Guests want smartphone functions that enhance their on-property hotel experience
We don’t like to stand in line. We don’t like to wait in waiting rooms, lobbies, or too long to be helped by a receptionist. We don't even like to wait for someone to check us out at the grocery store or serve us frozen yogurt with toppings. Let's face it: As consumers in today’s digital economy, we all expect a level of self-service and expediency.These values don’t change when it comes to your hotel guests. Modernizing and streamlining the check-in process is one of the most immediate ways to provide the superior, convenient experience that most consumers expect — and elevate your profitability, brand reputation, and meet regulatory requirements to check guest identities.
The stats:
- 2/3 of US guests want hotels to invest in tech to enhance their experience
- 74% of passengers used an electronic boarding pass on a smartphone in the past year
- 85% of travelers use a mobile device to book travel activities
The fact is, in addition to special incentives and complimentary services, today’s hotel guests expect premium mobile self-service options. Guests have been booking rooms and travel arrangements on their mobile devices for a long time, but they now expect a more integrated and enjoyable overall experience doing so. Mobile reservations are becoming more and more seamless on both the business and user ends. Guests expect more than an app; they want smartphone functions that can enhance the on-property experience.
The mobile identity verification solution
Offering guests mobile identity verification solutions can deliver an intuitive, quick and enriched option that guests will value and that will free up valuable staff time for other pressing duties. When you employ a digital ID verification solution, guests can skip the front desk entirely by checking in on their smartphone. The process is simple:
- Guests use their smartphone to take a photo of their ID and snap a selfie
- Advanced facial comparison technology compares the individual in the selfie with the photo on the ID to ensure that the person checking in is the person tied to the original reservation
- Once the hotel has verified the guest’s identity, it can give the guest the option to use their smartphone as a digital room key
Outpace your competition with savvy mobile check in
Using digital IDV in advance of guests’ arrival will not only help reduce lobby bottlenecks, but it can also facilitate keyless room entry and other mobile-based innovations. Guests appreciate the effort to remove friction from the overall guest experience. In fact, JD Power’s 2017 Hotel Satisfaction index showed that those who used mobile check-in and check-out options were the most satisfied — and the number of guests who choose mobile options over manual processes keep growing. Today’s travelers are driving the demand for a fully digital, seamless and secure experience and offering them the experience they value will help you become the hotel of choice.
References
- Oracle/Phocuswright 2017 Oracle Hospitality Report)
- IATA’s Global Passenger Survey 2017
- Opera Mediaworks