voice channel
Helping the Hotel Industry’s Staffing Shortage Problems With Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™
Travel Outlook | September 8, 2022
Over the last decade, labor costs have risen sharply. In 2022, labor shortages are plaguing businesses across the world, and the hospitality industry is no exception. Demand for workers has never been higher, yet universal labor shortages persist, causing problems for hotels, despite the sharp rise in travel. Two-plus years removed from the pandemic, and travel has come back in a big way. Hotels everywhere had a record-breaking summer of travel, but they did so with reduced capacity thanks to ongoing labor shortages. With rising wages and the supply of workers still at historically low levels, hotels are struggling to stay afloat during...
Stay Firmly Ahead of Guests’ Wants and Needs
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | August 9, 2022
A solution to help secure lifelong returning hotel guests By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook August 2022 A good hotel is always a few steps ahead of its guests. Any experienced concierge will tell you that it pays dividends to anticipate guests' needs before they may even be aware of them. If a guest is checking in for a one-night stay, make them feel welcome by offering a later checkout time to better suit their schedule. If a family arrives around dinner time, hand them their room keys with a list of restaurant recommendations, and offer to have the concierge call ahead and make reservations if needed. Simple anticipat...
The Automation Generation
Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent | March 29, 2022
Why today’s travelers place efficiency ahead of personal connection The hospitality industry has always been a people-centric line of work. Face-to-face conversations with real humans have been the cornerstone of service industries since its inception. A smiling face behind the front desk of a hotel cannot be replaced. Technology, on the other hand, has continually shifted the way guest service representatives interact with travelers and hotel guests. Each generation brings a new disruptive technology that shakes up the way the world does business. With each change, there is resistance, but progress always wins out. In a recent story...
Language Barriers in the Hospitality Industry
Travel Outlook | March 8, 2022
How to translate the labor shortage The hospitality industry is obviously a global industry. Hotels connect people from all over the world and bring them together under one roof. Industry insiders understand the importance of having a multilingual staff at all hours. Given recent labor shortages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for hotels to find adequate staffing. Finding a bi or multi-lingual staff member can seem next to impossible. Even before the complications of the last two years, language barriers have plagued hotels for the duration of their existence. For customers, nothing is more frustrating than trying to reserve a r...
Travel Outlook Introduces Bella, The Virtual Hotel Agent, Providing Instant Guest Service While Reducing Fixed Labor Expense
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | January 13, 2022
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (January 13, 2022): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center (“Travel Outlook®”) announces the launch of the hotel industry’s first AI-powered voice bot, purpose-built to reduce fixed labor costs with a distinct human touch: BellaTM, The Virtual Hotel AgentTM. Bella can help hotels immediately address staffing issues and reduce fixed labor expense. Personalized in a human voice the hotel chooses, Bella can answer most of the calls now being handled by the front desk. To estimate the labor cost savings Bella can achieve, Travel Outlook has created a Bella Savings Tool on its website. Bella has been program...
The Return to Genuine Hospitality
Travel Outlook | April 21, 2021
Why the First Touch Point Sets the Tone for Your Brand In a digital age, when a potential guest picks up the phone to make a reservation, they expect a personal touch on the other end. Chances are, they’ve exhausted all digital booking avenues and are seeking true customer service by a trained professional. The consequences of not having a professional call center backing your reservation department could be detrimental to your business. Additionally, the benefits of having a trained call center serve your business could take it to new heights. Having a professional call center with highly trained agents who know the ins and outs of...
Your Hotel Guests – Your Focus
Travel Outlook | March 9, 2021
John Smallwood President Travel Outlook Outsource Your Reservation Department to Better Serve Your Boutique Hotel Guests 2020 has turned the hospitality industry on its head, forcing many in the travel field to cut costs where they can or risk temporary or even permanent closure. Despite all that has changed in the hospitality industry in the last year, one thing remains constant, and that is the need for creating unique, guest-focused travel experiences, the kind of experiences that keep guests coming back to their favorite boutique hotels. 2021 is just underway, but the light at the end of the tunnel is visible. No...
Viceroy Hotel Group Chooses Travel Outlook to Optimize Voice Channel
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | March 1, 2021
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center Expands Partnership with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts to 14 Properties SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (March 1, 2021): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center is expanding its alliance with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, which offers personalized management of incoming voice calls for all 13 properties in the current Viceroy portfolio. Opening early 2021, Viceroy’s newest ski-in, ski-out luxury mountain resort, Viceroy Kopaonik Serbia is also set to use Travel Outlook following an immersive onboarding process. As a global luxury brand, Viceroy values a call center that can set the tone for an incredibl...
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