Did you know that QR Codes were developed just a few decades ago? It might be hard to believe something that’s become so integral to business operations is still relatively new.
These versatile codes have become indispensable tools, with many businesses using them to enhance the customer experience and encourage patrons to take desired quick action. With an enticing QR Code call to action (CTA), you can increase your business contacts, leads, sales, bookings, and more!
QR Codes are particularly common in the hospitality industry, as more restaurants and hotels integrate them into their systems to enhance guest experiences. Odds are, you’ll come across them at almost all establishments you visit.
Below, we’ll explore some of the (many) benefits and applications of QR Codes in the hospitality industry.
Benefits for guests when you use QR Codes for hospitality
As a hotel, restaurant, or motel owner, you already know that positive guest experiences are what keep your business going. Guest experiences can make or break your establishment.
High guest satisfaction translates to repeat business, recommendations to family and friends, and positive reviews. Luckily, we know how to increase the chances of the former happening—with QR Codes. Here’s how you can make QR Codes that work for your guests’ benefit.
Improved guest experiences
QR Codes provide guests with easy access to information, services, and facilities—it only takes a single scan. This can enhance their satisfaction and, consequently, loyalty.
To enhance the guest experience even further, use QR Codes to provide personalized recommendations based on past guest behavior. For example, you can provide QR Codes that link to landing pages on your website that outline activities, dining options, or special offers for repeat guests.
Instant access to service information
Having to call reception every time for service information can quickly dampen guests’ stays, as it’s too much of a hassle. How do you ensure this isn’t the case? Simple: using QR Codes.
QR Codes can provide guests with immediate access to important information about the hotel’s amenities, services, and local attractions via URL. This can include the hotel’s event calendar, digital menu, and maps of the property, eliminating the need to consult on everything during their stay. They can instead focus on relaxing or working.
Better communication and feedback
QR Codes can facilitate better communication between guests and hotel staff by providing a direct line for requests. They can do everything from facilitating seamless connections with the front desk to allowing guests to order room service with a single scan.
QR Codes can also make it easy to collect complaints and feedback via a feedback form URL. Providing an easy means for guests to share their opinions can help make them feel valued and heard. It can also improve service quality and guest satisfaction, as you can address issues more promptly.
Benefits for businesses that use QR Codes for hospitality
Roughly 66% of restaurants use QR Codes to provide easy access to digital menus. Many do so to improve client experiences. And, while they do, there are far more benefits for the establishments themselves than some owners realize—they’re excellent sources of customer data, which can help you improve services and personalize marketing campaigns. Let’s examine how.
Data collection and insights
The hospitality industry thrives on understanding customer behavior, as this is the only way to improve guest satisfaction. QR Codes can provide valuable insights into customer preferences, highlighting areas hoteliers should focus on in marketing campaigns or for overall service improvement.
With Dynamic QR Codes, you get scan data like scans over time, scans by referrer, top-performing scans, and scans by location. Combined with third-party analytics tools like Google Analytics, you can get a wide range of insights, including peak times, the most popular menu items, and how guests interact with amenities. Such information can inform business decisions and allow you to focus resources on aspects of your business that your customers value.
Contactless payments
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, QR Codes have been the unsung heroes of contactless payments. During the pandemic, they helped limit virus spread by cutting contact between guests and staff during payment. Now, they enhance security and convenience for businesses and clients by reducing the need for card and cash transactions. Forget about losses resulting from human errors and allocating time to take your money to the bank when you implement QR Code payment solutions.
Improved flexibility and sustainability
Hospitality businesses are always evolving to reflect changing customer needs and preferences. QR Codes are flexible, so they can evolve seamlessly with you. Want to change your services, charges, or other vital information? No problem! You can update QR Code information or the destinations they lead guests to without needing to print new materials. This flexibility supports agile responses to business or market changes.
Further, reducing reliance on printed materials aligns with eco-friendly sustainable practices, contributing to your business’s green credentials. In a world where people are increasingly environmentally conscious, this is a great selling point for your business—you can attract and retain the loyalty of eco-conscious guests.
Practical applications of QR Codes in the hospitality industry
You can use QR Codes at every step of the customer journey, from when they check in through key cards to when they check out through QR Code surveys. To give you ideas on how you can incorporate them into your business, we look at some practical use cases below:
Digital check-in and check-out procedures
QR Codes can promote smooth check-in and check-out processes by eliminating the need to pass by the front desk upon arrival or when leaving. All guests need to do is scan their QR Codes to access the online check-in/check-out page, saving time and reducing physical contact.
