Checking in to a hotel at a self-service kiosk?

[aspro2]

I have only dealt with humans in japan
Ok - if all works well and basic booking but where is the human touch
I like to ask Q’s - eg where is breakfast room/restaurant recommendations etc ie like they want me there. When I pay a lot for a hotel I expect them to show me the room and value me as a customer/engage.
I get that quick business trips may be OK for self-serve but those days are over for me
If they expect me to do the hotel’s work - offer a 50% discount for doing their job - and I will still go elsewhere.

And it's symptomatic of so much! In Japan, the constant efforts to minimise human interaction, and in other places the cost cutting (and, it must be acknowledged, comfort for non-local visitors for whom there might be language problems).

Kiosks impede so many forms of desirable or useful forms of interaction, not to mention missed perks/changes/rectifications.

 

[drwtsv]

I also stayed at the Swissotel Stamford in Singapore and started the self check in but once they wanted to take my photo I quit and went and checked in manually. Having your photo taken so they can track your movements everywhere within the hotel and when you enter and leave is, I feel, a breach of privacy, so I will not be opting for this option. I read up that some hotels in Singapore are using this system and the article mentioned they wanted to make sure you had the right travel documents. From the way I read it seems they are taking on the responsibility of immigration checkers along with being able to keep track of you throughout your stay. They actually told me they use the facial recognition from the photo at check in to identify you at any of the restaurants etc around the hotel, this was only after I asked why they needed my photo. I am tired of all these breaches of your privacy without even being told they are entering your data into facial recognition software programs.

 

[2infinity]

$150 for breakfast at an IBIS? Tell ‘em they’re dreamin.

They couldn't because that wasn't an option on the self serve kiosk....this is why we need staffed check-in!!!!

 

[2infinity]

Why were self-serve kiosks anywhere (grocery stores, airlines, hotels) brought in? They are trying to save on costs (wages) and maximise profits. As consumers, we are constantly fed garbage about how it is more convenient for us and they are doing us a favour as it will be quicker. The only way it is quicker is if they take away the staffed facility or minimise it to the point that you're forced to use the self-serve on pain of waiting an extended period of time.

I say shame on any business that uses self-serve kiosks, they should be outlawed. As we are doing the business' job for them, we need to start being paid a wage to self-serve.

 

[elanshin]

Why were self-serve kiosks anywhere (grocery stores, airlines, hotels) brought in? They are trying to save on costs (wages) and maximise profits. As consumers, we are constantly fed garbage about how it is more convenient for us and they are doing us a favour as it will be quicker. The only way it is quicker is if they take away the staffed facility or minimise it to the point that you're forced to use the self-serve on pain of waiting an extended period of time.

I say shame on any business that uses self-serve kiosks, they should be outlawed. As we are doing the business' job for them, we need to start being paid a wage to self-serve.

I disagree as a general blanket statement. There are plenty of places where self serve kiosk would be better than a staff. Heck sometimes I'd take a self serve kiosk on a plane than some staff giving you attitude.

Customer service roles are only as good as their staff and if the staff treat the customers like cough then give me kiosks anyday.

As for hotel check ins. When it works, its actually pretty good. But often for hotels with loyalty and other things you'd probably go to the counter to see if they can give you some more freebies.

 

[2infinity]

I disagree as a general blanket statement. There are plenty of places where self serve kiosk would be better than a staff. Heck sometimes I'd take a self serve kiosk on a plane than some staff giving you attitude.

Customer service roles are only as good as their staff and if the staff treat the customers like cough then give me kiosks anyday.

As for hotel check ins. When it works, its actually pretty good. But often for hotels with loyalty and other things you'd probably go to the counter to see if they can give you some more freebies.

Humans have been doing fine for centuries, millennia even, without self-serve. Loneliness has become a worldwide epidemic. Every time a business chips away at human interaction, the epidemic gets worse. But at least profits are up

And besides, self-serve kiosks give you attitude too. ***error*** there is no booking under this name. I don't see people taking their grievance to a chatbot.

 

[RealtimeY]

I have no problem with self-serve at hotels where I'm not expecting any discretionary perks. However, it needs to be implemented well.

One recent example of this being done poorly was when the machine seemed to be "loading" for minutes while reading the passport, but was actually paging a staff member to come over and manually check the ID, which alone took a couple of minutes. Worst of both worlds.

 

[aspro2]

Another objector to blanket objections here. As a traveller, kiosks can be incredibly useful to overcome unfamiliar-language friction points if those sorts of things cause anxiety or unpleasant interactions. Supermarket shopping as a tourist has become a much more pleasant experience in many places.

For non-tourists, there can be pluses as well, not least people with communicative issues or who just want a simple process completed quickly (at least in theory).

But the problem is of course the quality of and reason for implementation in many contexts, as raised by @RealtimeY and @elanshin . If you have poor interfaces, poor information flows, or even bad physical arrangements of kiosks (just look at the airports with forests of kiosks and people milling around them because there is no obvious queuing or passenger flow around them)... It's unnecessarily messy and difficult for users.

 

[elanshin]

Actually one of the best features of kiosks implemented right is language toggle. That has definitely been of great help.

