Speed Up Your Hotel Check-in Process and Improve the Guest Experience
Even before the pandemic hit, your guests were frustrated with waiting in line to check-in at your hotel. In fact, a pre-COVID survey revealed that 90 percent of Millennials would prefer to digitally check-in to skip slow service and long lines in hotel lobbies.
The traditional check-in process is time-consuming for both hotel guests and staff. Team members must complete registration information for each guest, recording details such as name, address, contact number, automobile information, purpose and length of stay, and in the case of international travelers, passport or visa details. Identities must be verified along with establishing a payment method for all hotel charges. And all that information must be input into the hotel’s computer system. Then, after everything is signed and countersigned, guests are finally assigned a room and presented with a key or computerized code to access their accommodation.
Vacation fun may be put on hold even longer if the guest finds their room unsatisfactory for some reason, or if they have to wait around for a special request to be fulfilled, such as needing a crib for a baby.
Changing guest expectations are leading hoteliers to implement the modern solutions of pre-registration or mobile check-in, allowing them to speed up the entire process, increase operational efficiency and improve guest satisfaction.
Pre-registration
How it works
The pre-registration process expedites check-in by having guests fill out an online questionnaire to collect relevant information prior to their arrival. You can even include a section for special guest requests, such as room location (e.g. away from the elevator) and additional room items like extra towels or a rollaway bed. Guests can agree to special hotel policies or complete necessary waivers in advance. For instance, if you operate a ski resort your guests can sign waivers regarding ski rental equipment beforehand.
Once guests arrive, your staff simply confirms information from a pre-populated registration card as opposed to typing it all in during check-in. Team members can quickly verify guest identity and form of payment, present the guest room keycard or code, and they’re good to go.
Advantages
Saves time during check-in as guests only need to verify information instead of standing at reception filling out forms or waiting while it’s typed into the hotel software system.
Specific room preferences and extra room item requirements can be met in advance, so they’re ready and waiting upon arrival, increasing customer satisfaction.
Through pre-registration, hotels understand guest demographics and preferences prior to arrival, making it easier to promote relevant upgrades and amenities that will improve each guest’s experience as well as your bottom line.
Mobile Check-in
How it works
With full mobile check-in, all aspects of the registration and check-in process can be completed prior to arrival via a web or native hotel application. Guests can input all necessary information, pre-select a room, establish a payment method and verify their ID – including attaching images of relevant documents – in advance, using their own mobile devices. And once digital check-in is complete, they can receive a mobile key to access their accommodation through their personal device. All this before even setting foot in your hotel.
Advantages
Mobile check-in saves even more time, letting guests skip the front desk completely and head straight to their room to relax or get a jumpstart on their vacation fun. This can be a game-changer, with 7 in 10 guests preferring to use self-service technology at their hotels.
It reduces friction at the front desk, improving staff efficiency and leaving them free to engage in higher-level interactions that build customer relationships and improve overall review scores.
Customer loyalty rises as guests enjoy the ability to personalize their experience, pre-select their room and request customized touches, such as ensuring that a bouquet of flowers or chilled champagne is ready and waiting in their room upon arrival.
Guest information can be seamlessly integrated with your hotel PMS, CRS, and POS allowing you to use it to tailor digital marketing opportunities and earn repeat business.
Whether you choose to implement pre-registration or mobile check-in, either solution helps differentiate your hotel from your competition. It gives you an edge in streamlining operations, driving revenue, and boosting guest satisfaction levels.
Would you like to create more memorable experiences and speed up the registration process with pre-registration or mobile check-in at your hotel?
Sources:
[1] “Survey Results: How Millennials View the Hotel Experience.” Skidmore Studio, 25 June 2015, https://skidmorestudio.com/journal/how-millennials-view-the-hotel-experience/.
[2] A Data-Driven Look at Hospitality ’s Recovery. Oracle, July 2020, https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/industries/hospitality/2020-hosp-recovery-survey-global-ov.pdf.