In the AI and automation era, consumer habits have changed. Consumers set the bar too high for the quality of services they expect. Hospitality industry players would adapt to new trends and be on the front to create sustainable guest experiences. One top trend in the hotel industry is the use of key cards. These cards use RFID or magnetic stripe technology to store data. Data encoded on the cards allow or deny access to restricted areas.
How Hotel Key Cards Impact Guest Experiences
The idea behind the innovation of key cards was to streamline hotel operations and improve guest experiences. To get everything in the hotel running smoothly and with minimal human intervention. To ensure guests feel appreciated and are satisfied by service quality. So, what is the guest experience like after adopting key cards? Read on to find out.
1. Reduces Manual Handling
Have you ever walked into a 1-star or 2-star hotel and had to queue to get your room key? After that, you dedicated much of your time to handling the keys. You must have made decisions even if the staff was friendly and the food thrilled your tastebuds. Traditional keys come with the baggage of manual handling.
Digital RFID key cards eliminate the physical baggage of handling and management. These cards employ digital data to make hotel experiences more enticing. You do not need to queue to get the keys, nor do you have to worry about losing them. The petite nature of the cards means they can fit comfortably in your wallet or shirt pockets. This level of convenience gives guests the freedom to enjoy their stay without worries.
2. Security and Peace of Mind
Losing valuables and money to burglars is the worst experience. Hotel guests are not 100% assured of the safety of their belongings in hotels with poor security infrastructure. Do you know 54% of hotel guests admit to having left their valuables behind when checking out? Without quality security systems, over half of people will lose something when booking a hotel room.
Key cards eliminate such problems as they are programmed for specific locks. They encrypt and store guest data for seamless contact if you leave your belongings behind. Besides, the cards use complex technology that is hard to hack or duplicate. Burglars will face rough hacking into your room to steal or interfere with your stuff.
3. Personalization and Satisfaction
Every time guests walk into your hotel facilities, they look forward to a 5-star experience. They want to be treated fairly and receive personalized services. Besides the food and drinks, you can personalize the keys to their rooms. Adding user-specific data like names and pets on the key cards can make the guests feel at home.
Encrypting guest names on their room’s key card makes them feel appreciated. It gives them a reason to want to come again. Hospitality service providers may need to ask the guests before making such personalizations. Not everyone is a fan of publicity.
4. Instant Access to Amenities
Have you ever booked a hotel and had to ask for more keys to access extra amenities? Like you get your room key and then have to secure more keys or request access rights to enjoy other amenities? That is a common trend in old-fashioned hotels that use traditional locks and keys. The experience is inconvenient and outdated.
Modern-fashioned hotels with key cards eliminate such troubles and inconveniences. The cards come encrypted with data needed to unlock rooms and amenities restricted to a few. Once you book and fully pay for the room, the hotel providers program the card with data to let you enjoy extra amenities and room services. The card allows you access to business centers, pools, and fitness centers. You do not need to carry multiple cards or sign in again at the front desk.
5. Improves Hotel Room Operations
Hotel room operators have to make guest experiences satisfying without compromising the quality of the rooms. Yes, a hotel representative has to ensure guests get quality services and watch over them not to damage stuff and equipment. Manual tracking of the activities of a guest can prove a significant challenge.
Key cards simplify tracking guest access to rooms and other areas within the hotel vicinity. The cards keep records of everyone a guest enters and when. With this data, hotel managers can identify threats before they happen to improve operational efficiency. The key card systems will flag any attempt to access a room a guest has no right to access.
Wrapping Up
Hotel managers have the responsibility to provide services that guests like. Hotel hardware and software technologies make it easier to run hotels and improve service quality. One technology that hotel managers will find competitive is the key card.
These security technologies enhance the quality of services provided and the safety of guests and hotel premises. They facilitate the provision of valuable and reliable hotel services that guests like. You can customize the key cards to deliver more personalized services.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
