AI is poised to bring new levels of concierge services to the public

Artificial intelligence-based concierge services could improve how hotels and other hospitality businesses interact with customers, according to a new paper.

In the first study to introduce this concept, researchers explore the roles that AI concierges, technologically advanced assistants, could play in different areas of the service sector, and the various roles that such helpers might embody. We have outlined the format.

Their paper uses a combination of natural language processing, behavioral data, and predictive analytics to create a virtual manager that anticipates customer needs, suggests specific actions, and automates routine tasks without being explicitly told to do so. It is assumed.

Although such skilled assistants are still years away, lead author Stephanie Liu, an associate professor of hospitality management at The Ohio State University, and her colleagues say they are working in service management, psychology, and other disciplines. He drew insights from several contemporary fields such as human computers. An interaction and ethics study that details the opportunities and challenges that can arise from having an AI concierge manage human encounters.

“In the traditional service industry, concierge services were reserved for high-end clients and were only available to a small number of people,” Liu said. “With the help of AI technology, everyone has access to a concierge that provides a superior experience.”

Based on that premise, there are two benefits to incorporating AI into customer service. Companies will be able to offer her 24-hour availability and consistency in their operations, and the way individuals engage with professional services organizations will also improve, she said.

Additionally, as younger workers gravitate toward more tech-oriented jobs and international travel becomes more common, generative AI could be the right solution to address the growing demands of evolving hospitality trends. Mr. Liu said.

“There is a lot of potential in developing AI technology for hotels, restaurants, healthcare, retail and tourism,” she says.

This paper is Service management journal.

Despite the social and economic benefits of deploying such machines, Liu said how effectively an AI concierge can complete a task will depend on both the specific situation and the type of interface consumers use.

According to Liu, there are four main forms of smart assistants, each with unique characteristics that offer different levels of convenience to consumers.

The first type is a conversational interface that communicates using only text or voice. ChatGPT is a conversational agent that is often used to make inquiries and get real-time assistance. Many of these conversational devices are already being used in hotels and healthcare facilities for contactless bookings and connecting consumers to other services and resources.

The second is a virtual avatar that uses a crisp digital look and fully formed persona to foster deeper emotional connections with consumers. This method is often used in telemedicine consultations and online learning programs.

The third iteration is holographic projection, which brings simulated 3D images into the physical world. According to the paper, this is ideal for scenarios where visual impact is desired but physical assistance per se is not required.

The paper concludes the list by proposing an AI concierge that appears as a tangible or touchable robot. This form provides the most human-like sensory experience and may be able to perform multiple physical tasks, such as carrying heavy loads.

Some international companies have already developed these cutting-edge tools for limited use. One of his robot concierges, known as Sam, is designed to assist people in senior living communities by assisting with check-ins, performing fall risk assessments, and assisting staff with non-medical tasks. I did. Another was deployed at South Korea's Incheon International Airport to help consumers navigate their way to their destinations and provide the best shopping and dining recommendations.

But as advanced computing algorithms become increasingly ingrained in our daily lives, industry professionals must consider consumer privacy concerns when deciding when and where to deploy these AI systems. It will come out. One way to address these issues, he says, is to create an AI concierge with limited memory and other safety walls to protect stored personal data such as personal and financial information. He Liu says.

“Different companies are at different stages of this technology,” Liu said. “Some companies are building robots that can sense customer emotions or capture biometric information, while others are building very basic robots. Services are here and we need to think critically about them.”

Additionally, the paper points out that the increasing variety of concierge options available to consumers is also beneficial from a mental health perspective.

Because AI is perceived as having less agency compared to humans, it could help mitigate psychologically uncomfortable service situations that may arise due to how consumers feel about how they are perceived by a human concierge. This reduced anxiety about the machine's opinion could help increase comfort levels and lead to more positive reactions to the success of the AI ​​concierge, Liu said.

Ultimately, there's still a lot of interdisciplinary testing to do to ensure these technologies can be applied in a broad and equitable way, Liu said, adding that future research should seek to uncover how specific design elements of these robot assistants, such as their perceived gender, ethnicity or voice, affect overall consumer satisfaction.