The Impact of Smarter Check-In Solutions

Streamlining customer and guest check-in workflows represents an immediate opportunity to deliver a better brand experience, strengthen customer loyalty, and achieve important business objectives.

Whether at a hotel, healthcare center, gym, pharmacy, or grocery store, there are numerous instances where a customer needs to transfer information in order to make a reservation, open an account, check in for an appointment, or complete a transaction.

Benefits of a smoother check-in workflow

Improving check-in processes means a smoother experience for customers and associates. But that’s not all—it can also have a significant financial impact. For instance:

• Reducing clerical errors will lead to less administrative costs associated with problem resolution, data reconciliation, and other troubleshooting
• Automating the check-in process reduces demand on staff, so they can spend more time on other tasks, including more meaningful customer interactions
• Speeding up the check-in workflow means that businesses can handle more transactions in the same amount of time, which can have a dramatic impact on revenue and ROI
• And perhaps most importantly, reducing friction in the check-in process improves the user experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, and leading to more repeat business

We’ve come a long way from having to manually enter contact and payment information by hand, and then present a driver’s license to verify identification. Typing this info into a computer or tablet represents an improvement over old-fashioned paper-forms-on-a-clipboard registration methods. However, manual data entry still leaves room for human error, and it can take up time for both employees and customers.

Fortunately, there is an abundance of tools and technologies that can provide a more efficient, secure, and error-free check-in workflow.

Self-service kiosks: a compelling option

Self-service kiosks that are built upon consumer tablets offer the versatility and functionality to enable efficient, enjoyable check-in and check-out workflows.

Combing technologies like bright, responsive touchscreens, cameras that can be used for barcode scanning and optical character recognition, and Bluetooth and WiFi for easy connectivity, tablet-based kiosks are equipped to provide a delightful user experience in a slim footprint. This makes them ideal for welcome desks, lobbies, waiting rooms, and other entry points that can be difficult to staff or can get backed up with long lines.

Additionally, the information collected from check-in kiosks can be used in any number of valuable ways. This includes identifying key areas for improvement, optimizing staffing, and gaining a better understanding of customer interaction patterns.

A walk through a customer check-in journey

A frequent flyer arrives at a hotel she commonly stays at for work meetings. Because a large conference is taking place at her hotel, the check-in desk is besieged with guests trying to either check-in or book an open room.

Like most consumers, she would prefer to skip the line and use a self-check-in kiosk if it will get her out of the lobby and into her room more quickly. She’s used to seeing touchscreen-driven self-service options at her bank, gym, and supermarket, so she already has a pretty good idea of what to expect from the kiosk and how it works. She taps the screen to begin the interaction and follows the prompts to scan her ID to check in to her room and then insert her credit card into the attached POS terminal to confirm her payment information.

When she’s completed her transaction, she lingers at the device for another moment as it presents some additional information about the events that are happening at the hotel during her stay. Then she grabs her bag and is on her way, having avoided both the long check-in line and the small talk with the front desk clerk.

Streamlined check-in across industries

Smoother check-in workflows aren’t just for hotels—they’re helping enterprises across a range of industries:

• Retail – in-aisle touchpoints for personalized shopping experiences via loyalty apps, in-store pickup apps, and payments
• Hotels – guest check-in and payments
• Entertainment centers – check-in to confirm online purchases, and to access loyalty rewards and personalized offers
• Fitness centers – member check-in and guest registration
• Co-working spaces – employee check-in, member registration, guests check-in
• Healthcare – patient registration, appointment scheduling and check-in, payment processing
• Transportation – ticketing, traveler check-in

With the user experience playing such a pivotal role in the success of modern brands and businesses, delivering a faster, smoother, more efficient check-in process can lead to happier customers and help achieve business objectives.