Thought Leadership

guest service

Table of Contents

What is the evolution of the guest and how does it relate to our hotel self-service check-in tool?

When it comes to guest service, why does convenience beget more convenience and our hotel self-service check-in tool?

Why does the empowered hotelier use our hotel self-service check-in tool?

How can you open doors to opportunities with our hotel self-service check-in tool?

 

Since the early days of hospitality, the industry has operated on the principle of customer service before everything else and today ROOMDEX expands on that by offering a hotel self-service check-in tool. By its very definition, hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host. For as long as hotels have been in business, hoteliers have believed that these long-standing guest service values could only be delivered and received as a face-to-face interaction. ROOMDEX proved otherwise.

From the warm welcome on arrival and the traditional personal service provided by the concierge to the check-in help received by a Front Desk Agent – each direct customer touchpoint achieved a unique and fulfilling guest experience. Any other method deviated from the industry’s core principles of high-touch hospitality. Now, we are finding that guests value a personalized hotel experience and a self-service check-in tool fits right in with that desire.

What is the evolution of the guest and how does it relate to our hotel self-service check-in tool?

Well, that traditional picture of the hotel experience is just one scenario. Times have changed. Whether traveling for work or leisure, family or wellness, guest service preferences and expectations vary. While in-person engagement will never cease to be an integral part of the hospitality experience, today’s customer lives in a world where choice rules. Customers expect to have multiple options available to them. Convenience and time are now the most valuable commodities in our lives, which explains the appeal of our self-service check-in tool. The interaction at a hotel is not as important as the outcome.

For example, the majority of us are well accustomed to using self-service alternatives for routine tasks such as banking and supermarket check-out. So much so, that it’s predicted by Gartner that end of 2020, customers will manage 87% of their customer relationships without interacting with humans. Why? Because most of us would rather get what we want faster. The Harvard Business Review  notes that “The number one factor in delivering a great customer experience is not delighting customers, but reducing their efforts.

When it comes to guest service, why does convenience beget more convenience and our hotel self-service check-in tool?

Naturally, technology has played a significant role in enabling an increasingly convenient lifestyle. “As task after task becomes easier, the growing expectation of convenience exerts a pressure on everything else to be easy or get left behind,” says Tim Wu, of the New York Times.

This means your average hotel guest arrives with expectations about checking in/out, room access, and billing. While some prefer the traditional one-on-one service interactions, most will want control and favor a more low-touch digital-forward experience. As hotel operators, delivering guest service now means offering guests a choice of service to ensure you are responding to individual guests’ needs and expectations. It means the ROOMDEX self-service check-in tool.

What is self-check-in at a hotel?

  • Easy contactless check-in via a mobile app
  • Self-service check-in kiosks
  • Check-in without lengthy queues
  • A check-in experience that the guest controls
  • Value added to a guest’s stay

Why does the empowered hotelier use our hotel self-service check-in tool?

Not convinced of the value of a self-service check-in tool?

  • Consider that 80% of businesses believe they provide excellent customer service, but only 8% of customers agree.
  • There is a significant disconnect between brands and their customers – and a missed opportunity to establish long-term loyalty. The hotel industry is no exception. The Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research found guests wanted greater mobile access to a wide variety of interactions, such as room readiness notifications, amenity requests, and check-in/out.
  • Through task automation and self-service options such as check-in/out kiosks, mobile room keys, and self-check-in apps, you give guests more control.
  • For staff, self-service mobile technology options are all about removing repetitive administrative tasks from their job descriptions. Empowered staff then focus on interactions that matter most, creating a more memorable experience and happier customers.

How can you open doors to opportunities with our hotel self-service check-in tool?

Self-service not only offers convenience and improved workflows, it also brings exciting revenue potential. Upselling has always been spotty, and all too often hotel frontline staff miss out on sales opportunities.

Unlike human agents, self-service check-in tools never forget to upsell. Their wealth of guest-specific data makes the process of promoting and targeting upsell options automatic. Not only do guests become aware of purchase options without sales pressure, but they also enjoy an increased level of personalization.

Happy, satisfied guests tend to spend more money and be more loyal. Simply put, guest service automation by way of a hotel self-check-in app or tool translates to revenue.

In conclusion, don’t get nostalgic for a picture of a service model from the past. Enhancing the traditional hotel model with mobile self-service solutions will maximize revenue opportunities, increase guest satisfaction, and foster loyalty.

 

 


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