 

[rbjhan]

In Japan it largely depends on what kind of hotels you stay at. Business hotels, yes the kiosk has been the norm for quite some time now. But most would still do human check in if you insist - I've been told Toyoko Inn would be a no but haven't stayed there!

Ryokan or luxury hotels? Now if they do that there's not gonna be any guests in no time.

 

[dajop]

Why were self-serve kiosks anywhere (grocery stores, airlines, hotels) brought in? They are trying to save on costs (wages) and maximise profits. As consumers, we are constantly fed garbage about how it is more convenient for us and they are doing us a favour as it will be quicker. The only way it is quicker is if they take away the staffed facility or minimise it to the point that you're forced to use the self-serve on pain of waiting an extended period of time.

The thing is, and this was 15+ years ago, before self service was implemented, for years at our local Woolworths you would typically have to wait 5-10 mins at checkout. This was just at normal staffing levels, and was like this for as long as I remember. Once self service was introduced you basically didn't have to wait long at all, either at self serve or at the staffed check-ins. Win-win. Interestingly, jumping forward to more recent times, at my local supermarket in SIngapore checkout has been much quicker since they introduced a self serve option about 6-7 years ago.

But I do think they've gone way to far with many Coles & Woolworths having self serve for "big shops" as well (not just basket shops) and not necessarily having a staffed counter open.

Self serve + plenty of staffed options = Good. Choice is a great thing.

Enforced self serve + no/minimal staff = Bad. Simple as that.

But no need to outlaw them.

 

[aspro2]

In Japan it largely depends on what kind of hotels you stay at. Business hotels, yes the kiosk has been the norm for quite some time now. But most would still do human check in if you insist - I've been told Toyoko Inn would be a no but haven't stayed there!

Ryokan or luxury hotels? Now if they do that there's not gonna be any guests in no time.

Toyoko Inn was still perfectly happy with desk-check-in last year (I don't even remember seeing kiosks, actually!).

Sotetsu Inn were downright coughty when I politely declined the kiosk (especially as you couldn't use the kiosk until you had first collected a bloody code from the human-desk!).

 

[MARTINE]

Toyoko Inn was still perfectly happy with desk-check-in last year (I don't even remember seeing kiosks, actually!).

Sotetsu Inn were downright coughty when I politely declined the kiosk (especially as you couldn't use the kiosk until you had first collected a bloody code from the human-desk!).

Sayonara to Sotetsu Inn ..

 

[aspro2]

Sayonara to Sotetsu Inn ..

Yes. The accommodation was nice, actually, but it was the first hotel I'd been to in Japan where some staff (and especially the duty manager) were visibly irritated by requests that were neither demanding nor unusual.

 

[yachty]

And it's symptomatic of so much! In Japan, the constant efforts to minimise human interaction, and in other places the cost cutting (and, it must be acknowledged, comfort for non-local visitors for whom there might be language problems).

And yet there are still no self check-outs at the supermarket!

II read up that some hotels in Singapore are using this system and the article mentioned they wanted to make sure you had the right travel documents. From the way I read it seems they are taking on the responsibility of immigration checkers along with being able to keep track of you throughout your stay.

All hotels in Singapore register you with immigration on arrival, kiosk or not. The kiosks were touted as a new, faster way to do this using facial recognition...

 

[dajop]

And yet there are still no self check-outs at the supermarket!


All hotels in Singapore register you with immigration on arrival, kiosk or not. The kiosks were touted as a new, faster way to do this using facial recognition...

Yes. And if really worried about privacy, facial recognition etc probably best not to visit Singapore in the first place.

 

[rbjhan]

Yes. The accommodation was nice, actually, but it was the first hotel I'd been to in Japan where some staff (and especially the duty manager) were visibly irritated by requests that were neither demanding nor unusual.

Interesting, I also had some bad service in one of them....
Not that I'm particularly interested in going back to any Sotetsu Inn anyways.
Nowadays I'm mostly Dormy Inn, and maybe Mitsui Garden, yeah I want that big public bath!

 

[Quickstatus]

The Crowne Plaza Changi airport has self service check in kiosk. I only realised they were there after waiting 20 min to check in at midnight.

Ill remember next time

 

[Matt_01]

I first came across these in Japan mainly in 'business mens' hotels, the first time I used it it was a little confusing but after the 2nd or 3rd checkin it was all quite simple. From memory I used the Rydges Sydney airport system in May of this year, it was not quite the same as Japan but was still quite easy to use.

 

[bam71]

I also stayed at the Swissotel Stamford in Singapore and started the self check in but once they wanted to take my photo I quit and went and checked in manually. Having your photo taken so they can track your movements everywhere within the hotel and when you enter and leave is, I feel, a breach of privacy, so I will not be opting for this option. I read up that some hotels in Singapore are using this system and the article mentioned they wanted to make sure you had the right travel documents. From the way I read it seems they are taking on the responsibility of immigration checkers along with being able to keep track of you throughout your stay. They actually told me they use the facial recognition from the photo at check in to identify you at any of the restaurants etc around the hotel, this was only after I asked why they needed my photo. I am tired of all these breaches of your privacy without even being told they are entering your data into facial recognition software programs.

We stay here a few times a year. Every time there is an issue. This weeks was having the room key processed, but we didn’t even have our room number. It’s getting tiresome ….