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While the word ‘contactless’ has been used quite often recently across the hospitality industry, this technology is still relatively new to many hoteliers. With many major hotel chains increasing their investments in contactless technology, in conjunction with enhanced cleaning standards, we are beginning to see the importance of having this technology in place. As the Hilton CEO recently stated, the hospitality industry comeback will heavily depend on how quickly contactless technology features are rolled out. However, for most properties, the proposition of contactless technology can seem daunting. With that being said, we have put together a list of contactless and mobile solutions that can easily be implemented at any property.
What does ‘Contactless Technology’ mean?
First, let’s define contactless technology. In the context of the hospitality industry, contactless technology is referring to systems and solutions designed to allow guests to do more on their own while staying at a hotel.
This includes, but it is not limited to, solutions such as:
- Checking-in and checking-out via a mobile application.
- Mobile keys for smartphones to unlock a hotel room door.
- Text message communication from the front desk to guests and hotel staff.
- Secure payments with chip readers and signature capture.
- Cloud-based property management software with built-in mobile functionalities.
The goal of this technology is to limit both contact and face-to-face interaction, which in this current climate helps promote social distancing and aims to keep both guests and staff safe. Now that we have defined contactless technology in a broad sense, let’s take a look at some of the contactless solutions that can be put into effect quickly and seamlessly.
Mobile Check-In & Check-Out
One of the easiest ways to boost the contactless efforts at your property is to integrate with a provider that offers check-in and check-out capabilities through a mobile application. While standalone vendors exist, ideally this solution should either come included, or directly integrate with your property management software, such as Chorum PMS, to maximize functionality. This contactless technology will allow guests to check-in prior to arrival, helping to reduce the time spent in the lobby. In addition, hoteliers can better protect their staff by limiting contact and interaction with guests at the front desk.
Mobile Key Solutions
While this solution requires a significant investment at the property level, the benefits are likely to outweigh the cost, especially given the heightened sense of awareness surrounding cleanliness and sanitization. With mobile keys, a digital copy of the guest’s room key is stored within the hotel’s application on their mobile device, providing them with the ability to unlock their room door. By eliminating the need for physical keycards, guests can further reduce any touchpoints during their stay. Additionally, hotels are able to provide guests with greater peace of mind knowing that mobile keys are available, which should help in attracting potential guests as well.
Text Message Communication with Guests and Staff
To further reduce contact between the front desk and both guests and other staff members, a mobile communication system provides an ideal solution. For guests, they will be able to order additional items or services directly within the hotel’s mobile application on their smartphone, eliminating the need to use the phone in the room or visit the front desk. With regards to other staff members such as maintenance workers or housekeepers, room assignments can be sent directly to a mobile device or tablet, which when completed, is automatically updated within the hotel’s property management software. Mobile checklists can also be created for housekeepers, which will ensure they clean all aspects of the room according to what is listed within the mobile application. This also reduces trips to the front desk for hotel staff, which helps to protect their health and safety, and promotes a clean environment for the hyper-sensitive traveler.
Chip Reader Payments & Signature Capture
While the idea of a fully contactless experience is intriguing, the reality is that many guests will still choose to visit the front desk to check-in, purchase additional services, or upgrade their room for example. Properties need to be ready for this and focus on mitigating risk as much as possible. Although these might seem like minor functionalities, the ability for guests to simply enter their credit card into the terminal without passing it to the front desk representative can help to reduce physical contact while in the lobby. Also, providing a guest-facing signature reader further decreases the need for passing pen and paper back and forth between the front desk and the guest, helping to ease the guests mind and provide them with greater control over the check-in process.
Cloud-Based Property Management Software with Mobility
As eluded to earlier in this article, while the solutions above can be purchased in addition to your current software, to maximize the full benefits of these features it is ideal to have these functionalities included or directly integrated with your property management software. In order to achieve this, it is highly recommended to invest in a modern property management software that is cloud-based and offers mobile capabilities as well. With property management software built on a modern platform, incorporating contactless functionalities can be done with ease. This will help your property quickly adapt and scale to the changing needs of guests today, while providing them with solutions they will likely be demanding. With more modern software, incorporating all of the functionalities listed in this article will be a more seamless experience for both hotel staff and guests. Learn more about the benefits of a contactless solution for hotels!
If you would like to learn more about property management software by Jonas Chorum, please request a demo today. We’d be happy to demonstrate our fully integrated software solutions and the functionalities included to help your property facilitate a more contactless environment. Take control of the guest experience and ensure your property rebounds successfully over the coming months. You can also download our complete guide to contactless solutions.
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