Bar Codes aren’t the latest technology trend. In fact, they have been in use for many decades. However, their adoption in the hospitality sector is rather contemporary and worth talking about. Today, evolved bar code technology in the form of QR codes is being widely adopted by many hotels across the world. Here, we try to explain QR codes for hotel-owners/property managers like you.
Peek into What Comprises QR Codes
While many hoteliers considers the use of Bar Codes or QR technology an unnecessary expenditure or just another way of showcasing your brand as being technologically-progressive, some have realized that the proper use of Bar Codes is an effective way of marketing and raising the overall guest experience. We will focus more upon how you can use QR technology for driving room bookings.
What exactly are QR Codes?
QR technology or QR codes refer to Quick Response codes. These are very different from the traditional bar codes we see on the last page of printed materials like books, novels, etc. These square-shaped codes are:
- Interpreted very quickly by the coding medium in use
- Capable of storing a large amount of data
- Able to handle different types of data
- Can deliver the information even if some of the data is corrupted
How can hotel properties use QR?
Using QR codes that are too complex for the average mobile device is not advisable since you are not sure about the kind of mobile being used by your probable set of customers. Various forms in which you can use QR tech include:
1. QR Mobile Reviews—apart from requesting reviews from guests using your property, your website or your associated/3rd-party portals, you can create your own mobile review campaign using QR codes. Within minutes of the guest exiting your property, a thank you note along with the code in the footer seeking a review can be used for this purpose.
2. QR Discounting—create a special campaign where only customers capable of scanning the code in your printed literature like brochures or newspapers ads are delivered a special package. Here, you have created a new form of discount-rate marketing with the minimal effort.
3. QR Information Delivery—you can create easy-to-scan codes that immediately provide a virtual display of your property. This is more convenient rather than making a mobile user check into an entire section of your website dedicated to showcasing property images.
Why bother about using QR codes?
Using QR codes is just another way of connecting with offline folks who could be probable customers. You might have heard about how physical stores are trying to attract more customers by using QR code marketing. For many people, a hotel using QR coding technology is fashionable, tech-savvy and smart. Further, QR codes are used via mobiles—easily the most prevalent technology in use today. Hotel QR codes are easily scanned using mobile phone cameras, smartphone computing capabilities and the use of dedicated QR apps.