A digital concierge workplace experience has become a major priority for employers. A positive experience helps attract and retain the best talent. It makes workers feel valued. It boosts productivity and creativity. And it makes people happier. In fact, an Oxford University study revealed that happier employees are more productive employees. One way to improve the workplace experience is to create a concierge style environment. Let’s explore how that might work.
What is a concierge?
The role of the concierge evolved with the rise of leisure tourism during the 19th century, and quickly became the focal point of guest and customer relations.
Traditionally, a concierge acts as a front of house, first point of contact for a building. Their primary objective is to provide everyone with the best experience possible, whether they are a visitor, occupant or resident of a hotel, apartment or office building.
For the concierge, there is no request too large or too small. From arranging transport, to making reservations and recommendations and resolving issues, the concierge is always ready to help.
But these days, whilst you may still find a uniformed concierge stationed at a special desk in more traditional buildings and institutions, it is more likely that you’ll come across a ‘digital concierge’, especially in the modern office building.
What is a digital concierge?
The digital concierge is not a million miles away from the traditional concierge. Apart from the fact it’s not actually human, it is still able to fulfil the same function and carry out identical tasks at the request of building occupants. In fact, because it’s digital, it can potentially do even more than its human counterpart.
And that’s why in today’s smart building, the digital concierge is becoming a much valued installation.
With the ability to enhance the workplace and visitor experience, it has all the competencies of a human concierge, but with the ‘superpower’ skill to service multiple people simultaneously. And, even better, with a concierge app, requests can be made in a simple tap. So no need for a visit to the ‘concierge desk’!
How can a digital concierge improve the workplace experience?
One of the most redeeming features of smart building technology has to be building automation.
Smart building automation uses Internet of Things connected devices, artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate a variety of tasks.
From switching off lights when natural light levels rise, to cooling or heating a space in line with changing climatic conditions, and from notifying the need for meeting room re-stocking or washroom servicing, to alerting facilities managers to ailing machines, there are many ways in which building automation can improve the workplace experience by removing frustrating tasks, and creating a healthier workspace.
Building automation can also be used to maintain healthy indoor air quality, which is another plus point when it comes to improving workplace comfort and well-being.
As part of the smart building set-up, the digital concierge makes good use of building automation in order to achieve its core goals of making life easier and providing the best possible experience.
Here’s a closer look at some of the many tasks the digital concierge is able to undertake…
Service reservations
As the workplace expands to incorporate lifestyle experiences in an effort to create more of a home-from-home feel, so the digital concierge comes into its own by assisting with service reservations.
Using a concierge app, people can easily book after-work activities within the building, as well as within the wider local vicinity. From yoga and gym sessions to cookery classes, and from lunchtime get-togethers to corporate events, a whole host of activities can be booked and saved in the connected calendar.
Desk and meeting room bookings
Finding and securing available desks, meeting spaces and conference rooms is no mean feat, especially in larger workspaces. And when personal preferences, special requests and unexpected changes are thrown into the mix, it can become a real headache.
The good news is that in the smart building, the digital concierge can take away all the hassle courtesy of an automated meeting space and desk booking system.
Users get to search for their meeting space by date, time, capacity and any other particular requirements. Available meeting rooms and breakout spaces are shown instantly, allowing bookings to be made in a tap. And once that’s done, an automated alert is generated to ensure the space is cleaned, stocked and acclimatised ahead of the meeting start time.
Desk bookings are just as straightforward. The digital concierge app allows users to search for workstations that suit their personal preferences, such as natural light, quiet areas or being seated near colleagues.
Visitor management
In the smart building, a digital concierge can be something as simple as a tablet that guides the visitor through the sign-in process. But, depending on the technology, it could also become something more sophisticated, like a front-of-house talking robot.
Whatever its incarnation, it has the ability to enhance the visitor experience. Visitors get to enjoy a quick sign-in, interactive visitor information and wayfinding instructions delivered straight to their handsets, and automated arrival notifications sent to their hosts.
Organising transport
A digital concierge app can be programmed to provide access passes for transport around business parks, as well as for booking a taxi, planning a Tube route or checking the current status of public transport.
Support desk
You can tell your digital concierge anything… including what’s irking you. From a malfunctioning printer to a flickering light, you can report a whole host of issues via the support section of your concierge app.
Issues can be flagged in descending order, from emergency downwards, and the digital concierge will automatically categorise reports so that the most urgent are dealt with first.
CASE STUDY – THE HICKMAN
At The Hickman in Whitechapel, occupants are enjoying the benefits of a smart workplace app courtesy of Smart Spaces. The app makes it possible to book desks and meeting spaces, check workspace air quality and access real time transport information to help with journey planning.
Users can browse 150 magazines during their commute to work, as well as pre-ordering a coffee for collection at the reception café on arrival. There’s also a digital concierge service that connects everyone to lifestyle offers and services, such as gyms, local retailers and bars and restaurants.
CASE STUDY – THE JJ MACK BUILDING
At 33 Charterhouse in Farringdon – the JJ Mack Building – occupants are using the Smart Spaces workplace app to access bicycle racks, a bike repair station, luxury showers, changing facilities, lockers, a dry cleaning service, Amazon lockers, car parking and electric vehicle charging, and other hotel-like digital concierge services.
There’s also an event booking system complete with integrated calendar and registration service, as well as access to local amenities and offers, and live transport information.
Get ready to improve your workplace experience with the digital concierge app from Smart Spaces
Smart Spaces is a cloud-based, app-driven platform powered by Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.
From supporting front-of-house staff to providing access to after-work experiences, and from managing meeting room or desk bookings to reporting workplace issues, the Smart Spaces digital concierge app can streamline an array of day-to-day tasks within a building.
Whether it’s enhancing workspace comfort and environmental conditions, or helping to create an engaged workplace community, you will find workplace well-being at the heart of the Smart Spaces app. The technology can also be programmed on Pepper, the semi-humanoid robot by SoftBank, to enhance the visitor experience.
The Smart Spaces concierge app can be client and building branded, is thoroughly adaptable and configurable, and delivers a real time view of building occupancy for enhanced safety. The system is also cyber security protected and data protection compliant.
To discover how the Smart Spaces digital concierge app could help you enhance the workplace experience at your premises, you are welcome to get in touch or request a demo.
