Virtual Concierge Fills Gaps in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry

There have never been more options available to companies for engaging customers and communicating with guests. The Internet of Things (IoT) has streamlined such operations, resulting in a superior customer experience for many visitor, hospitality and convention centers. Today’s travelers are technology savvy and often use mobile apps and kiosks (Virtual Concierges) to research destinations, navigate city centers and facilities, order taxis and other travel, reserve hotels, make dining reservations, and discover and plan other facets of their schedules.

Interactive digital signage is an integral player and can be a helpful partner in informing and engaging visitors and customers. With its own unique features, robust data scalability, and technological slant, digital signage can reach more people and expand the user experience from beginning to end over traditional efforts. Want to better understand what a virtual concierge is and the exciting benefits such a system brings to the hospitality industry? Read on!

A virtual concierge, sometimes referred to as a digital concierge or kiosk, is an interactive digital signage system that provides guests with a variety of valuable information. Visitors or guests can access a virtual concierge easily, typically with touch or voice commands, allowing them to “drive” their own individual experiences. Virtual concierges may be located either indoors or outdoors at stadiums, convention centers, large hotels, or popular attractions like amusement parks and zoos.

• Create a more inclusive experience. Digital kiosks are able to share messages visually, via audio, and in multiple languages. Visitors who are sight or hearing impaired who may otherwise need another person with them can use these tools to experience the location independently. In addition, companies in the hospitality industry may host visitors from other countries, and a virtual concierge can assist in communicating important information in their native language, creating a more comfortable experience.
• Provide guests with facility information. A simple use for a virtual concierge system is to display pieces of information that may otherwise require printed signage (which is costly and may detract from the facility’s ambiance). Some examples would be when the pool opens and closes, what time breakfast is served, parking fees, and many other important tidbits that can be shared digitally from a central location.
• Share upcoming events. Promoting future events is a popular way locations like stadiums and coliseums use a virtual concierge system. Concerts, ball games, plays, and other events can be marketed through digital signage to help increase attendance and foster repeat visitors.
• List local attractions. Hotels and conference centers that want to assist their guests with their visits outside their specific establishments may showcase special attractions, restaurants, natural sights, fun activities, and historical landmarks with their virtual concierge system. Having access to this type of information helps visitors enjoy their entire stay and increases their satisfaction.
• Simplify wayfinding. New cities can be difficult to navigate. Encourage guests to get out of their hotel rooms and see what the area has to offer with digital wayfinding. Interactive maps, lists of addresses, the closest metro station, and a “what’s nearby” list allow them to enjoy their experience more thoroughly. Wayfinding can also be used inside the facility to find meeting rooms, restrooms, and other destinations.
• Relay local news and weather. Finding out tomorrow’s weather is easy if it’s displayed on the digital kiosk in the lobby of a hotel or convention center. In addition, guests may find local news valuable, especially traffic updates and news about special events.

Interactive digital signage offers several advantages to organizations in the hospitality industry. Three important ones are:

• Helps inform visitors. People crave information, especially when they are in areas that are unfamiliar to them. A single point of reference where they can glean lots of knowledge in a short time is advantageous to their schedule, their level of stress, and the ability to feel safe and comfortable for the duration of their visit.
• Frees up employees. Endless questions day after day about attractions, where to eat, and what time certain shops close can be distracting, and down right annoying, to employees. Virtual concierge systems don’t ever get annoyed! Take the burden off employees and leave them to the jobs they are paid for by setting up digital kiosks to answer guests’ most popular questions.
• Empowers guests to forge their own experience. Today’s consumers demand the ability to create their own unique experiences, and a virtual concierge system allows them to do that. They are able to access the information they are interested in, find the activities they want to pursue, and not have to waste their time asking other people or figuring out their plans. Multiple ideas and suggestions, along with basic information like open times, fees, and transportation schedules, are all at their fingertips with interactive signage.

Whether located indoors or outside, a virtual concierge system functions in a capacity that’s integral to improving the guest and visitor experience. Investing in digital signage software is a smart choice for a public facility that is striving to increase inclusion, expand visitor satisfaction, and save employee time.