In the last 15 years, mobile devices have made the hospitality industry nearly unrecognizable. Among the biggest innovations, digital check-in has seen remarkable growth, largely due to its relevance during the pandemic, supporting social distancing measures.
A survey conducted by the renowned tech provider Criton discovered that ever since the pandemic hit, the digital check-in technology market grew 10%. With more than 80% of hotel guests willing to use a check-in app, the market will only grow further in the coming years.
Hotel brands need to realize that two-thirds of travelers prefer establishments to use technology to minimize unnecessary staff interactions. Today, we’ll examine the digital check-in process, how it works, and why you need to implement it as soon as possible.
What Are Digital Check-In Services in the First Place?
A digital check-in registration system allows guests to check into their rooms using their mobile devices. Furthermore, a digital check-in experience circumvents the need for a lengthy front desk procedure. It allows the user to submit an ID, fill out paperwork, and collect a digital key as soon as they arrive.
For hotels, a digital check-in system allows the desk agent to collect guests’ personal information, credit card data, and other relevant info without wasting time. Collecting this information is especially useful for hotels that work with online travel agencies since they don’t supply hotels with this guest data.
Last year, Oracle conducted a study of hotel guest habits, which discovered a vast majority of them prefer hotels that offer a contactless check-in solution.
The Emergence of Digital Check-In in the Hospitality Sector
The adoption of digital check-in has surged in popularity for a variety of reasons across hotels and guests alike. For years, businesses like hotels and airlines have been integrating digital experiences into their customer journey. The onset of Covid-19 only heightened this need, with customers expecting contactless digital technology for safety.
This technology allows guests to shop, pay restaurant bills, and check into hotels with minimal contact. Most of the major brands in the hospitality industry, such as Hilton (Hilton Honors), IHG (IHG Rewards Club), and MGM (MGM Resorts Mobile App) have all embraced digital check-in. According to a Skift report from 2021, more than half of modern travelers expressed a desire for contactless check-in.
How a Digital Check-In System Can Help Your Hotel?
There are several reasons that digital check-in remains popular:
- Efficiency: It streamlines the check-in procedure, reduces the workload for hotel staff, and allows hotels to collect essential guest information to tailor their services and marketing efforts.
- Personalization: Digital check-in lets hotels create custom workflows to gather guest preferences and needs before arrival, helping tailor their services.
- Convenience: This technology lets guests bypass front desk queues, directly checking into their rooms. Around 66% of millennials booked travel via smartphone, and 75% already installed travel apps.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Empowering guests by giving them control over their stay is as easy as offering digital check-in. It presents opportunities for upselling or room upgrades before their stay begins.
- Cost Efficiency: Traditional check-in processes can be time-consuming and require multiple staff members during busy periods. Digital check-in reduces this need, allowing you to cut spending on staff.
Harnessing Digital Check-In Solutions with HelloShift
You want to lessen check-in times and enhance the guest experience. However, you don’t want to invest large sum for check-in kiosks or custom apps. How can you implement a digital check-in process?
HelloShift, an innovative cloud-based platform, provides a great solution for digitizing the hotel check-in process. Its standout features have been instrumental in improving both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction.
Here’s why HelloShift stands out:
- Contactless Check-In: If you want to send pre-arrival check-in links and allow guests to check in on their smartphones and skip the front desk completely, you can use HelloShift.
- Document Scanning and Digital Signatures: Enable guests to upload IDs, sign registration cards on their digital devices, and skip interacting with the desk staff completely.
- Personalized Upselling Opportunities: Do you want to sell room upgrades before your guests arrive? Offer personalized deals for loyal customers? You can do all of that and much more with HelloShift.
- Keyless Entry and Customizable Guidebook: Improve guest experience with key cards, lessen person-to-person interaction with a digital guidebook and improve customer loyalty with HelloShift.
- Digital Tipping: You don’t want your guests to feel awkward when it comes time to tip the hotel staff? No worries, HelloShift provides cashless tipping options to make things a lot smoother for guests.
As many current customers will tell you, integrating HelloShift into daily operations has greatly enhanced guest communication and the efficiency of the check-in process. Furthermore, the platform is compatible with web, iOS, and Android applications, providing flexibility across multiple platforms.
The Importance of Digital Check-In and Utilizing Cutting-Edge Tools
Mobile check-in has transformed the hospitality sector, making it imperative for hotels to adapt and evolve. Digital check-in, an offshoot of this transformation, has become a critical element for hotel operations. With contactless procedures becoming the new normal, tools like HelloShift are not just beneficial – they’re essential. Studies suggest that 7 out of 10 consumers are more likely to stay in a hotel offering self-service technology. With HelloShift, guests can benefit from a range of features, from messaging to housekeeping management and staff collaboration, all in one place.
HelloShift is a cloud-based digital hotel app —- guests can text hotel, checkin on their mobile device, scan and upload documents, digitally sign hotel registration cards, receive mobile keys, and have access to all hotel amenities through a guidebook that is customized with the hotel brand.
Go digital with Guest Messaging, Contactless Checkin, Website Chat, Staff Collaboration, Housekeeping Management and more.
