Personalized Video Content and New Technology Take In-Room Televisions to a New Level of Entertainment
By Nicole Marie Richardson
Hospitality Technology
By Nicole Marie Richardson
Hospitality Technology
Article Summary:
The hospitality industry is always looking for opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and revenue, and in-room television systems are becoming a very popular method of accomplishing both goals. In the past, in-room television has provided a steady, but fairly low amount of revenue within hotels. With the development of new technology the ordinary TV can now offer much more for guests and also be used in cooperation with other departments within the hotel to generate revenue, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.
High-definition TVs, LCD’s and plasmas are increasingly becoming standards for most hotel chains. Guests are beginning to expect these types of technology rather than see them as amenities. “Technology is actually ahead of the curve in this industry. There is so much that can be done to please the customer; it’s just a matter of the hotelier selecting the right mix of hardware and services…” Hotels are now able to offer their guests much more than just state-of-the-art entertainment options through their televisions, but can also offer (and charge) guests amenities such as full internet access, hook-ups for guests personal peripherals like IPods or digital cameras, room service ordering options, and personalized hotel-to-guest communication, all through one centralized unit.
To stay ahead of the curve a hotel must leave a lasting impression and stand-out among competition. Personalization is a popular way hotels can increase customer loyalty. Data management systems along with customer relationship management (CRM) now provide the technology that allows hotels to take this customer information and use it to enhance each guests individual experience. In-room TV’s are one way hotels can use guest information to personalize a stay and can offer personalized greetings, channel settings based on guests preferences (or spoken language), and can also be used by hotels for personalized marketing.
The following is a list of providers of this type of technology that were named in this article:
- Extenway (www.exten way.com)
- NxTV (www.nxtv.com)
- LodgeNet (www.lodgenet.com)
- OnCommand (www.oncommand.com)
- InfoValue SuiteTV (www.info value.com)
- Tangerine Global’s (www.tangerine global.com)
Reflection:
This technology is very interesting and I am sure it will continue to develop over time and be integrated into many more properties. I like that so much can be accomplished through one central location and the mess of multiple wires and small technical devises can be minimized. I can imagine a future were anything a guest desires can be done by remote control from any location in the room and easily accomplished with the visual assistance of your television. I would love to wake up, and without getting out of bed, open the curtains, or turn on your choice of lights if it is cloudy. Next I would order breakfast from room-service, again with a few clicks of my televisions remote control, and finally signal that the server may enter after checking their identity on my televisions virtual peep hole.
The application of data management and CRM is truly the future of our industry. I think the ability to track customer behavior and customize treatment according to past requests and behaviors will change what people consider first-class service. Knowing what the guest wants without solicitation will leave a lasting impression and also increases efficiency if less time is wasted by hotel staff running simple errands.
Richardson, Nicole Marie. (2007 May) Personalized Video Content and New Technology Take In-Room Televisions to a New Level of Entertainment. Hospitality Technology. Retrieved on 1 March 2008 from http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/0507/0507_02.html
2 comments:
This article brings up a great way customers can do a variety of tasks from a single unit. The ability to save space and wiring provides for less cluttering and a more sophisticated look. In addition, most of these TV's are top of the line HD screens with a great picture. Customers will love to be able to do so much just from their own television.
The one thing that scares me about this advancing technology is the trouble some customers may have that are not so technologically advanced. Although this is the concern for a lot of new inventions, this TV will be the center-point for so many functions. What if the customer is not able to work the TV properly? Will he/she be able to access the lighting, internet etc through normal means? I think that these televisions can be great for the hospitality industry, but they should be careful that ALL CUSTOMERS will be able to use them properly.
This was a great article and a perfect example of this is at the Marriott Courtyard as they are installing flat screen televisions throughout the property. But as technology continues to develop, so does the traveler and they expect these technological advancements to be available at lodging properties wherever they go.
The only downside of this is those baby boomers who are still having trouble learning all of these new technologies and will probably have difficulty using the devices. Besides that it seems pretty exciting!
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