Service robots to combat staff shortages in the catering industry
Over the past few years, businesses in the Hessian hospitality industry have responded in many ways to the staff shortage in the sector. Offers have been adapted, opening hours changed and in some cases more days off have been introduced in order to be better able to serve guests at peak times, as the industry association Dehoga reports. Another means is the use of service robots in restaurants, as is currently being tested in a project in the Main-Kinzig district. The use of such robots could shorten walking distances or transfer heavy loads to the technical assistant, explained Steffen Ackermann, Vice President of the hotel and catering association Dehoga Hessen.
As part of the project in Hessen's most populous district, various catering establishments will each be provided with a robot of this type free of charge for a month over a two-year period in order to test it. Veronika Döll, landlady of the restaurant at Gelnhausen Airport, who has been testing the rolling helper since the end of October, reports that the robot is a great help, especially when she has to manage the service alone. The guests - both young and old - reacted very positively to "Peanut". She learned how to operate it in just half an hour. It wasn't difficult, said Döll.
The hospitality industry in Hessen has explored various solutions to address the persistent staff shortage, with service robots being one of the innovations being trialed. The project in the Main-Kinzig district involves providing catering establishments with robots for free, aiming to alleviate the burden of walking distances and heavy loads, as suggested by Dehoga Hessen's Vice President, Steffen Ackermann.
Source: www.dpa.com
