The hospitality industry has been around for ages and with the development of technologies and new industries, the $500 billion global industry is facing disruption. In order to keep updated and stay relevant, the hospitality industry is embracing newer technology. The industry is integrating identification solutions, voice recognition, and other biometrics.
In the recent past, biometric security solutions have been gaining a lot of traction because of the elevated security they provide. Apart from security, one of the biggest attractions of biometrics is the accessibility and ease of use. Travelers rely heavily on technology especially on their smartphones, at every step of their journey.
Why is Biometrics More Convenient?
During traveling, it becomes imperative for you to carry large amounts of documents with you for verifications at airports, hotels and other check-ins. This becomes a hassle for travelers to not only carry the documents with them but also be extremely cautious of the whereabouts of their important documents. In contrast to this, biometrics is on a person and they don’t get replaced or stolen.Especially for younger generations, biometrics are much more convenient as they rely on technology more than the previous generation. Currently, a number of hotels are lacking when it comes to implementing biometrics. According to a report by Oracle, 65% of US guests expect hotels to have newer technologies that modernize the customer experience. This leaves hotel managers with a huge possibility for improvement.
Secure Check-Ins
In a number of places, it is the legal obligation of hotel operators to know who is staying at their hotel and to verify them. In order to meet these regulatory requirements, the check-in process is the most critical one. Old-fashioned check-in methods leave many travelers unsatisfied. The manual labor required to verify each and every guest is also a lot. Check-in is the first experience the guest has with the hotel. This makes the check-ins remarkably important for a hotel. This is where biometric identification comes in to play.With biometric technologies, guests can check-in through their mobile devices and their identities can be verified in a matter of seconds. When guests don’t have to wait at the reception for check-ins and check-outs, their satisfaction level automatically increases. A report by Forrester points out that an increase in customer satisfaction can lead to a $6.52 increase in revenue per customer.
To achieve this enhanced customer experience, hotels can integrate advanced technologies like biometric identification solutions, mobile image capture, data pre-fill and biometrics to improve mobile check-in systems. Identity verification technologies allow hotels to validate their guest’s identities in a reliable and frictionless way which in turn keeps their business safe.
Personalized Experience
In this era where the “customer-first” approach is preferred, providing personalized customer experience is the priority. Through the use of facial recognition, not only the identity of the traveler is verified but it also helps the hotel create a more personalized experience for the user. According to a report, 62% of hotel guests believe that personalized interactions improve the hotel experience. Furthermore, 41% of hotel guests mention that they are more likely to book a hotel again if they were recognized by the hotel employees without having to give them their name or loyalty card. Conclusively, about 72% of the hotel operators believe that facial biometrics for the use of facial recognition will become industry standard in the next five years.Smart Hotel Rooms
Technological advancements are being used to revolutionize hotel rooms as well. One of the technologies that are being used to do so is voice recognition. Since its takes an average hotel guest some time to figure out how to get all the tech in their room to work, voice recognition comes in to play. This is done through the use of Siri or Amazon Echos in the hotel rooms. According to 78% of hotel operators, giving guests the control to room technology with voice command will become a widespread practice by 2025.Since the world is becoming digital, travelers are also increasing their reliance on technology all through their journies. Due to this, travelers look for more tech-savvy hotels. The hospitality industry can benefit by integrating biometric identification, digital identity verification, voice recognition, and biometric facial technology into their overall hotel experience.
