By Neil Houlston, Founder of App IT Byte - 9.30.2019
Since its inception in 2008, the app economy has grown enormously. In 2018 alone, there were 198 billion app downloads worldwide across all App Stores.
With everyone bringing their own devices (BYOD) to your property, there’s no reason why an app and website cannot be used to access your hotel compendium details.
There are several benefits to using our Hinfo app and website solution for your compendiums, others cannot match.
3 Benefits of the Hinfo Mobile App
1. Offline Support and Minimal Internet Download
Our Hinfo app is less than 10MB to download and consumes up to 10 times less download and storage than the average app available today.
By saving your compendium details offline, guests do not need to use extra download from their daily Wi-Fi limit or phone data plan.
The main benefits include saving images, brochures, menus, etc. offline.
For comparison, spending 2mins 30secs on Instagram consumes the same amount of download as a guest would use on Hinfo during an average stay.
2. Performance and Loading Times
As digital devices continue to improve, peoples patience for content load times decreases.
Our Hinfo app allows guests to view content faster than loading webpages. This is possible as loading times are based on the speed of your phone, compared to Wi-Fi.
3. Guest Messaging Notifications
Imagine using WhatsApp on your smartphone, but only in a web browser.
You would have to check your conversations every few minutes to see if anyone responds, as only a few mobile web browsers support notifications.
Our Hinfo guest messaging solution called ‘Ask Reception’ allows guests to communicate with reception in their preferred language and receive a notification when reception staff respond.
In addition to these 3 major benefits, we have a product roadmap to further expand this list, increasing our technical edge over other compendium solutions.
7 Benefits of an App and Website Solution
1. Eliminate Resources
Going into 2020, we no longer need to live in a world where paper compendiums and other digital hardware solutions need to be provided in each room. With the average person expected to own 6.58 digital devices by next year, guests will likely bring multiple devices to your property.
2. Guest Messaging from Anywhere
Statistics show that the majority of people prefer to use text based messaging compared to phone calls.
Guests can now communicate with your property’s reception staff from anywhere they go via Hinfo using their own devices, resulting in more flexibility and time saving.
3. Auto Detect Preferred Language
The first question everyone is asked when setting up a new device is to select their preferred language.
Hinfo reads this setting, to deliver your compendium details in their preferred language, if supported.
Alternative solutions require guests or hotel staff to select their preferred language, for hotel tablets and TV-based solutions.
4. Continual Development
Hotel compendium suppliers that offer solutions as an outright purchase, have no obligation to provide updates and maintenance.
Hinfo is continuously improved, with all member properties receiving these advancements simultaneously.
Hinfo becomes the obvious choice in terms of cost and convenience, for you and your guests.
5. Call, Get Directions and View Webpages Instantly
Some of the biggest drawbacks of other compendium solutions are their inability to automatically dial phone numbers, give directions when on the go and view webpages.
Hinfo eliminates these barriers entirely, making each of these tasks possible in just a tap or two.
Our solution eliminates accidentally dialling the wrong number, provides you turn-by-turn directions without having to memorize them and loads webpages instantly.
6. Copy for Every Guest in Every Room
Providing multiple compendiums in each room is not practical or cost effective, unless you implement a digital hotel compendium.
Hinfo provides every guest with their own access, on their preferred device at any time. Guests can use their own tablets when in their room and use their smartphones when off-site or by the hotel pool, for example.
7. Emergency Contact Details Anywhere
Emergency details are only helpful if they are within reach of the guest when they need it.
Hinfo allows them to access details for local hospitals, doctors, dentists, optometrists etc. via the mobile app or website, wherever they are. Guests will appreciate the peace of mind knowing they always have these details with them.
4 Major Benefits of Hinfo
Hinfo also has many features not commonly found in other hotel compendium solutions.
1. Portability
No hotel compendium and guest communication solution should have to be restricted to guest rooms.
By allowing Hinfo to run on your guests own devices, they can access the same details when they are by the pool or at a nearby attraction.
While printed compendiums and hotel tablets are portable, your property, likely does not allow these to leave the rooms, to avoid them being damaged, misplaced or even stolen.
2. Day and Night Themes
Using any display in a low-light environment is not good for your eyes. Most people in these scenarios reduce their screen brightness, but this makes it hard to view the content.
Hinfo provides both a day and night theme, which responds to Dark Mode on iOS 13 and Night Mode on Android 10. Guests can have a white on black interface to make viewing content easy on the eyes at night, by removing the majority of bright colours.
3. Auto Translate
Providing details in multiple languages is a very time and cost consuming exercise.
Hinfo eliminates these restrictions entirely, by allowing you to translate your compendium details in minutes, not weeks and for a fraction of the cost.
Auto Translate is also integrated into our guest messaging service to allow guests to communicate with your hotel staff in their preferred language.
4. Auto Updates
Paper compendiums are the least effective solution when it comes to updating details.
Hinfo removes this limitation by distributing information updates provided by your property automatically to every guest’s own device, when they next use the service.
As you can see, there are several benefits to using a mobile app and website as the delivery vehicle for your compendium details and guest communication services.
BYOD solutions are now the ‘go to’ solution for providing more flexibility and services to both your property’s management and guests, without breaking the bank.
Hinfo delivers all of these benefits and more in a combined feature set that cannot be matched on price.
Neil Houlston is Founder of App IT Byte, which created the leading-edge digital hotel solution, called Hinfo. Neil saw an opportunity to address all issues with existing compendium solutions and established a team to bring this game-changing idea to reality. App IT Byte solves real industry problems, by building smart and efficient solutions that create new opportunities not previously possible. They stand for being innovative, creative and efficient, and they reflect these values in their products and services.
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