Mami Matsumoto, Henn na spokeswoman, said that the decision to use robots in Henn na’s portfolio is made “on a case-bycase basis based on location and market conditions.”
Henn Na’s robots are able to improve efficiency in general by reducing labor costs. The droids are also ready to fill vacant positions, given Japan’s current labor shortage and falling birthrate. Guests can become used to the droids’ strengths and weaknesses once they get used to them.
Henn na has adopted a hybrid model of staffing, which combines humans and humanoids. This is a decade after the opening of its first hotel. In 14 of the hotel’s Japan hotels, about 150 robots are now at check-in desks and in guest rooms.
Churi, a personal assistant that was used by the hotel in its early days has been replaced: RoBoHoN, a Sharp-developed humanoid robot, is now available at Henn na locations in Maihama Tokyo Bay, and Osaka Namba. They can answer guests’ common questions, such as “What time does check-out begin?In addition to providing real-time updates on the availability of hotel restaurants and laundry services, they can also recommend nearby attractions and dining choices. They can also perform 70 dances such as hula dance, flamenco dance, ballet and traditional Japanese dancing.
As technology improves and guests continue to report a high level of service quality, the hotel will consider deploying robots where they can save labor costs and increase efficiency without affecting customer satisfaction.
Henn Na has reduced its headcount from around 40 to eight. According to Stockton University researchers, the 24/7 hospitality sector, in particular, benefits from robots working all hours. This boosts customer satisfaction.An Examination of Henn Na Hotels.”
Noel Criscione Naylor, a professor of hospitality at Stockton University and one the report’s writers, wrote in an email that Henn Na has been used to examine how customers react to robotic integration. WIRED. Although research is limited, she states, “it is reasonable to expect that the more innovative or unique the robot’s appearance, the greater the likelihood it will provide a feeling of perceived value or entertain the guest.”
The authors of the report note that when anthropomorphic robotics look like people, “guests expect them to have total human capabilities, and with current technology, robots can’t engage with humans.” This can lead to a bad customer experience. Don’t expect a turndown service any time soon.
The original version of this article appeared on WIRED.
