Source: Service Management
There is a tight labour market, especially in the hospitality industry, and it is expected to continue growing in the coming years. Yet Facility Trade Group notes that robots have not yet proved to be the solution predicted a few years ago. But that does not mean that robots cannot be found in the hospitality industry.
Better customer service and lower costs
Years ago, Facility Trade Group wrote an article about robotisation in the hospitality industry and a lot has indeed changed since then. The main reasons for deploying robots are better customer service, working more efficiently and saving costs. This started with developments in automation that included taking orders via an order column or the customer's mobile phone.
More time for guests
Today, however, robots are already walking around the catering industry in several places. For instance, Chinese tech company Pudu designed BellaBot and Holabot, which walk around Utrecht restaurant FoodExplore under the name Bella and Billy. Bella acts as hostess by pointing guests to their tables and bringing the food around. Billy takes on the heavy lugging, including bringing the dirty dishes to the sop cook. The two machines take over the heavy work from the human staff, who thus have more time for guests.
Hotel cleaning
Another example: Vi-Yo-Let at the Yotel Hotel in Boston. This ultraviolet disinfection robot from UVD Boston helps cleaners disinfect hotel rooms. UVD Boston is a subsidiary of Denmark's Blue Ocean Robotics, which has long been known for its combination of robotic technology with bactericidal UV-C light.
Collaborative robots
A third example is Cobot, a set of robotic arms from Doosan Robotics. The arms pick up all kinds of tasks: loading trays, tapping beers and flipping steaks. A real helping hand, then, and here is an important point that needs to be named. This is because the robots being introduced into the hospitality industry are not designed to replace humans. The aim is for robot and human to work side by side. That is also where the name Cobot comes from: collaborative robot. Another such robot is Toni. This machine from Italy's Makr Shakr also offers a helping hand by taking over repetitive tasks. His speciality is mixing drinks behind the bar. This leaves staff with more time and attention to create a welcoming experience.
Getting ahead in modernisation
The examples above make it clear that more and more robots are slowly but surely appearing in the hospitality industry. By continuing this trend, the sector can not only address the growing staff shortage, but also get ahead in the modernisation drive that is rolling out in service-oriented industries.
English (UK)