In the rapidly changing world of tech, the hospitality industry can struggle to keep up. Today’s guest is here to provide some guidance. Drawing on her 20 plus years of technology experience, she creates innovative experiences for guests and travelers. Joining the show this week is The Travel and Hospitality Industry Advisor at Salesforce, Jacqueline Nunley!

Jacqui joins host Dan Ryan to look towards the future of the hospitality industry. They discuss the common challenges facing hoteliers when implementing technology, the ways AI can revolutionize customer experience, and how brands need to think about implementing AI. 

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is an ever changing landscape. As guest expectations have changed, technology has advanced rapidly, creating a blank slate. This allows for the industry to redefine what hospitality means to them. 
• Because the hospitality industry is often fragmented, implementing new technologies can be a challenge. When looking for new solutions, leadership should prioritize technologies that can work cross-functionally.
• The level of repeatability and consistency in an experience needs to be tailored to the type of experience. Knowing what to expect can provide comfort to guests, but many guests often seek the unique experiences of the locations they visit. 
• When looking to implement tech into a hotel, the end goal should be on making the staff’s jobs easier. By freeing up staff from mundane tasks that can easily be replaced, you allow them more time to focus on providing the human element to guests. 
• AI offers many benefits to the end customer, but it requires careful consideration of a guest’s concerns. With many guests, there is a concern about the privacy of their data. Hotels need to provide a sense of security to ensure that guests trust the technology. 
• Implementing AI into the hospitality industry is not about replacing people’s jobs, but rather about allowing them to better serve guests. Conversational AI can speed up support calls, drastically reducing customer frustrations.
• While AI has the potential to redefine the hospitality industry, it’s adoption needs to be intentional. Instead of adding AI features because a competitor had, first assess if the use of that technology will add value to your customers. 

Quote of the Show:

• “How are you engaging with your customers at the speed at which your customers are evolving?” - Jacqueline Nunley

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinesnunley/  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jnunley12  
• Company website: https://www.salesforce.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 01:09 - ILC: https://ilcongress.com/ 
• 43:45 - Jamie Dimon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiedimon/ 
• 01:02:45 - Dreamforce: https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419