The check in is the Moment of arrival, with a capital M...
Where M stands for being in the moment, is meaningful and mindful.
Although mobile check-in and kiosks give guests more control over the arrival experience, there are still many guests, especially at boutique and full-service properties, who, value the personal welcome that a staffed desk provides. Hence, the front desk still has an important role.
The first few minutes a guest spends at the front desk often outline their entire stay. The arrival phase is widely regarded as the most critical period for shaping guest perceptions, since the strongest impressions are created during the reception process. Essentially, first impressions anchor the entire guest experience. A confident, well-trained front desk team that handles registration efficiently can build trust within the first ninety seconds, while a clumsy or slow process can sour even the most enthusiastically anticipated stay. Not only that, it primes the guest to notice problems, and it makes recovery significantly harder for the rest of the team.
Let’s say you arrive at a hotel and are greeted in an impressive lobby by several professionals whose job is to look after you, but not before you wait in line to check in. When it comes to your turn, you mention your name and show your documentation, then patiently wait whilst one of the hotel employees spend several minutes furiously typing and clicking a computer, whilst leaving you leaning over the desk in anticipation.
Eventually, looking up at you, he or she asks you for your credit card, to verify your identity and to place a temporary authorization hold for incidental expenses, even if your room is already fully paid for. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, you are given a magnetic card stuffed in a tiny cardboard folder and a few instructions on how to access the Wi-Fi, where and what time breakfast is served, before been informed with a hand gesture, “the elevators are over there on the left”.
Mind you, all that while you have been either standing at the check-in desk or have sat in a hard wood, slick metal, or paper-thin cushioned chair providing zero lumbar support, turning an arrival into an annoying physical strain.
Sadly, this is not unusual. Too many times, I’ve wearily stood at a reception desk, whilst simultaneously nursing a welcome drink of dubious quality and a balled-up chilled towel given to me so I could ‘freshen up’. This balancing act is often followed by a rapid gunfire-like recital of hotel facilities. One might well ask “Is this really the best way an entire service industry can come up with to welcome its customers? Must this depressing process be the first impression that will shape our experience?”
Why cannot hotels streamline the physical check-in process rather than stick to the boring antiquated process of handling check-ins (and checkouts) as described above? Why not offer private, sit-down check-in experiences in dedicated lounge areas rather than traditional standing reception desks?
Let’s imagine how your check-in is now done: -
Staff greet you upon arrival and escorts you directly to an attractively designed private seating area or lounge instead of the front desk. You receive a complimentary welcome drink which the server explains what it is made of and hands over a cold towel while you sit down to relax from your journey. Hotel staff complete your paperwork and registration (partially completed with the information the hotel already posses at the time your reservation was received. The check-in formalities are complete by the hotel staff using mobile tablets or discreet desk setups that blend aesthetically with the overall layout of the lounge. The personal host manages your check-in, explains property amenities, etc. and hands over your room key / card directly from the comfort of your well padded seat.
Now isn’t that a world of a difference?
Shafeek Wahab - Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Mystery Guest Auditor, Ex-Hotelier
|
|
|
|
