HiJiffy

Looking for more guest bookings? A well-planned advertising strategy can set you apart in the competitive hospitality industry. Whether you’re running a boutique retreat in the countryside or a bustling city hotel, creative and targeted hotel advertising can ensure your rooms are consistently booked. Let’s explore how innovative strategies and tools can take your hotel […]

Creating a positive first impression at reception is crucial for shaping the guest experience. A warm and attentive welcome makes a significant impact, especially when guests seek personalised and memorable moments. While the human touch remains vital, blending it with hotel technology is key to delivering an exceptional welcome. Want to improve your hotel’s reception […]

In this product highlight series, we examine the various features and functions of the Console – the interface of our Guest Communications Hub. This practical insight shows how easy it is to enhance your communications with guests with the support of our conversational AI. In the following article, we take a look at what the welcome buttons are and their importance for initialising a conversation. What are the welcome buttons? When starting a conversation with HiJiffy’s chatbot, the welcome message appears first, followed by welcome buttons. These are pre-set buttons that allow you to add special events that are triggered when they are clicked. By default, “Book a room” and “Other topics” are set here, but it is beneficial to customise these to your hotel and add other buttons such as “Manage reservations,” “Book additional services” or “Join the loyalty programme”. In addition, further pre-defined topic suggestions can be displayed as buttons under “Other topics” to simplify communication. Make communication accessible and convenient With this feature, hoteliers can customise the welcome message, provide guests with quick and easy access to important processes, or guide them to specific landing pages. Instead of entering their own enquiry or question, the user simply clicks on the options provided. This guides guests to the right information, makes your website easier to navigate, and answers their questions before they have to search for them. It also means there is less room for error or misunderstanding. Where can I find this feature? To edit the welcome buttons, follow these steps: Open the Console. Go to the “Chatbots” menu. Select the Pre-Stay or In-Stay chatbot. Select “Welcome messages” in the chatbot settings and click on “Add new“ Once you have configured your welcome message, you can add the buttons. Select the type of button (URL, Flow or FAQ) Save your changes. You can also manage the welcome components that have already been created here. It could look like this As soon as a prospective guest starts the chat on your website, your welcome message appears, followed by a second message with welcome buttons such as “Reserve room,” “Manage booking,” “About the hotel” and “Other topics.” The guest can now click on one of these buttons or alternatively type the topic. If they click on “Other topics,” the most popular FAQ topics are displayed as buttons, for example, “Parking,” “Breakfast” and “Check-In”. In this way, the guests can navigate directly through the topics without typing and receive answers more quickly. Do you need additional help? In our Help Center, you have access to over 200 articles dealing with practical questions about using the Guest Communications Hub. From onboarding videos and step-by-step guides to troubleshooting, it offers valuable information that is always at your fingertips. If you need further support to get the most out of your solution, get in touch with our dedicated Customer Success Team.

In this product highlight series, we examine the various features and functions of the Console – the interface of our Guest Communications Hub. This practical insight shows how easy it is to enhance your communications with guests with the support of our conversational AI. This article looks at the “No Availability” option. Note: This feature is available only for specific booking engines. Please contact your Customer Success Manager for more information. Don’t leave your guests hanging Our new feature optimises the way your guests search and book for availability. If a potential guest doesn’t find availability for the dates they want, our system immediately offers alternative options. This feature ensures that guests don’t have to leave the website in frustration, but can easily find alternative dates or available accommodation. This keeps the booking process convenient and straightforward for the guest, increasing the likelihood that they will book with you and complete the booking process. Main features Show available dates: Allows guests to book a room for alternative dates. Search alternative accommodation: Provides instantly available options at other accommodations. Thanks to the seamless integration with your booking engine, you minimise the risk of losing potential guests by offering them instant alternatives. Increase your bookings and improve guest satisfaction with this innovative solution. This is what it could look like A potential guest starts a chat with your chatbot on the website and wants to make a booking. The guest is asked for the desired dates, which they enter. Unfortunately, the hotel has no availability. At this moment, the chatbot suggests other periods that the customer can accept or, depending on the chatbot configuration, offers buttons with which the user can decide whether to search for other accommodations or display flexible dates. Once the guest has selected an alternative period or another hotel property, they can finalise their booking. Do you need additional help? In our Help Center, you have access to over 200 articles dealing with practical questions about using the Guest Communications Hub. From onboarding videos and step-by-step guides to troubleshooting, it offers valuable information that is always at your fingertips. If you need further support to get the most out of your solution, get in touch with our dedicated Customer Success Team.

