By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder – StayNTouch
The future is now, and the hospitality realm is rapidly changing as modern advancements are realized by savvy hoteliers at the forefront of industry-wide improvements. As guest expectations shift in a more mobile-focused, tech-forward direction, we’re seeing countless hoteliers embracing the upgrade to a new, mobile PMS software.
While the traditional, legacy PMS was confined to a dedicated desktop behind the front desk, mobile and cloud-based PMS frees that technology (and your staff) from those previous limitations. Right from a tablet device, staff can access guest info, manage rates and groups, check on housekeeping duties, access financial information, process guest payments and more. This allows for real-time hotel updates from hotel staff, while also offering the capability for self-service stations for those guests who desire a more low-touch experience.
Ultimately, the modern PMS should empower your staff to remove those physical barriers between their service and your guests, for a more mobile and personalized experience. So how should your hotel prepare to best utilize the competitive advantage of a mobile PMS system, while shifting away from old, restrictive habits?
1. Implementation – Out With the Old, In With the New
Embracing a mobile PMS doesn’t just free up your staff from a physical standpoint, it frees up your hotel from the complicated nature of old processes and interfaces. Out with the old, and in with the new (and improved).
Once you’ve updated your management software, take advantage of the features and simplicity of the new, mobile and cloud-based format. Seize the opportunity to clean up your hotel’s data and optimize the visual display of relevant information to your staff (daily financials at a glance, upcoming reservations, on-property maintenance reports and more). You can also streamline your lobby layout with the inclusion of self-serve stations hosted on easy-to-use tablets which help to create an inviting and efficient environment for guests hoping to bypass the front desk line. Since your staff will no longer find themselves confined behind the front desk, you can allocate individuals to act as concierge staff (greeters) while having others walking throughout the front lounge, freely interacting with guests.
2. User Adoption
When considering the high staff turn-over rate that exists within the hospitality industry, training staff on hotel systems can become a time consuming and costly endeavour. Luckily, the implementation of a mobile PMS system removes the need for dedicated, off-site training staff to come in and host training seminars on an outdated, traditional system.
The user interface of the mobile system is incredibly easy to learn, updates automatically and appeals to younger staff who prefer mobile and tech-savvy solutions. The system is specifically designed to enhance productivity through ease of use, which makes your staff’s job easier and, in turn, helps to empower their job satisfaction, teamwork and guest service. Further, the streamlined on-boarding process will reduce the pressure felt by management to set aside additional time for extensive system training whenever a new employee joins the team.
3. Mobile Best Practices
The future is mobile, and hotel staff should no longer be restrained behind old technology. Tapping into the advanced offerings from a mobile PMS system, your staff can readily develop new process and best practices to optimize the benefits of mobile.
At check-in, staff can now welcome guests by name and effectively gather important insights through genuine face-to-face interaction, instead of having their service hindered by a physical system behind the desk. This allows staff to focus on a personalized experience for each and every guest, rather than a transactional one, while effectively increasing productivity, efficiency, and true guest engagement. Furthermore, the mobile PMS system is built to help your staff upsell and interact with each guest. Upgrades and dynamic packages are built directly into the interface, meaning staff won’t need a script to remember to up-sell. Those same, tailored prompts are built into the self-serve stations as well, empowering your guest to choose their level of experience. The design of the system pushes guest-focused upgrades, provides integral guest insights, reduces front desk lines, daily at-a-glance status updates and so much more.
The hospitality industry has so many exciting improvements in store, as industry leaders continuously work to transform the guest experience at every opportunity. So the question becomes — are you ready to tap into this industry-wide momentum, starting with an efficiency makeover to your PMS system?
