The travel and tourism industry was greatly impacted in the wake of the pandemic, with more than two-thirds of hotel rooms across Canada unoccupied since March 2020, and hotel industry numbers hit rock bottom in Q1 2021. Re-acquainting travellers with comfort, value, and – most importantly – safety is the key to re-filling hotel rooms, and contactless technology provides a pathway for a resurgence of success.

Safety is the new luxury
The contactless experience in hospitality is growing in popularity worldwide, and the act of placing and receiving orders with limited human interaction is becoming familiar. Hotel kitchens can look to the restaurant industry to understand consumer expectations and prioritize the safety of their patrons.

According to Restaurants Canada’s 2021 Discerning Diner Report, 37 per cent of Canadians would choose one restaurant over another if it offered contactless or mobile payment options, while 51 per cent of those 18 to 34 years would choose one restaurant over another if they can order online through a website or app to pick up at a restaurant. The report also shows that 32 per cent of Canadians are still tentative about eating on premise and plan to postpone their first in-person dining experience to sometime in 2022.

While this research exposes a significant challenge, business is expected to boom in the new year. So, how can one be ready?

Re-invent the experience
Over the last 19 months, the culinary world has received a digital makeover with contactless technologies have become commonplace. Hoteliers who introduce contactless tech not only provide a new level of convenience, but also help to restore travellers’ confidence. The idea of ordering room service more autonomously is a welcome approach that instills a level of safety.

With innovative online-ordering systems, hotel guests can place contactless orders and easily process secure contactless payments. Industry leaders in this space now offer hoteliers robust ordering software, customized websites and mobile apps that allow their guests to place direct orders to the hotel kitchen via mobile devices. Once an order is placed, the front- and back-of-house experts can communicate with the guest every step
of the way.

The impact of contactless technology on employees
The hospitality industry is not simply looking to recover its losses by way of bookings; it needs to replenish its workforce, too. Since February, the number of Canadians employed in the tourism industry has fallen by 880,000, according to research by HUB International. Research also shows that returning hotel restaurants to their former staff capacities is not an easy feat.

With contactless ordering, the constant communication between the front desk, kitchen and guests becomes a streamlined operation. Guests can skip the traditional room-service call, alleviating wait times and miscommunication.This scalable support enables hotel staff to work smarter, not harder, to maintain their level of service. Contactless hotel solutions set the stage to create a perfect blend of automated and personalized interactions ultimately improving employee productivity and guest satisfaction.

Own roomservice operations
Offering a QR-code menu in every room that integrates ordering and secure payments not only enriches the guest experience, but introduces myriad of operational benefits. A contactless system improves order accuracy and transparency, as well as staff efficiency by. Hungry guests ordering from their mobile device is a low stress, non-intrusive and frictionless experience leading to higher average tickets; boosting food-and-beverage sales and improving Revenue Per Available Room. Lastly, sales and customer data are a hot topic and accessing these insights through the online-ordering system opens the door to visualize and action on them.

Providing convenience everywhere will become the mark of future success. To promote the offering of a contactless ordering service, QR codes can also be placed at the bar or on tables in the restaurant. Streamlining this side of hospitality operations eases pain points in the ordering process, alleviates staffing pressures, and empowers staff to re-define their jobs.

Written By ADAM MOUYAL

As co-founder and CEO of Taliup Express, Adam Mouyal has merged his passion to improve small business success with a payment-technology solution designed to streamline and optimize business growth for all Canadian SMEs.

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