The hospitality industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by advancements in technology and changing guest expectations. One of the most notable trends is the rise of contactless hotels. But do guests really want contactless hotels? The answer is increasingly yes. Here’s the reasoning behind this interest. The demand for contactless hospitality Guests today expect the same level of convenience in their hotel stays as they experience in their daily lives. According to a 2022 study by Oracle, 67% of travellers are interested in hotels using AI for personalised service, and 36% prefer a fully digital, contactless guest experience. This trend is not just a response to the pandemic but reflects a broader shift towards digital convenience and efficiency. Let’s take a look at a few practical implications of contactless hotel services. What is a contactless check-in and check-out? Contactless check-in allows guests to book their stay and check in without physical interaction with hotel staff; in other words – skipping the reception. This process involves: Guest data collection: Securely collecting visitor information and verifying it with the Property Management System (PMS). Room allocation: The PMS assigns a room to the guest. Digital room key: A digital key is sent to the guest’s mobile device, enabling them to unlock their room without a traditional key card. Contactless check-out enables guests to complete their departure process digitally. Guests confirm their check-out, pay any outstanding charges, and can opt to share contact information for future marketing. Advantages of contactless services in hotels Enhancing the guest experience Contactless check-in and check-out streamline the arrival and departure processes, reducing wait times and enhancing overall satisfaction. Guests appreciate the convenience of managing their stay through their mobile devices. Case Study Reducing staff workload Automating repetitive tasks with AI-powered virtual assistants allows hotel staff to focus on delivering superior service. This improves productivity and job satisfaction, especially amid staff shortages. Increasing revenue Contactless check-in can serve as a marketing channel, promoting upselling and cross-selling of additional services like room service or spa treatments. Hotels can also use collected data for future marketing campaigns, enhancing guest retention and revenue. Collecting valuable data By digitising guest interactions, hotels can gather data to better understand guest preferences and behaviours, enabling personalised marketing and improved service offerings. Hoteliers can also use automated contactless check-out to improve the hotel’s reputation. Ensuring social distancing In the wake of COVID-19, contactless services help maintain social distancing, reduce the risk of virus transmission, and align with guests’ health and safety concerns. The role of AI in contactless hospitality AI is moving beyond buzzwords to practical applications with significant implications for hospitality. Governing bodies like the World Travel & Tourism Council and the European Travel Commission advocate for adopting technological solutions to address staff shortages and enhance operations. This has spurred investment in hospitality tech, particularly in conversational AI. Critical Integrations for Seamless Contactless Services For a seamless contactless guest journey, essential integrations include: Property Management System (PMS): Centralises reservations, payments, and reporting. Mobile Key: Provides digital keys for room access. Contactless Payment Processor: Facilitates secure, wireless transactions without physical cards. Future of Contactless Hotels The popularity of contactless hotel solutions will continue to grow. Guests increasingly view convenience and independence as standard, not a luxury. Implementing contactless check-in, check-out, and other digital services not only meets guest expectations but also provides substantial benefits for hotel operations.  As technology continues to evolve, the contactless guest journey will become an integral part of the hospitality experience, driving the industry forward. However, the human touch in the industry that has personalisation and excellent customer care at its core will always need dedicated hotel staff ready to make guests feel right at home.