We speak with Dennis Fähndrich about the challenges of digitalization as a key driver of innovation in the hotel industry and the use of the AI chatbot from DialogShift at Sonnenalp Resort. Dennis has been working at Sonnenalp Resort for eight years and currently serves as the Sales and Reservation Manager. In this role, he is also responsible for the digitalization of sales.

What is the significance of digitalization in the hospitality industry and how can it benefit from it?

Digitalization is a key driver of innovation in the hotel industry today. On one hand, digitalization simplifies our work processes and relieves our employees. On the other hand, AI chatbots like the one from DialogShift help us provide 24/7 customer service and deliver up-to-date information in real time. Of course, our employees are not being replaced by this technology, which is not the goal in a five-star establishment like ours. However, digitalized processes allow our staff to spend more time with our guests.

What challenges do you see for the digitalization of the hotel industry?

Many hotels naturally have limited IT expertise. This often leads to reservations about implementing IT products, especially as their complexity increases. The product offerings from manufacturers are vast, and selecting suitable products and integrating them into existing systems poses a significant challenge for hotels. Not all providers have mature products that adequately understand the needs and workflows of the hospitality industry. Therefore, a positive cost-benefit ratio is not always obvious with all products.

Staff shortages and high turnover are general problems in the industry. How does the Sonnenalp Resort address these challenges?

In times of increasing staff shortages, it is becoming increasingly important to offer our employees an attractive environment. This is clearly one of our priorities. For example, we offer many employees discounted staff housing and we plan to expand this offering further. Additionally, our employees can use our infrastructure and benefit from discounted car and bike leasing through external partners. Digitalization helps us onboard new employees faster, for example with our correspondence manager, which allows inquiries to be answered with just a few clicks using a modular system. New employees become productive much faster, which is a great advantage in an industry that has to deal with high employee turnover.

What were the initial steps of digitalization at Sonnenalp Resort?

The first step for Sonnenalp Resort was implementing an online booking system to organize sales and reservation processes more efficiently. This was a significant relief for our employees, and of course, our guests benefit as well, with the ability to check current prices at any time and book online 24/7.

In 2020, you decided to implement a chatbot from DialogShift. What were the reasons?

Like many other hotels, we face frequently recurring questions from our customers. Answering these questions ties up our hotel staff's resources. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the effort increased exponentially due to many additional questions about travel restrictions. Implementing a chatbot was the right decision to relieve our team and address the increased information needs of our customers. Therefore, we chose DialogShift's AI software.

What specific benefits does the AI chatbot offer your hotel?

The DialogShift chatbot offers high flexibility and can be very individually tailored to the hotel's needs. This allows us to communicate our offerings to customers very precisely and answer questions much more quickly. This significantly eases the daily work of our staff, and customers quickly receive answers to their concerns. Rapid response to customer inquiries is a crucial aspect of ensuring high service quality and customer satisfaction. We feel well-supported by DialogShift in this regard.

What insights can you share from your digitalization projects that might benefit other hotels?

My basic advice is: Be bold! There is no way around digitalization today. The apprehensions about digitalization are often unfounded. Of course, implementing new tools needs careful planning. From a technical standpoint, enough time should be allocated for product selection. During implementation, particular attention should be paid to interface integration. Equally important is gaining employee acceptance for the new working environment. It is crucial to address and take seriously any existing fears among employees. The central message is that digitalization helps relieve employees and puts the guest more at the center. This strengthens our competitiveness and also secures the jobs of our employees.

Many thanks to Dennis Fähndrich and the Sonnenalp Resort for the wonderful and informative interview!

About the Sonnenalp Resort:

‍Sonnenalp is a 5-star resort in the Allgäu region and is one of the most successful family health and spa hotels in Germany. Numerous awards underscore the hotel's high standards of quality. Among others, the hotel received the European HEALTH & SPA AWARD, an independent accolade for health and spa innovations, for the best overall concept. Sonnenalp Resort views innovation and digitalization as central elements to remain competitive in the future.