Near Field Communication, or NFC, is an increasingly popular technology solution. It allows for the secure and wireless exchange of information between two or more devices (such as smartphones, which nowadays are nearly all manufactured to be NFC-combatible). It has many different uses including in trade, transportation, or maintenance.
Hotels, especially those with large infrastructures, big teams and a high influx of guests, can greatly improve both their customers’ experience and their operations with NFC technology. Let’s see how:
1. Replacing room keys
With NFC technology, hotel room keys could be transmitted directly to the guests’ smartphones, replacing the widely used magnetic strip cards. This could even be done in advance of their arrival!
Not only would this improve the guests’ experience by allowing check-ins to be automatic and therefore saving them time by skipping queues in the reception, but it would also improve security since the tags cannot easily be lost, erased or forged like magnetic strip cards.
2. Automatic access to Wi-Fi
NFC tags can be configured to give instant access to a Wi-Fi network without the need to type any password. By placing one or multiple tags in the rooms or the common areas, everyone could access the network by just moving their smartphone close to the tag. Guests wouldn’t need to write a password whilst people from the outside would still not be able to access it.
3. Easy payments
Payments using NFC technology are already possible and frequent in many places, such as supermarkets. With an app connected to your credit or debit card, all it takes is for you to move your smartphone towards the contactless terminal at the checkout and your payment will instantly be made. No card, no PIN, no hassle.
Why not replicate this technology in hotels to allow guests to pay for food, services or leisure activities?
4. Maintenance Management
NFC technology is not just useful for guests. The maintenance team could also greatly benefit from it by having all equipment properly identified with NFC tags. With a Maintenance Management System like Infraspeak for Hotels, technicians can use their smartphones and the specially designed tags to instantly access all relevant information on equipment and the maintenance it needs.
All staff members and even customers can easily report failures in equipment with the help of Infraspeak Direct. This information will be automatically registered in the system and will be made accessible by managers or the technicians responsible for them.
5. Housekeeping
Much like maintenance teams, housekeeping teams can benefit from NFC tags and can instantly access to-do lists on the mobile app for each location. With such a system, managers will also be able to check the status of operations in real-time.
6. Register personnel presence
NFC Tags can be used to monitor the presence of all members of staff, from maintenance technicians to security guards. Given that they must engage with the NFC for their daily tasks, it is an indirect way of ensuring that they are in the correct places and doing the correct tasks in real-time. It also provides indicators on each staff member’s daily performance.
It is clear that NFC technology represents an exciting opportunity to modernise the hospitality sector, as it has for many others. It is worth noting that while some of the aspects mentioned may seem to be directed at improving internal operations rather than the overall guest experience, all improvements to the running of the hotel will ultimately improve the service provided to your guests.