6 easy tips for contactless hospitality in pandemic times

The gastronomy opens again, sometimes under strict regulations, and with somewhat mixed feelings. For restaurateurs and guests, there is still a feeling of insecurity to rejoice in the return to normal. What is allowed, what is dangerous? Are the precautions exaggerated, or perhaps on the contrary, not strict enough? And how can all of this be put into practice?

It is not for nothing that the IACBOX team maintains a lively exchange with our customers and users, and as an intelligent WLAN portal, our software is always at the forefront of all digital trends. Two megatrends in digitization play a particularly important role here:

• Dematerialization
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Both of them will play their part in helping us overcome the post-crisis’ challenges. Dematerialization means that bits and bytes replace material things. Sometimes very quickly – who still carries a lot of coins around, and when was the last time you were handed over a room key with a huge, heavy brass tag? A small piece of plastic replaces a large amount of metal.

In other cases a little slower: Since leafing through the newspaper at breakfast or the menu before ordering is still a cherished habit for many guests, digital newspapers and menus are often available not instead of, but along with printed paper. However, there is a clear trend towards digital, as the additional options such as advice on the right wine, allergen information or foreign language editions offer real added value. And in pandemic times, this trend is considerably accelerated.

The smartphone has proven to be a congenial partner for digitization. Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone with the following words: “Every now and then a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything”, and he was right. Do you have a camera with you today? A watch? Perhaps as a prestige object, or in the smart variant. Even the small plastic cards are replaced: unlocking, receiving regular customer discounts, paying at the cash register – everything is done via app. Even official ID apps for driving license and passport are not far away.

And BYOD as a second megatrend ensures that the provider does not have to worry about a display, a processor or a data storage medium for app events – the average consumer, visitor or guest brings along his own fully featured device.

Isn’t that convenient? So let’s see how we can use this to promote hygiene and infection prevention.

CONTACTLESS guest services – 6 simple tips to implement immediately.

• The digital menu. You have it already? Perfect. But how easy is it to find for your guests? The odd QR code on a table card is not so easy to handle for everyone. The Guest WiFi is probably the more elegant and useable way. The WiFi feature is available on every smartphone out there. Place the link on the registration page with clearly understandable labeling, and your guest will be there – without typing in the browser line, without being charged for mobile data, without app or QR code scanner..
• Walk-ins or mandatory reservations? That doesn’t have to be a contradiction. Your guest WiFi is probably already accessible in the entrance area, perhaps also on the street, outside for smokers? Then put a button “Instant reservation” on the registration page and store the link to your reservation system. No need to send away a walk-in guest.
• Order without a waiter. Your POS system allows ordering without a waiter? All the more reason to link directly to the WiFi connection page. Your guest does not need a cell phone connection, and if the guest room is in a quaint basement, poor mobile connectivity is no problem.
• Take away for Walk-ins. If only a few guests are allowed to wait for their takeaway order in the restaurant, it will be difficult to serve spontaneously arriving customers. With a link to order online on the WiFi registration page, they can place their order immediately without having to search the net or try somewhere else.
• Reading the newspaper in the café – A nice tradition, why ban? Digital newspapers and magazines can be read on the guest’s device. Place the link to the newspaper selection on the WLAN entry page. Your guests can get there comfortably without browser input, downloads or cellular data consumption.
• Go digital – So far you have no digital magazines, guest reviews or order systems in use? The time is right. A number of providers are currently offering free trial offers to help businesses struck by the pandemic lock-down. Get smart. Digital order systems not only speed up order processing, they can also increase sales. Reviews and ratings are absolute top factors in purchasing and booking decisions, and digital media offers such as newspapers and magazines are simply part of a modern guest service.