TECHNOLOGY |
|||
|
the New York Times in September : “ You are not going to stop technology . The question is whether workers will be partners in its deployment or bystanders that get run over by it .”
Gumpert insists her union is not anti-technology but rather wants to see innovations like automated , powered housekeeper carts and GPS-enabled safety buttons — technologies that enhance , not eliminate , people ’ s jobs . In this , the union seems to have learned from the earlier experience of the United Auto Workers union , which saw jobs go overseas , in part over its intransigence about production line automation .
REALLY , WITHOUT PEOPLE ? In 2017 , McKinsey Global Institute issued a report encompassing 46 countries projecting that technology would drive a 30 % decline in jobs in foodservice and lodging from 2016 to 2030 . The same year , a study by MIT Technology Review estimated that 83 % of U . S . jobs that make less than US $ 20 per hour are threatened by automation . Threatened indeed . This year , a survey in the journal Social Science and Medicine showed a correlation between automation risk and worsened physical and mental health in the U . S .
But can AI , machine learning and robotics really displace service jobs in the hospitality industry , where personal touch is such a defining characteristic ?
“ Hospitality is not to be
|
provided by technology , but by people ,” says Michael Levie , chief operations officer at CitizenM , the Netherlandsbased chain . For instance , he says CitizenM didn ’ t eliminate staff when it put kiosks at all its reception desks or iPads and a small CPU in all its rooms to control lights , heating , TV and music selections . And for all the hype around on-premise automation , the more impactful technology has been the internet , for booking and data collection , Levie says .
Whatever the automation , make sure it maps to customer desires and the customer journey , says Levie , who says brands too often gravitate to the latest gadgetry without asking these fundamental questions . Another mistake ? Not deploying systems chainwide , thereby giving guests an inconsistent experience . “ If you don ’ t have the basics right ,” he says , “ you can ’ t do anything sexy .”
Technology adds functionality and reduces “ friction ” for guests and CitizenM staff , he adds . “ If due to speed and convenience there is a time savings , this allows for more dedicated guest interaction ,” he says . In the end , Levie says he thinks hospitality is unique in that it can only take automation so far . “ Serving breakfast or manning a bar cannot be provided by robotics .”
Indeed , think tank New America ’ s 2018 report , “ Automation Potential for
|
Jobs in Phoenix ,” ranks maids and housekeeping cleaners at “ medium risk ” of automation , but telemarketers and accountants at high risk .
EMERGING ROLES Yet Kristin Sharp , who directs New America ’ s Initiative on Work , Workers , and Technology , says hospitality , like other service industries , will steadily apply automation to customer-facing functions , and it will particularly affect those in low-skill , low-wage jobs . “ In the near term , say five to 10 years , it ’ s probable ( automation ) will disproportionately hit these people ,” she says .
Given this , Sharp thinks hotel brands need to put strategic thought into training , and what kinds of skills people need for new , emerging roles .
“ What works well tend to be employer partnerships with various training institutions like nonprofits and local government … on a citywide and entity-wide scale ,” she says , to help identify needed new skills , and where people need to go to obtain them . Any hotel brand that picks up that challenge , making a specific effort to transition people to something else by training them in the face of automation , will not only provide a social good , Sharp argues , but will have a “ recruitment tool and a differentiating ( characteristic ) for consumers .”
Unite Here ’ s framework ,
|
AUTOMATION SHOULD MAP TO CUSTOMER DESIRES AND THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY , SAYS MICHAEL LEVIE , CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF NETHERLANDS- BASED CITIZENM : ‘‘ IF YOU DON ’ T HAVE THE BASICS RIGHT , YOU CAN ’ T DO ANYTHING SEXY .’’
in fact , calls for involving the union in reviews before technology is brought in ; should workers be negatively impacted , for retraining or reassigning them . A Unite Here contract stipulates that the hotel will give workers notice of technology advancements that might affect jobs , and guarantees severance pay and an extension of health benefits if workers lose jobs due to technology or automation , according to the union .
But Gumpert says , “ We don ’ t think any brands are proactively working to find solutions for both workers and guests without collective bargaining .”
|
52 hotelsmag . com January / February 2019 |