Three New Features to Deliver Fully Contactless Dining to Your Guests

From delivery type to contactless payments, see how INTELITY has created a completely touchless ordering and delivery process for guests.

Across the globe, a contactless revolution is occurring. Contactless payments are exploding—with 82% of respondents from a global Mastercard study reporting that they view contactless as a cleaner, safer way to pay. Over 70% of consumers from another study say they are more likely to order delivery if given a contactless option. And hospitality is no exception, with even the AHLA “Safe Stay” guidelines recommending hotels adopt technology to reduce contact wherever possible for safety.

In light of this massive spike in demand for contactless service, the INTELITY platform—which already included contactless check-in, mobile key, and mobile dining capabilities—has been quickly upgraded with key new features that further reduce touchpoints throughout the guest journey.

Here’s a rundown of how mobile dining capabilities have been updated to produce a completely contactless dining experience:

What’s new for guests?
Choose delivery type: traditional or contactless.
As the popularity of restaurant and grocery delivery apps continues to rise astronomically, consumers are coming to expect convenient, streamlined mobile ordering experiences. In response to that demand, one feature has become standard across all of these apps in recent months: an option for customers to select their delivery type.

It’s a simple, but effective way to put customers in control of when and how they receive their food. Anyone uncomfortable with physical contact or concerned about safety can choose contactless delivery, and have peace of mind. Imitating these apps, the INTELITY team has updated our mobile ordering process with a similar drop-down menu to ensure that convenience extends to hotel guests and how they receive room service orders.

A fully contactless experience—from ordering to payment to drop-off.
In the quest for a contactless experience, payments can often be problematic. If a guest orders online and specifies that they’re looking for a contactless delivery—but then is greeted by a staff member at their door needing payment or a signature to approve charges, it can be an unpleasant experience.

In order to eliminate the physical exchange of cash or card, the INTELITY platform has long allowed the bill for a mobile order to be added directly to the guest folio. But now, INTELITY has also removed the need for a physical signature. With the new e-signature option that has been added to the mobile ordering process, payments can be handled during the order rather than during drop-off, ensuring there are no barriers to touchless delivery.

What’s new for hoteliers?
Communicate safety policies and service changes to guests as they order.
With fluctuating safety levels, you may need to institute, adjust, or lift safety precautions throughout the rest of the year. In that case, keeping in close contact with guests is the only way to ensure a smooth service transition.
Many hotels are making contactless dining deliveries their default. Others are halting all normal room service deliveries for the time being and only allowing contactless drop-offs. And in either of those situations, the hotel may also have new directions for guests about new protocols for dish and trash pick-up. Whatever policies you adopt, keeping guests informed is essential.

To facilitate better communication of new policies and how they’ll affect service, the INTELITY platform has added a notification option within the mobile ordering process that will cover any of these needs.

The demand for contactless isn’t going away: as consumers continue to request contactless deliveries and experiences, they will quickly become a standard of good service. And while COVID-19 remains a threat worldwide, hoteliers would be wise to adapt mobile dining capabilities that bring the same level of convenience as GrubHub and Postmates—and reap the rewards of increased guest satisfaction and in-room revenue. To find out more about what your hotel can achieve with contactless dining, read the dining one-sheet.