Located between Bamberg and Coburg, right on Bavaria's warmest and most brine-rich thermal spring, is the 4**** Best Western Plus Kurhotel at the Obermaintherme. "Kurhotel Bad Staffelstein - that doesn't sound totally sexy at first. You don't necessarily think: This is where the action is, where the party's at. Most people would think of walkers and walking aids, bibs and soups," Andreas Poth says with a laugh. He has been the managing director of this highly technologized and modern hotel with a huge team for 17 years. "We have 113 employees. That means 104 analog and nine digital." One of these digital employees is the chatbot from DialogShift. Along with the bots from the gastronomy sector, the lawnmower bot, and the cleaning bots, our digital helper at Kurhotel Staffelstein assists wherever possible.
Since 2014, the Kurhotel at the Obermaintherme has been recognized as the Best Western Plus Kurhotel at the Obermaintherme. This is not only a great compliment but also brings benefits. As Mr. Poth explains: "We are very regionally oriented, while Best Western operates internationally. We have a cooperation - Best Western is not a chain. This allows us to remain very individual. The property continues to maintain its own character."
We ask Andreas Poth why he decided to implement a chatbot in August 2022. "Firstly, the joy of technology. Secondly, we have 18 staff members at the reception, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Guests should receive quick responses to their questions, which are often repetitive. The challenge is: How do we get the staff to have more time for guests on-site without neglecting those who still want to come to us? Relieving the staff, facilitating swift communication with guests. That's why we said, let's get started."
"We have 18 staff members at the reception, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Guests should receive quick responses to their questions, which are often repetitive."
Anyone who has had little to do with automation so far should meet Andreas Poth, the 58-year-old has a trick or two up his sleeve. "Actually, there isn't a day that goes by without something new coming along. As a result, our staff are seasoned and generally very positive about new developments, especially when they promise to lighten the load. Although, of course, every relief is initially a burden at the beginning. Nothing works on its own," says Andreas. However, almost on its own, plates are cleared, rooms are cleaned, and the lawn is mowed at the Kurhotel an der Obermaintherme. The bots supporting the service have been running up and down for two years. A clearing robot is used for breakfast. Under normal occupancy, the Kurhotel accumulates about 1200 kilos of dishes that need to be transported. The clearing robot manages about 60 percent of this, according to the manager. The back is grateful! And apparently, so is the team. "The employees don't want to work without them anymore. You immediately notice when one goes down because the robots form a real choreography. It's not about beauty, but about procedures. The processes are perfectly tuned. The service staff are brought everything, drinks, food. We don't let the robots drive up to the guests, but only to the service stations. That means the staff continue to take drink orders, they take food orders. But they no longer need to go all the way to the kitchen, it all runs digitally."
The managing director ingeniously utilizes the DialogShift chatbot. Chatbot Arielle has automatically answered several thousand inquiries in the last six months. The automation rate is 98%, which means that the bot can resolve many issues independently, and rarely needs to call in personnel for live chat assistance. The more extensive the hotel's offerings, the more worthwhile a chatbot becomes. Even though guests can theoretically find all the information on the website, they prefer not to search.
Kurhotel an der Obermaintherme was the first Best Western Hotel to switch to our new AI technology without hesitation. Similar to ChatGPT, but specifically for hotels, these next-generation chatbots enable human-like conversations. "Through DialogShift, I have experienced how a chatbot works without, and how a chatbot works with ChatGPT technology. The language is noticeably smoother than the responses we had pre-formulated ourselves. The GPT-bot is significantly more clever. I would always recommend choosing a system that integrates ChatGPT," says Andreas Poth. Did you know that our Berlin-based tech company is the only one in Germany that develops hotel chatbots using this new AI technology? Just saying.
The Kurhotel also experimented with a call center but eventually discarded it because "there was scolding, complaining, raging, to no end," Andreas recalls with a smile. Since then, a telephone bot has been implemented, which has met with greater acceptance than the traditional call center. Meanwhile, the chatbot seems to be unconditionally accepted by the guests. No one has ever approached the managing director about it, but from the access numbers, he sees that Arielle is actively being queried. Mr. Poth, how do you manage to make not only the employees but also the guests believe in your ideas?
"Our guests are, let's say, just as tested when it comes to digitalization. We have many older guests. 90 years old is not an unusual age for us. There's a saying that goes: No news is good news," grins Mr. Poth. So far, no guest has complained to him about the digital helper.
"We communicate the chatbot across all channels. Guests are always in digital contact with us. There are tablets in the hotel rooms, there is a hotel app, a digital check-in. Guests receive the registration form in advance to fill out." The emails from the hotel team are adorned in the signature with the following note: "Have questions? Come to our chat."
The Kurhotel tried using a call center but eventually abandoned it because "there was constant scolding, complaining, and ranting to no end," Andreas recalls with a chuckle. Since then, a telephone bot has been introduced, which has received more acceptance than the traditional call center. Conversely, the chatbot seems to be unconditionally embraced by the guests. No one has ever approached the managing director about it, but the usage statistics show that Arielle, the chatbot, is actively being queried. Mr. Poth, how do you manage to get not only the employees but also the guests to believe in your ideas? "Our guests are, I would say, just as tested when it comes to digitalization. We have many older guests, and 90 years old is not an unusual age for us. There's a saying that goes, 'No news is good news,'" Mr. Poth grins. So far, no guest has complained to him about the digital helper.
"We communicate the chatbot across all channels. The guests always have digital contact with us. There are tablets in the hotel rooms, a hotel app, and a digital check-in. Guests receive the registration form in advance to fill out." The hotel team's emails are adorned in the signature with the note: "Have questions? Come to our chat."
"I believe we are pioneers in many aspects of digitalization," says Andreas Poth. This is noticeable in its appeal as a workplace. The Kurhotel also uses technology to attract young people as employees. It seems to be working; this year, the Bavarian wellness hotel managed to attract 15 new apprentices.
The 4**** Best Western Plus Kurhotel at the Obermaintherme is a prime example of how automation can complement excellent service. With his curiosity and ingenuity, Andreas Poth is well on his way to making the hotel highly automated while still delivering great service, simply because there is time to do so.
About the 4** Best Western Plus Kurhotel at the Obermaintherme:
An 85-meter long "bathrobe corridor" connects the wellness hotel to a communal spa. The Obermain Therme, the warmest and most brine-rich thermal spring in Bavaria, attracts countless relaxation seekers to the spa town of Bad Staffelstein along with the wellness hotel each year. The Kurhotel is a leader in automation and surprises its guests with perfectly coordinated digital processes.
