LocalCave (SaaS, B2B)
UX Consultancy, Research & Strategy for a hospitality tool
Role
User Experience Consultant
Industry
Saas, Hospitality
Duration
4 months
Introduction
The hospitality industry in Rio de Janeiro is vibrant, with hotels and hostels welcoming visitors from all over the world. LocalCave comes to improve the hospitality experience by allowing online check-ins, building a customer database, understanding guest preferences before, during, and after their stay, and predicting trends like high or low revenue periods. However, implementing such a tool in this dynamic city came with unique challenges. My UX consultancy collaborated with LocalCave to make the tool accessible and beneficial for Rio's hospitality businesses.
Understanding the Challenges
Many hospitality staff in Rio worried that using an AI tool might take away the personal touch so central to their work. Others feared it would be too complicated and disrupt their day-to-day operations.
On the technical side, LocalCave’s success depended on accurate guest data, but many smaller hotels and hostels lacked efficient data collection systems. These challenges had to be addressed while ensuring the tool was easy and practical to use.
Research Approach
To understand these issues, I've conducted both numerical and conversational research methods:
Quantitative Research
Surveys: Sent to 300 hotel and hostel managers in Rio to understand their expectations and concerns about LocalCave.
Usage Data: Analysed feedback from early adopters to identify areas where users were experiencing difficulties.
Qualitative Research
Interviews: Spoke to 15 hotel staff members, from receptionists to managers, to understand their reservations about using on-line tools.
On-Site Visits: Observed the workflows at small hotels and hostels to see how staff managed guest check-ins and interactions.
Key Findings
Simplicity Is Key: Staff preferred tools that didn’t disrupt their existing workflows and required minimal training.
Personal Connections Matter: While they liked the idea of the insights, staff were keen to maintain personal interactions with guests.
Data Collection Gaps: Many hotels lacked consistent ways of gathering guest information, which limited how effectively they could use LocalCave.
Trust Concerns: Staff were unsure whether they could rely on predictions for business decisions.
The Solution
With these insights, I've developed a strategy to make LocalCave user-friendly and relevant to Rio’s hospitality sector:
Clear Onboarding Process: We designed a simple onboarding experience with easy-to-follow steps and short instructional videos to help staff get started without feeling overwhelmed.
Blended Recommendations: To build trust, we added a feature showing how confident LocalCave was in its predictions, allowing managers to make decisions with confidence.
Easy Data Tools: Created templates for hotels to gather guest details during online check-ins, making it easier for staff to collect useful information without added effort.
Reliable Support: Added a live chat feature and dedicated support team to assist users with any questions or challenges they faced.
Results
Our collaborative approach delivered noticeable improvements:
Higher Adoption Rates: 70% more hotels and hostels in Rio began using LocalCave after the updates.
Positive Feedback: Users rated their satisfaction at 80%, particularly valuing the tool’s simplicity and ability to keep the human element intact.
Time Saved: On average, hotels saved 1.5 hours per day on administrative tasks, freeing up time for staff to focus on guests.
Conclusion
By putting the needs of Rio’s hospitality professionals at the heart of our strategy, we helped transform LocalCave into an indispensable tool for improving both guest experiences and operational efficiency. This case highlights the importance of listening to users and balancing technology with human touch
Introduction
The hospitality industry in Rio de Janeiro is vibrant, with hotels and hostels welcoming visitors from all over the world. LocalCave comes to improve the hospitality experience by allowing online check-ins, building a customer database, understanding guest preferences before, during, and after their stay, and predicting trends like high or low revenue periods. However, implementing such a tool in this dynamic city came with unique challenges. My UX consultancy collaborated with LocalCave to make the tool accessible and beneficial for Rio's hospitality businesses.
Understanding the Challenges
Many hospitality staff in Rio worried that using an AI tool might take away the personal touch so central to their work. Others feared it would be too complicated and disrupt their day-to-day operations.
On the technical side, LocalCave’s success depended on accurate guest data, but many smaller hotels and hostels lacked efficient data collection systems. These challenges had to be addressed while ensuring the tool was easy and practical to use.
Research Approach
To understand these issues, I've conducted both numerical and conversational research methods:
Quantitative Research
Surveys: Sent to 300 hotel and hostel managers in Rio to understand their expectations and concerns about LocalCave.
Usage Data: Analysed feedback from early adopters to identify areas where users were experiencing difficulties.
Qualitative Research
Interviews: Spoke to 15 hotel staff members, from receptionists to managers, to understand their reservations about using on-line tools.
On-Site Visits: Observed the workflows at small hotels and hostels to see how staff managed guest check-ins and interactions.
Key Findings
Simplicity Is Key: Staff preferred tools that didn’t disrupt their existing workflows and required minimal training.
Personal Connections Matter: While they liked the idea of the insights, staff were keen to maintain personal interactions with guests.
Data Collection Gaps: Many hotels lacked consistent ways of gathering guest information, which limited how effectively they could use LocalCave.
Trust Concerns: Staff were unsure whether they could rely on predictions for business decisions.
The Solution
With these insights, I've developed a strategy to make LocalCave user-friendly and relevant to Rio’s hospitality sector:
Clear Onboarding Process: We designed a simple onboarding experience with easy-to-follow steps and short instructional videos to help staff get started without feeling overwhelmed.
Blended Recommendations: To build trust, we added a feature showing how confident LocalCave was in its predictions, allowing managers to make decisions with confidence.
Easy Data Tools: Created templates for hotels to gather guest details during online check-ins, making it easier for staff to collect useful information without added effort.
Reliable Support: Added a live chat feature and dedicated support team to assist users with any questions or challenges they faced.
Results
Our collaborative approach delivered noticeable improvements:
Higher Adoption Rates: 70% more hotels and hostels in Rio began using LocalCave after the updates.
Positive Feedback: Users rated their satisfaction at 80%, particularly valuing the tool’s simplicity and ability to keep the human element intact.
Time Saved: On average, hotels saved 1.5 hours per day on administrative tasks, freeing up time for staff to focus on guests.
Conclusion
By putting the needs of Rio’s hospitality professionals at the heart of our strategy, we helped transform LocalCave into an indispensable tool for improving both guest experiences and operational efficiency. This case highlights the importance of listening to users and balancing technology with human touch
