Although contactless check-in isn’t new, 2020 saw an accelerated rate of adoption of this technology due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It helps hotels adhere to strict health and safety rules brought on by the pandemic, but it’s benefits go well beyond that.
Hoteliers know very well that investment into becoming more contactless means thinking strategically and adopting only technology solutions that serve a clear purpose. When it comes to evaluating contactless check-in, the focus has to remain on ROI and measurable benefits that extend beyond the demands of the ‘new normal.’
Let’s look at 5 benefits hotels can expect after implementing a contactless check-in solution.
Capture guest contact early
One of the biggest advantages of contactless check-in from a hotel perspective is the ability to capture guest contact information early in the registration process. When a reservation is done via a 3rd party (e.g. Booking.com), there are gaps in the booking process pertaining to effective guest data capture for hotels.
With a contactless check-in solution, hotel guests fill out a digital registration form and guest data is sent directly to the hotel’s PMS. This enables the hotel to communicate directly with guests really early, helping them manage guest expectations and foster a feeling of safety, security, and consequently - trust.
Contactless check-in also enables hotels to confirm guest’s identity using advanced technology to capture and check their photo ID and digital registration card, allowing for a smooth check-in at arrival.
Minimize chargebacks and fraud
With a PCI compliant check-in solution like avery, you can capture and authorize guest’s credit card data securely and in line with the latest security standards prior to their stay. This way you’re minimizing the risk of chargebacks, fraud and ensuring that all incidentals will be covered.
Your guests also benefit from a smooth check-out as their card will be automatically processed on their checkout date. They can check out without waiting at the front desk and exchanging cash or credit and debit cards. The right contactless check-in solution will help you restructure your hotel’s payment processes to make the guest experience seamless and more enjoyable.
Increase upsell opportunities
Contactless check-in solutions create additional value for hoteliers because they help capture guest data so they can grow their email lists and create personalized campaigns, targeting guests with the right offers before they even walk through the door.
When your guests complete the remote check-in, they’ll receive a confirmation email which you can use as an opportunity to share relevant information and promote additional services and offers that will be available to guests during their stay.
You can offer a room upgrade at a special price, a pick up service at the airport, a treatment at your SPA, basically anything that can add value to their stay. Your guests will be much more receptive to these offers before arriving at your hotel since they won’t have to make decisions at moments notice while checking in at the front desk.
Ease of use - no app for guests to download or install!
Contactless check-in tools are often part of the more comprehensive hotel mobile app, meaning guests are required to download the app and use it for the duration of their stay for different purposes. This, however, means lower usage as people are reluctant to download yet another app they’ll use for a short period of time.
With the right contactless check-in provider, you can digitize the entire process by sending links with a booking code to guests via email or SMS so they can check-in digitally for their upcoming stay from anywhere and on any device. There is no app to download and guests can complete the entire process in a few simple steps. Check out how this process works with avery.
Improved front desk efficiency
Every great hotel is run like a well-oiled machine consisting of hundreds of different parts. For everything to run smoothly, each employee needs to focus on doing their part without feeling overwhelmed. This is especially true for the front desk staff who are among the first points of contact for your hotel.
However, we all know that front desk traffic congestion happens even at the best of hotels and queuing is sometimes difficult to avoid with the traditional check-in process. Now, instead of waiting in line, guests can skip the queue altogether by checking in before they arrive at the hotel. This means your staff will have more time to focus on providing excellent service rather than handling the check-in for every guest.
Takeaways
Contactless check-in solutions can help your hotel during the recovery phase with immediate benefits such as elimination of physical exchange of documents, credit cards, and in person contact between guests and staff. These will all be crucial for achieving competitive advantage and winning over guests’ trust in the post-Covid19 period.
However, contactless check-in brings many long term benefits that will create value for your hotel long after the virus is contained. A solution like avery will allow you the flexibility to choose how you want the check-in process to look like. It will help you communicate with your guests early in the relationship, build trust, increase staff efficiency, and drive revenue through new upsell opportunities.