For a seamless check-in process, send each guest their unique QR Code before arrival via email or text message, along with clear instructions on how to use it. For a smooth check-out, do so before their chosen date of departure to make the process as straightforward as possible.
Digital menus for restaurants or room service
Many restaurants are moving away from paper menus as they’re restrictive in terms of updates. QR Codes for restaurants are on the rise because they promote better customer experiences—all you need to do is scan a designated code to access a detailed digital menu. Further, they allow real-time menu updates (both food and drink options and their prices) and limit physical contact, which is vital in eating establishments.
Ensure your digital menu is mobile-friendly and includes detailed product descriptions and high-quality images to allow customers to make well-informed choices seamlessly. Also, position your code in a visible location, like on a table, and update it regularly to reflect menu changes. For hotel rooms, consider placing QR Code room service menus on bedside tables, near mini-bars, or next to TV remotes.
Access to facilities and services
QR Codes can make work easier for employees and improve guest experiences by providing easy access to facilities and services. If you have amenities like gyms or spas, create QR Codes linked to booking landing pages to allow guests to schedule appointments or classes from the comfort of their hotel rooms.
If you have special recommendations, promos, or discounts, embed them in your code to make booking experiences even better. You can also provide seamless access to these amenities with QR Codes that allow guests to check themselves in.
Place QR Codes in strategic locations, such as on room keycards, information brochures, or welcome packets, and provide clear signage on how and where to use them to access or book these amenities/recommendations.
Real-time guest reviews
Did you know that 76% of travelers are willing to pay more for hotels with positive reviews? To retain your clients and attract new ones, you need to get more guests to leave positive reviews—this often requires continuous service improvement. QR Codes can help with that. Use them to collect complaints and feedback on web forms so you can fix problems before guests leave and consistently improve your services.
For efficient feedback collection, place the QR Codes in visible and easily accessible locations, like on receipts, in guest rooms, or at exits. Also, incentivize feedback by offering discounts on future stays or other rewards for completing surveys or reviews. Include clear CTAs to let guests know what they stand to gain from scanning your codes and leaving reviews.
Health and safety information
Even though the pandemic is over, hospitality businesses still have a duty to protect their guests’ health and safety during their stays. QR Codes can help you by providing easy access to information about your hotel’s health and safety protocols, local health guidelines, and other related resources to mitigate any concerns.
For optimal efficacy, place the QR Codes in common rooms, guest rooms, and on information packets or hotel promotional materials to ensure clients know what to expect and how to protect themselves. Ensure the codes link to up-to-date, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand information and include direct CTAs to let clients know what to expect from scanning them.
How to create and manage hospitality QR Codes with Bitly
Looking for the perfect QR Code partner? Look no further than Bitly. The platform maximizes QR Code benefits for hospitality businesses by giving you the power to create QR Codes for whichever purpose you want, be it to streamline check-in processes, share your contact information, enroll clients in loyalty programs, and more! You can also customize QR Codes you previously created to align better with your brand image by using your business’ colors and logo.
To create custom QR Codes for your hospitality business with Bitly:
- Create a Bitly account using your email address or Google account. If you already have one, log in to get started.
- Select Create new and tap QR Code.
- Enter your desired destination in the Destination URL field—this could be anything from your website’s URL if you want a Website QR Code to a PDF URL if you want a PDF QR Code linked to details like services offered, amenities, and health protocols.
- Tap Design your Code.
- If you’re on a paid plan, customize your code by selecting your preferred style, colors, and logo.
- Tap Create your Code.
- When satisfied, tap Download and share it through email, social media, print materials, or any other preferred communication medium.
Easy, right?
But, it doesn’t end there. Bitly lets you manage all your QR Codes from a single platform—you can redirect existing codes to other destinations seamlessly whenever you want to direct guests to new information.
Further, you can view scan analytics with Bitly like the total scans and scans by day to help identify factors like peak times and the information and services guests are most interested in.
Transform hospitality services with Bitly’s QR Code expertise
QR Codes are valuable tools in the hospitality industry as they improve guest experiences and streamline service delivery for businesses. With Bitly QR Codes, your guests can access information and services conveniently, and you can gain valuable insights into customer preferences to help with decision-making and service improvement.
Bitly’s QR Code Generator is the epitome of value and convenience at your fingertips. It facilitates an effective QR Code strategy for hospitality services by allowing you to create reliable Dynamic QR Codes guaranteed to improve the guest experience at every customer touchpoint.
Sign up for Bitly today for customized QR Codes and actionable insights that will help elevate your hospitality services.