Question of the Day - 31 August 2018

Though the jury is still out on the efficiency of the hotel-check-in kiosks at Park MGM Grand, our impression is that the jurors are leaning toward convicting.

Here’s a sampling of online reviews, all from August.

"My only complaint? The kiosk check-in process. It took us nearly 30 minutes of standing at the desk to get checked in." 

“Digital check-in was weird. It didn't work perfectly and there’s not enough staff to help move things along when things don't work right (it seemed like every single person checking in needed assistance at some point).  Even if you do mobile check in (which is way easier, by the way), you still have to deal with a bunch of stuff at the kiosks in the lobby.”

“While writing this, I was on the phone (hold) waiting for the front desk for 20 minutes, because they charged an extra night on one of the rooms even though we were completely checked out (as far as we knew on the kiosk), and discussed it in detail during checkout with one of the reps there. They fixed the error and refunded the difference, but again, the 20-minute wait shows the lack of front desk personnel.”

“So we were forced to check in using the kiosk, which was annoying. For starters, the scanner had a hard time recognizing our driver’s license. Eventually, it worked, but then we got to the last screen and it told us that our room wasn't ready and to check out the city while we waited. 6 pm and our room wasn’t ready?”

A little nightmarish—the check-in kiosks didn't operate properly ("Reservation not found"). I entered my name, my confirmation number, everything it asked for. The staff couldn't get it to work either, so they had to manually check me in.

“First, there is no front desk, so everything is now done through a kiosk. 27 machines and every person had to have help to check in.” 

“We couldn't work directly on the machines, because we had three separate back to back reservations using MyVegas comp nights. They had a handful of friendly attendants walking around helping people out. Easy.” 

“When we checked in, Sandra at the check-in area was super helpful and really friendly. She really set the mood for our visit and made us feel like family! It was great! I was so impressed by her great customer service.” 

“I loved the self-check-in kiosks, which seemed to help speed things up when it got busy. All of the employees were helpful and friendly. I got an email to check out over my cell phone, which was super convenient too.”

As we said, most of the reviews about the technology have so far been negative; the positive reviews we pulled out were like the two directly above—concerning personal service. That’s a plus, since the reception team is a hotel’s front line, which has a tremendous impact on the customer experience.

Meanwhile, it seems to us that all the bugs haven’t been ironed out of the kiosks yet. It reminds us of when airport check-in was automated; we remember the long lines and all the head-scratching over those kiosks. Now, many years later, the process has gone smoothly and most travelers are accustomed to it.

MGM’s response to our query was as might be predicted. Spokeswoman Callie Driehorst wrote us, “The majority of guests at Park MGM utilize self-service kiosks, which allows them to avoid check-in lines and view upgrade options in one centralized location. Lobby Hosts are also available to assist and provide personalized one-on-one service for guests. It is offered mainly at Park MGM, but could expand in the future.”