Findings from the hospitalityPulse “2016 Check-In Experience Survey” are in, and the results are raising flags about pre-assigning rooms, assigning them quickly and on-the-fly at arrival, and even getting guests into the rooms type they booked when making their reservations. The current influx of mobile check-in solutions further fuels the need for an automated solution for assigning the most optimal room for every guest – every time – with consistent efficiency.
Nearly 20% of respondents said they never receive their status-based complimentary upgrade from brands to which they are loyal.
“Sometimes” was the majority response of loyalty guests when asked if they feel they get a better room assigned as a loyalty club member than a non-member.
66% said they “always” or often have to wait for their room to be ready, even if they arrived past standard check in time.
23% of those travelers using a mobile check in solution said they “never” found the room they checked into being actually free and ready at time of arrival. And 54% said the room they had checked into was “sometimes” ready.
According to the 2016 Customer Engagement Technology Study, 58% of travelers said “belonging to a hotel’s loyalty program influenced their decision to select a hotel,” and 56% said the “ability to make reservations from a mobile device” was a key factor in choosing where to stay. hospitalityPulse’s “Check-In Experience Survey” reveals that hotels aren’t doing enough to reassure guests that these positive engagement factors are not only valued, but also fully supported.
“Measuring the return on investment for today’s technology solutions is a big challenge,” Bellinzona said. “While it’s clear that to be competitive, today’s hotels need a mobile strategy that includes mobile check-in, there clearly is a piece still missing. We believe the problem to be solved is less about the ability to show guests a room number at the time of advanced mobile check in, but rather about the automation of the underlying assignments, based on guest and reservation value, optimal feature fulfillment, and expected time of arrival. The findings of the ‘Check-in Experience Survey’ illustrate that guests having checked in early, often still have to wait for a room once they arrive at the hotel. It is simply impossible to correctly anticipate and match up arrival times with cleaning schedules and departure predictions.
To avoid early check-in and mobile check-in issues, it is necessary to make the process for early or mobile check in as seamless and integral as possible to room assignment overall. Using mathematical modeling and a multi-dimensional inventory engine such as roomPulse from hospitalityPulse, hoteliers can now automate all room assignments, streamline their check in process, and dynamically optimize each assignment in real time . . . all the time. To learn more, watch the video.
From August 15 to September 15 hospitalityPulse posted a nine-question survey on its website, promoted via the news and through targeted marketing. Four hundred sixty eight hoteliers and travelers visited the survey site, with 285 participants, or 61% completing the survey.
For questions about the survey, email Mario Bellinzona at mario@hospitalitypulse.com. For more information on hospitalityPulse, the technology leader in automated room assignment solutions, visit www.hospitalitypulse.com.