Sitting with a Faculty Interview with Maggie Chen

How do you see the development of new technologies the hospitality industry ?

MC: The hospitality industry is notorious for low pay, long working hours , and emotional stress And many employees were let go during the pandemic to find new jobs . The industry is now facing a labor shortage that has become the top challenge This leads us to the following question : how can the hospitality industry address the labor shortage challenge ?

The industry needs to transform itself and become a place where people can find human interactions I don ’ t mean interacting with friends ( they can do this at home), but interacting with employees and customers . Consequently, employees ’ jobs are changing . Routine tasks , such as food ordering and serving , will become automatic Robots will work in the kitchen , such as inn Japan , where they have dishwashing robots

Connect With Maggie Chen On Linkedin

As a concrete example , I am convinced that hotel housekeepers are becoming extinct. Nobody wants to be a housekeeper. So we need to find other solutions , such as robots . But developing housekeeping robots takes a lot of work . Think about how quickly housekeepers can move into a room , scan the environment, and know what needs to be done ( what are customers ’ belongings , and what are the sheets or towels that need to be removed ). Humans can do these tasks in seconds , but for robots , even opening a door will take time .

How do you see the development of human interaction with the introduction of new technologies in the hospitality industry ?

MC: In the past few years , because of the pandemic , Airbnb and alternative vacation rental places grabbed 1/3 of the accommodation business . Food delivery apps also grew in popularity and replaced (at least for the short term ) traditional in - dining experiences Why would people want to go to hotels or restaurants ? Well , it all comes down to entertainment. Loneliness is an epidemic in itself, and Covid only worsened this situation . People sought interaction and entertainment between employees and customers as well as between customers This interaction has become THE reason for going out.

For instance , look outside the traditional hospitality industry, such as co - working spaces People have laptops and desks at home , yet they go to coworking spaces . Why do they go? Because of the network and the opportunity to socialize with others For instance , look outside the traditional hospitality industry, such as co - working spaces . People have laptops and desks at home , yet they go to coworking spaces . Why do they go? Because of the network and the opportunity to socialize with others .

Take a look at gyms as well Many of us have exercise equipment at home , YouTube videos with athome workout ideas , etc . So , why don ’ t we exercise at home ? Because we crave interaction . I highly believe this is an opportunity for the hospitality industry. And , because EHL is rooted in hospitality, we should be the pioneers of this initiative . This means communicating and shaping human interaction as a core business offer

How can EHL contribute to the development of human interaction and technology synergies?

MC: First, it comes down to technology within our industry EHL should reach out because we are industry experts and know about standard operating procedures The industry is trying to automate , but businesses need to remember the hospitality aspect of being a home away from home .

Second , we need a framework for companies to offer more human interactions When you go to a hotel , there are things called ‘actual service ’ ( such as the front office) and the ‘support services ’ ( such as the valet parking and concierge). But the problem is that new trends such as Airbnb can replace most of these core functions . So why should customers continue to go to hotels ? It all comes down to employees and customers producing the experience together to create cherished memories This is what people are willing to pay for ; this is the real added value

So , how can EHL develop this framework and share it with companies ? We can reflect on our EHL experience . For example , we are good at co - creation . We have team projects where students work closely with people they aren ’ t necessarily close with Our concept revolves around the fact that you cannot stand out by yourself You have to co - create to succeed

You can also take the AP experience as another example . AP is all about team building . Outside of classrooms , we have lots of events , a multicultural community, passionate employees about the hospitality industry, and the greater EHL community ( students , alums , and colleagues ). So we bring the hospitality culture here to create our own culture It ’s so rewarding to see that New members tend to fit in effortlessly Honestly, we often take for granted just how much our staff and students enjoy being a part of our unique community It ’s amazing The framework we propose will include the design element One example is our curriculum As you know, at EHL , most students follow the undergraduate program And here ’s the thing , over the years , the curriculum has remained similar, focusing on the business and hospitality industry.

This allows us to easily have conversations with previous and new students because we share a similar mind map This shouldn ’ t be taken for granted For example , when comparing EHL to prominent universities worldwide , some have the same 4000 students , but these students study, say, 20 different programs . This makes a common conversation quite challenging , even quasi - impossible . But for us , we all share similar experiences and love the same thing , hospitality

Just as well , students live on campus and have lunch together This makes such a difference ! I recently read an article about creating human interaction , and eating together was listed as #1. Some of us even have breakfast together, dine , and drink . Take MBar, for example . We love it because we can have spontaneous interaction

And it doesn’t matter if we graduated two or twenty years ago. As AEHL, we have so many similarities that it helps us bond almost instantly.

MC: I have a touching story. Last year, I visited a hotel in Zermatt operated by two alums . The thing is , I didn ’ t know that their parents were EHL alumni . When I met them , the father asked first : “ How are the students ?”. It warmed my heart This level of caring and supporting our students is unique to EHL

Finally, the framework may include technology. For example , EHL is strong in its social media efforts , emails , and even this eJournal for alums . All these initiatives keep us connected . I find it fascinating that every class and Stamm has its own Facebook or WhatsApp group ; some even have their own active Instagram page .

I firmly believe this is our purpose we are heroes of human interaction We are experts at creating human interactions and can help other industries . And in the end , human interaction is not only important for businesses such as the hospitality industry but everywhere , especially now that we are recovering from the pandemic . EHL can contribute to and facilitate companies in other industries to develop human interactions

How can our alums learn and adapt to these changes?

MC : Great question . It ’s essential to be up - to - date . A fantastic way to do so is by reading Hospitality Insights . The people behind it know the audience , industry trends , and what to expect from hospitality in the future

Recently, I was told that one of our alums hosts an event where alums pay a fixed fee to attend The thing is , when you arrive , you cannot sit with your friends . At first, everyone hated this because , think about it, you ’re paying and want to sit with whomever you came with . But the host created something special , an interaction among guests Imagine this You sit with a stranger at a paying event, but by the end of the evening , you have new friends And that ’s what the future will be Our students are masters at this because not only do they know how to create fantastic events , but they all have excellent social skills .

So now we need to consider implementing this concept in restaurants and hotels Because , if you think about it, these will no longer compete on food quality or decoration Now, we compete in human interaction So the number one thing people should do is start imagining events to cater to this demographic that feels lonely. And the idea is that once you build a solid reputation , other lonely people will come .

You ’ve been in EHL for 21 years, and you know many people. What has been the most rewarding moment?

MC : That ’s a great question . To me , it ’s definitely when alumni come back to see me . Seeing old , familiar faces is wonderful because it ’s always bitter - sweet when students graduate I never really know if I will ever see this person again, mainly because our students are from all over the world. But I realized our campus is the perfect place to meet again.

Alumni always let me know when they stop by, and I started taking pictures with them to celebrate the reunion. With that, I’ve created the hashtag #maggieswalloffame. These days when alumni see me, they instantly say, “we need to take a photo!”.

EHL has something compelling, excellent social support and love through our daily interactions. And this is something money cannot buy.