Why do leading hotel chains invest huge sums of money in branded applications for their guests and personnel? It is something that makes the life of hoteliers much easier and helps them lift the quality of services to a new level, and, as a result, achieve higher profitability.
Besides, mobile apps help businesses fit the times. Statistically, more than 50% of Internet users access the Web through their smartphones. Moreover, that figure is expected to reach about 75% by 2025. Obviously, if a hotel wants to stay competitive in the hospitality market of the future, it should get a proper mobile app.
There are quite a few ready-to-use solutions on the market to choose from. Let us discuss below how a modern digital app helps achieve several business goals:
Queue-less check-in
Filling in paper forms is quite boring and tiring, especially after a long-haul flight. A good concierge app makes the check-in/checkout procedure digital and fast. The guest sends the photo of documents through the app anytime before the arrival and gets the key at the reception without waiting.
Effective management of orders
The satisfaction of clients is the top priority of every hotel. Providing each and every guest with a positive experience and encouraging them to come back and to recommend the place to friends requires much time and effort. An unpleasant trifle may spoil the overall impression, that is why hotel staff works hard every day to make sure everything is perfect.
A concierge app can reduce the human factor risk to the minimum. All the orders placed by clients are sent directly to the corresponding department. Guests can add comments to specify some of their personal preferences. All the information is stored in the form of a convenient and well-structured database: no omissions, no mistakes.
24/7 online accessibility
Although there are guests that love talking to hotel staff, most people prefer ordering everything they need by clicking on the menu. Some of them appreciate being able to plan everything, for example, spa treatments and even meals, in advance before the travel starts. Modern apps create a completely digital experience: from getting a cup of coffee delivered to the room, to enrolling on a tour around the city. One can look through available services and place orders from a smartphone while enjoying a bath or watching TV on the bed, on the way from the airport – anywhere, anytime.
Possibility to specify the time of service
It may seem obvious for such services as massage appointment or booking a conference room. But how about meals? For example, one can make a table reservation, choose food and drinks on the way to the hotel to get dinner at once after the arrival without delay. There are many people for whom it is critical. Just imagine waiting for the food for half an hour or so with tired and hungry children. No doubt, it is not an enjoyable experience. If you help your guests avoid such difficulties, they will appreciate that. That is the essence of hospitality.
Quick payments with mobile POS
There are several ways a concierge app can make payments cashless, easy and secure. Any portable device can work as a point of sale when equipped with an electronic card reader. A more advanced approach is a virtual mobile POS – guests make payments on their smartphone in the app. It also allows for much better control of expenses.
Increased sales
People purchase additional services much more willingly when the process of ordering takes the minimum of time and effort. Going to a reception desk, searching for the phone number to order a massage session or to order a shuttle to the airport – clients, especially millennials, can’t be bothered to do this. But if they have the opportunity to get everything fixed by a few clicks, you will win their heart.
A positive brand image
By the same token, when a hotel does not make use of IT innovations to create comfort for guests, it makes an old-fashioned impression. Digital, innovative, cool – that is the modern-time appeal.
To conclude, a concierge app is a tool that can make a difference both in service quality and management effectiveness. Most providers offer demos or free trial versions. Explore and test: it has all the chances to become the best digital friend for your business.
