To Selfservice or Not to Selfservice? That Is the Question for Hotels : An Exploratory Study of Senior Hotel Managers' Perspectives

Customers utilise self-service technologies in daily life such as the banking and airline industries. This research sought perspectives and professional opinions of senior managers of Auckland's four and five star hotels. The study finds that self-service can benefit even five star hotels, especially for corporate guests and regular travellers. When implemented alongside personable and skilled staff, kiosks would provide value to guests such as an additional service channel, faster check-in process, increased guest control and higher customisation. For the hotel, kiosks can enable standardised quality of service to guests, alleviate pressure on front office staff during busy periods and assist with profiling guests' details and up-selling. Thus managers largely supported the introduction of self-service technology in combination with well trained and friendly staff.