style to match their brand and audience. From formal to friendly and anything in between, short-term rental companies can add their own voice while using AI to create brand consistency across guest interactions.
After-hours Guest Support
In the hospitality industry, providing personalized experiences is paramount to building customer loyalty and driving repeat business. AI empowers small hospitality businesses to deliver tailor-made experiences by leveraging guest data to anticipate preferences and anticipate needs.
Chatbots, virtual assistants, and answering services are increasingly being utilized in guest services departments, but with little success. Brittney Blackman, Owner of Breathe Easy Rentals noted, “I don’t want a frustrated guest having a more frustrating conversation with an answering service.” These workarounds typically don’t have enough information to answer guest questions accurately.
That’s why Breezeway launched Assist, Breezeway’s team of hospitality professionals trained to respond to guest calls and messages at any hour. The reason this works is because the Assist uses AI to surface all of the property and guest data, and process information that’s already in your Breezeway Operations and Messaging account to respond to guest text messages and calls. The Assist team has been able to respond to 90% of inbound messages without escalating to the hospitality operator. The average response time is 20 seconds. Yes, 20 seconds!
AI presents immense opportunities for hospitality businesses to enhance operational efficiency, personalize guest experiences, and drive cost savings. By embracing AI-powered solutions, operators can spend more of their time focusing on the human side of hospitality and providing unique, memorable stays for guests. With the right implementation and strategic integration, AI has the potential to unlock new levels of growth and profitability.
About Breezeway
Breezeway’s award-winning property operations and experience platform helps coordinate, communicate, and verify detailed work at properties. Powering over 30M property care tasks, Breezeway helps thousands of short-term rental managers and hospitality operators increase operational efficiency, eliminate manual work, and boost service revenue.
Start automating your operations and utilizing the power of AI with Breezeway.
