Putting smart voice assistants in hotel rooms actually increased the number of guests calling the front desk by 19%.
April 26, 2026
Original Paper
How Does Smart Technology Impact Firms? Evidence from a Field Experiment
SSRN · 6575780
The Takeaway
Technology designed to automate service often creates more work for human staff due to user confusion and interface friction. Hotel managers expected that AI would handle simple requests and free up their employees for more complex tasks. Instead, guests struggled with the devices and ended up calling for help more frequently than before. This productivity paradox shows that digital tools can easily become a burden rather than a benefit. It proves that the human cost of training users often outweighs the efficiency gains of the software.
From the abstract
We conduct a randomized controlled trial investigating Smart Voice Assistants (SVAs) in a full-service Shanghai hotel. Although intended to enhance productivity, SVA adoption increased front-desk calls by 19%, driven by frictions in voice-controlled amenities. This effect is most pronounced among older guests and those in premium rooms. Sentiment analysis of call transcripts reveals a decline in guest satisfaction, concentrated among younger rather than older guests, alongside negative spillover