What consumables can hotels cut down on with technology?
Whilst it is not a usual practice in the hospitality sector, to skimp on the quality of products and services, the cost of some consumables can be reduced without impact. For hotels, this does not mean things like cleaning products, towels, or bed linen, the target here is paper and ink. Hotels spend considerable amounts of money on printed products, but with today’s technology, it is possible to minimize their use.
Paper
Nowadays, guests can request that all information comes to them electronically, because a paper document can easily get crumpled or lost. And this is not just about saving money on materials, customer loyalty can be gained by encouraging them to use other forms of documentation.
All the printed materials in the rooms, menus in the restaurant and marketing materials at the reception desk can be easily replaced using QR codes. These can provide clients with access to the hotel website, or to an application where it is possible to not only find out about the hotel services but also book them.
Restaurant menu and order work in the same way, and in the case of hotel restaurants, you can use the QR code not only to look at the menu but to also order the dish to the room. The guest simply scans the QR code and looks at the information on their phone.
Waiters no longer need notebooks to write down an order. The TNG GO! app installed on a mobile device sends the order to the POS station, and from there it is automatically transmitted to the kitchen.
These are all convenient ways for guests to gain information and receive service. Printed advertising materials in hotels collect dust, deteriorate, are often ignored by guests, and cost a lot of money to replace. The same information can also be obtained from the in-room TV, which has access to all hotel services and menus set up.
Ink
In addition to saving paper, you should also think about saving printer ink. The passport manager enables you to scan information from a guest’s passport and recognize all the data. The data can then be transferred to the PMS and the immigration office.
No paper or ink is used, and the data is protected because it is saved only in the system. Additionally, the passport photo remains available even if the data was transferred incorrectly due to the condition of the original document. Just a look at its photo, and double-checking the data, is all that is required before sending.
Cheque Ribbons
Modern POS and PMS systems are set up to send electronic cheques to a customer’s email address. Hotel and restaurant guests are happy to accept this format because nobody wants a physical cheque, or to spend money on cheque ribbons.
The data suggests that a 100-room hotel can save approximately 350 Euros per month on A4 paper and cheque ribbons.
Environmental agenda
The reduction in printing, enthusiastically supported by hotels, is not just about saving money, it is also about supporting the environment. Eco-friendly hotels have long been cutting back on consumables; some of the big chains gave up printed products more than a year ago in order to support the eco agenda and cut costs.
Recently, chains have started to deploy reusable dispensers where you simply pour out the finished product instead of having tiny shampoo bottles. This reduces the amount of plastic and is convenient for guests because the dispenser is large enough, and there is no risk of it suddenly running out.
Prospects
Mobile check-in is already in wide use, where the guest fills out a form after booking and attaches their photo to it. The passport manager sends it to the PMS, and the hotel has all the guest’s data before they arrive. At check-in, the guest signs the printed registration form, but this will soon be replaced with an electronic signature. The hotel will not need to print anything, they will just offer the guest a tablet on which they will be asked to place an electronic signature.
Printed materials will soon all be gone, replaced with digital alternatives.
Author: Tatiana Semina
HRS Area Manager
