The Return of the "Dust Collectors"
Word on the street is that "automated check-in kiosks are unreliable."
Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Reseach estimated that one in 10 lobby kiosks do not work. Mainly because their internal computer cannot link up with the hotel's reservation system or else they spit out a key to a wrong room, sometimes one that's occupied.
Hotel corporations like Sheraton, Starwood, Hilton, and Marriott are all gung-ho to implement kiosks in their lobbies--primarily because computers can do human jobs on the cheap (think "I Robot.")
All of the above hotels plan to add more kiosks by the end of the year.
But will they work and will people like them? Judging from past history, it doesn't look so good.
This third go-round on the kiosks. Apparently, there was some activity in the mid-80s and 90s but no one was really interested.
In any event, the New York Times has some advice:
"Whenever you see a kiosk in a hotel lobby, head right for it. Use it. And if it spits out the keys to the wrong room, or otherwise malfunctions, go to the front desk and squawk."
Supposedly, the hotels monitor the kiosks and complaints from guests/fear of alienating top-paying customers should keep the machines working (Bad Robot!)
Related Stories:
· Is the Check-in Kiosk in the Lobby for Real? [NY Times]
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