How to Effectively Use Audiovisual Technology in the Hospitality Industry

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The hospitality industry is all about creating the most streamlined and enjoyable experience for your customers. Knowing how to effectively use audiovisual technology in the hospitality industry can make a significant difference. Using audiovisual technology for restaurants can prove but one way to get return customers and keep your business thriving.

How to Effectively Use Audiovisual Technology in the Hospitality Industry

The right AV technology can take any experience up a notch. However, using it ineffectively can have the opposite effect. Poorly designed or implemented UX can lead to frustration and drive away clients. Getting a system running smoothly can take some effort, but the results will be worth the work.

Ensure All Staff Are Trained

Any technology will eventually run into issues. Maybe the user cannot figure out the system. Perhaps the system itself is glitching. 

When a situation like this occurs, the customer will want the nearest staff to help out. If that staff member needs to call over another worker to help, the experience has already fallen apart. Training does not need to be extensive, but each member of the staff should become familiar with navigating the systems and basic troubleshooting processes.

Update Signage and Wayfinding

Digital signage allows for continually up-to-date information to be displayed. Clear, digestible information sits at the center of the customer experience. Interactive displays allow clients to quickly and easily find the information they need.

Static signs regularly become obsolete with the rapid changes in hospitality. Signage that updates in real-time will ensure clients always have updated and correct information.

Check for Compatibility Before Installation

Since you live in the modern era, your business likely already has some AV elements implemented. When upgrading, you want to make sure you avoid running into compatibility issues.

Both software and hardware can have integration limitations. Furthermore, it can prove a challenge to know what these are ahead of time. We recommend working with a tech specialist or advisor to carefully plan your upgrade.

Stimulate, but Avoid Overwhelming

The temptation to go big always exists alongside any opportunity for upgrades. But more is not always better. Keeping your clients engaged is different from bombarding them with stimuli.

With any AV implementation, you want to seek the middle road. Craft an experience that makes information readily available and exciting but avoids overloading the senses. 

Don’t Chase Trends

Trends like augmented reality and AI features can sound extremely appealing on paper, but they do not fit with every industry and do not always live up to the hype.

For AR, AI, and other AV advancements, always ask one question before implementing it: How will this benefit the customer? If it only adds a gimmick to your services, it will likely not prove helpful in the long term.

Explore Opportunities for Visual Storytelling 

An experience is ultimately a story. Going to a nice restaurant is about more than a tasty meal; it involves narrative. AV technology allows you to convey the narrative of your business more effectively than ever before. 

Some examples of this include:

  • A Dynamic Menu Presentation: High-quality images and videos that showcase your items.
  • Interactive Descriptions: Create the opportunity to explore an item’s details, like how it is made, its ingredients or materials, and the history of the item.
  • Match the Season: AV technology can further add to a seasonal feel. From a menu’s design to updates with seasonal offerings, use AV elements to further enhance a sense of time and place.
  • Ambiance and Environment: The clever use of adaptive lighting or sound can further add to the experience and business narrative. This does not mean setting up a light show. Instead, you can use lighting to your advantage to create a mood and ambiance unique to your brand. 

Novel Ways to Entertain

The bottom line of hospitality is that your customer wants to be entertained. What that means can vary across different elements of the industry. For a hotel guest, that might mean easy access to video games and media in their room. For a restaurant guest, it might mean options to keep kids occupied at the table. For tourism, it can mean new ways to interact with their environment.

Look for ways to engage your audience that uniquely cater to your industry. When in doubt, visit a competitor and see what they lack that you would want as a customer.

Where to Find Your Upgrade Supplies

When you have decided how you want to upgrade your AV environment, visit KanexPro, a leading audiovisual supplies store.