Just some years ago, before the era of Intelligent AI Concierges started, some hotels went with a flow and introduced customer service WhatsApp numbers with humans at the other end. The reason behind it, most likely, was to connect technology and humans. Preferably, keeping humans in the loop. For, a human touch in providing customer services is important.
But can humans behind WhatsApp numbers really provide that 'human touch' in a timely and efficient manner? Is this way of approaching technology and customer service effective?
Let's have a closer look. For this purpose, we have chosen three different hospitality establishments. All three are in the realm of providing services in luxury hotels. All three brands are large international and national ones. Here they are:
A well established internationally recognisable brand - The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is an American multinational company that operates the luxury hotel chain known as The Ritz-Carlton. The company has 108 luxury hotels and resorts in 30 countries and territories with 29,158 rooms, in addition to 46 hotels with 8,755 rooms planned for the future.
A large international chain - Minor Hotels
Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator, and investor headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, with more than 550 hotels in over 55 countries across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Americas.
An independently owned luxury hotel chain - Grecotel
Grecotel S. A., part of N. Daskalandonakis Group, is the largest luxury hotel chain in Greece. Founded 50 years ago by Dimitris Pierides with the key person being Nikos Daskalantonakis.
Grecotel has a total of 35 hotels as of 2017.
What unites the above hospitality companies is the size and reach of their operations, and their approach when it comes to their choice of customer service solutions, e.g. all of them went for a WhatApp numbers with a human behind them. But as is illustrated below their choice is disproportionate and ineffective to their operations and size of business.
As per the words of a former Ritz-Carlton employee with whom we conversed, guests of The Ritz-Carlton hotels can chat with hotels' representatives any time via a dedicated WhatsApp number. The target that The Ritz Carlton sets is to respond to each customer's message in 3 min. The employee we have talked to thought it was impossible. We think likewise. For, to meet such demands would require to have a special 'WhatsApp centre' in each of the hotels as well as several WhatsApp' numbers per each hotel as one can be 'jammed' up by too many inquiries coming in.
In reality, it appears that The Ritz-Carlton do not have even a dedicated people for such WhatsApp numbers. Their tactic is to reuse the existing personnel e.g. receptionists and human concierges, to provide this service. Obviously, the existing personnel has already their core responsibilities which they have to perform well and which are given the priority as they concern face to face customer inquiries. WhatsApp customer inquiries come secondary. Therefore, 3 minutes response expectation is as utopian as it can be.
Minor Hotels group also have a WhatsApp chat for their customers which is dedicated to reservations enquires for all of its brands including luxury Anantara hotels. The challenges they face are similar to The Ritz-Carlton hotels. No dedicated personnel, long waiting times, and inefficiency in answering inquiries.
In the case of Minor Hotels , we have tested one of their WhatsApp chat ourselves. It took them 30 minutes to provide the reply to our inquiry. Quite a waiting time! But wait, there is a winner in this contest - Grecotel.
As per conversation with a customer of one of the Grecotel hotels, the Grecotel offer their guests a WhasApp customer inquiries number using which customers can chat with the hotel staff. For example, a receptionist or a concierge. It sounds attractive in theory, but in practice, as per words of the Grecotel customer, the waiting time is 3 hours. So, if a guest wants to find out information about Grecotel resort amenities where he/she is staying, they have to wait in a queue being 'on hold' in the hotel's WhatsApp chat.
We will leave you with this info to ponder over. However, on our side, we shall say - 'Guys, there is an easier and highly efficient way to address the above issue - AI Assistants connected to WhatsApp numbers'
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