As a hotelier, your check-in experience is your first chance to make a positive impression and set the tone for your customer’s stay.
What To Expect During The Check-In Process
Check-in management ensures that each guest arriving at your hotel is welcomed efficiently, made to feel comfortable, and prepared for a pleasant stay.
There are many steps associated with positive checkout management. These include:
- Guest Registration: This is the process of verifying a reservation and collecting key information about the guest to enhance their stay and tailor your services to their needs.
- Billing Set Up: While most industries take payment during check-out, we recommend setting up a billing account during the check-in process to establish financial transparency and pre-authorize any added charges during a guest’s stay. This ensures that the customer has a stress-free stay with you and is not shocked by any hidden fees at the checkout.
- Key Allocation: Once registration and billing are settled, it’s time for the key allocation, a symbolic gesture that encourages the guest to make themselves feel at home in your facilities. A short, swift key allocation shows guests that you are prepared, making a positive first impression.
- Additional Services: If you want to take your check-in experience to the next level, adding additional elements to the process is essential. This could come in the form of a tour around the facilities, a baggage porter, or a complimentary welcome drink to start off their stay with a luxurious touch.
Managing Common Challenges At The Check-In Desk
As a hotelier, it’s common to face several check-in challenges, especially during peak travel periods and busy weekends.
From long queues and delays to overbookings and communication issues, every challenge you face during check-in impacts the quality of your first interaction with a guest.
In order to manage high-volume periods where the check-in queue is starting to grow, hoteliers must have an efficient plan to avoid upsetting their guests.
This includes queue-reducing techniques such as self-check-in kiosks and keyless entry, as well as efficient staff training to speed up the check-in process and work seamlessly with personalized point-of-sale systems.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to upgrading your check-in process using guest personalization, contactless experiences, and proficiency training.
How To Improve Your Check-in Experience In 5 Simple Steps
There are plenty of small changes you can make to your hotel check-in experience to wow your guests one step further.
Here are just a few ways to upgrade your check-in process for a smoother first impression that kickstarts your guest’s stay on the right foot.
Personalize Your Point Of Sale
Personalization is the key to unlocking customer satisfaction in any industry. As the hospitality sector evolves to meet new customer demands, offering a customizable experience at your establishment will help you rise ahead of the pack.
Personalization starts with your hotel POS system. Modern point-of-sale technology can be used not only to take payment on check-in but also to collect important data from your customers.
With the ability to create customer profiles for each guest booking, you can collect information on guest preferences ranging from special requests like dietary needs to room preferences and the times of year they are most likely to travel.
Additionally, you can use your POS profiles to create a hotel loyalty program that offers customizable discounts and complimentary experiences for return guests.
These little touches not only enhance a guest’s first experience with your hotel, but the chance to win complimentary gifts and attractive discounts on return will encourage them to keep coming back.
Introduce A Mobile Check-In Option
If you’re battling long queues and check-in delays, introducing a mobile check-in option on arrival could streamline your guest experience.
Studies show that more than 62% of guests prefer a mobile check-in/check-out via a website or hotel app.
(Image Source: Plate IQ)
In a mobile-dominated world, it’s no surprise that more hotels are pushing for a contactless check-in for added convenience.
Guests are able to bypass long queues, which reduces waiting time for physical check-ins and frees up staff members to answer and address other in-house stay queries efficiently.
In fact, a whopping 52% of guests would also prefer to go keyless when staying at a hotel and use their mobile phones as their room keys.
Incorporate Pre-Arrival Upselling
The best check-in experiences begin before the guest even arrives at the hotel. Do you know that the pre-arrival stage is the most valuable time to advertise room upgrades and experience add-ons?
5-10 days before arrival is the best time to reach out to guests and upsell your add-on packages.
Spa treatments and luxury room upgrades excite guest on the lead-up to their arrival, so connecting them with a discount code for an instant touch of luxury can take your check-in experience to the next level before it even begins.
Why not segment and personalize your hotel upsells using your POS system? If you’re hosting a returning customer, take a look at the features they paid for during their last stay with you and offer a customized offer on a particular spa treatment or room add-on that they previously enjoyed.
Engage In Regular Staff Training Sessions
Last, but not least, ensure that you’re regularly retraining staff members in line with any check-in upgrades.
For example, if you choose to introduce mobile checking and keyless entry, your reception staff must be trained to resolve any in-app issues and be prepared to offer alternative services if contactless check-in procedures fail to work.
Your front desk employees deal directly with your guests and are responsible for making a positive first impression on behalf of the hotel.
With this in mind, you must train your staff members to deal with guests efficiently and manage challenging situations with positive solutions and a direct line of hierarchy that they can call upon.
Wrapping Up
The check-in experience can define a guest’s stay at your hotel.
With the right practices in place, you can use your check-in process to enhance a customer’s stay and encourage them to return.
Modern-day hospitality thrives on personalization. If you can offer your guests customizable offers from the get-go and a convenient, hassle-free check-in, they’re more likely to send a positive review your way.
Over to you
The hotel industry is always changing, especially during a time of crisis. Make sure to future-proof your business and continue attracting new guests by investing in these solutions.
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Related article: The Genesis of AI in Hospitality: A Prelude to Personalization
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