Why Does A Hotel Back House Need Digital Technology, Especially During COVID-19?

COVID-19 forced many hotels and other operating businesses to change their day-to-day habits and adapt to new standards.

The hotel business that we thought always depended on customer feedback and provided services now depends mainly on Cleanliness and Sanitary conditions.

Today's situation shows that many digital tools exist to sell, promote, track guest satisfaction, etc., but none of them relate to Back-house management.

Nobody was interested in what was going on behind the scenes, especially if everything worked and "produced" clean rooms every day for sale. Yet in light of recent events concerning COVID-19 and the health and cleanliness protocols that accompany it, hotel businesses should take a deeper interest in how they can convince their guests that proper procedures are being followed and that employees are qualified to carry out these tasks. Additionally, a manager should have the ability to organize a contactless workflow and communication between employees, as well as between employees and guests. HKeeper can help you achieve that and also enrich your marketing strategy to appeal more to hotel guests.

Transfer Workflows From Manual To Digital Mode And Start Working Remotely

HKeeper operational management software provides executives and line staff with a tool that combines real-time communication and workflow synchronization with sophisticated reporting and analytics.

Transferring all manual processes to digital mode will allow a manager to assign, send, and transfer any tasks to any employee remotely.

That way, you can eliminate unnecessary face-to-face interactions between employees, executives, and guests.

Digital checklists attached to the tasks provide an employee with detailed instructions on what to do and tells employees to take photos of a cleaned room or completed maintenance task, allowing them to do a documented self-inspection. The executives can share and make changes in the projects & tasks, analyze the in-house situation, and create strategies instantaneously, even if they aren't present in the hotel themselves.

Needless to say, communication culture has to be changed too and not only for guests but for employees as well. Isn't it obvious that the Walkie-Talkie should be changed to a smartphone with a real-time digital messenger and unleash the high speed of exchanging information and get all the benefits from it?

How Can Hoteliers Convince Guests That Hotel Accommodations Are Safe?

Using HKeeper solutions for a housekeeping department may help hotels to convey to their guests that their room is clean, free of germs, and safe to stay in.

Since you have digital data produced from the cleaning procedure, you could use it in many different forms, not only for getting reports and analytics but also for getting confirmation of what was done, like in the form of a Certificate of Cleanliness which is automatically generated and sent to the guest after cleaning is completed and inspected.

The Cleanliness Certificate can be issued for each room, public area, or a whole hotel. It can be customized and include the cleaning person's name and their qualification, the Hygiene manager's contact info, and of course, include the COVID-19 Protocol Checklist that the cleaning followed, as well as a list of all cleaning agents used.

The main point in the Workflow Digitalization is to have the possibility to share information not only within your hotel team but with your guests as well - when guests know that all cleaning processes become transparent and traceable, it helps to build trust in guests' minds, especially for those who are eager to get back on the road but are still afraid of the idea of staying in a hotel.

Digitalizing a backhouse with the Certificate of Cleanliness option radically changes the game for marketing in the hospitality industry and is a direct way to save the business since the information becomes presentable and publishable on hotel websites and OTAs.

In the near future, hotels that continue to work by outdated methods will fail.

Keeping in mind the STR forecasts, where we clearly see that in the near future the income margin will be squeezed as occupancy will remain low, and the room rate cannot be increased - cost reduction - the only way for hoteliers to stay afloat.

There is no doubt that digital format will always yield increased productivity and reduced operating costs and now it's the right time to shift from per-and-pen format to the Digital & Automated format.

Be curious, look around, and find the best software for your operational needs! If you want to know more about the HKeeper software, please schedule a demo or email directly info@hkeeper.us