Maids are a major asset to the hotel industry

Electronic tipping could help attract and retain them

Profits in the hotel industry are dependent on guest experience

A great experience increases guest satisfaction and the chancesthat the client will return to the hotel or recommend it to others. That, in turn, increases hotel revenue and generates marketing for the business e.g., the Harvard Review claims that customers who had great experiences in the past with a company will spend 140% more compared to people who had poor experiences. ¹.

So what is important to hotel guests?

According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) 2023 State of the Hotel Industry Report ² cleanlinessisamong the top three factors most likely to influence a guest’s choice to stay in a hotel. Nearly half of respondents (45%) said overall cleanliness and safety protocols influence their choice (up from 37% pre-COVID).

Guests concern with cleanliness has increased because of the pandemic and is not about to go away. According to the Emprise white paper ³, 90% of travellers will avoid booking hotels described as being ‘dirty’ in a review. In a world where social media reign, bad reviews have the potential to seriously damage the reputation and revenue of hotels. In fact, cleanliness is so important that the American and Canadian Automobile Association (AAA&CAA) has implemented a new rating system, the Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping designation, to identify hotels with exceptional cleaning practices ⁴.

Unfortunately, the hotel industry is experiencing serious staff shortages

According to Statistics Canada ⁵, in 2022, nearly two-thirds (64%) of businesses in accommodation and food services expected shortage of labour to be an obstacle, the largest proportion across all sectors.

Low pay is an issue for hotel workers

A third of hotel workers said they won’t be returning to the industry because they want higher pay ⁶. Providing customers with a mobile payment option like Tip&Go, increases tips by up to 30%. Employees can earn up to $5.00 more an hour.

Cashless tipping can put as much as $2,700 in tips in the pockets of each employee annually. That extra $50 per week will go a long way in making up for high living costs due to inflation ⁷.

Tip&Go may not solve the hotel labour shortage issue but could go a long way in reducing it.

Francis Léonard, CEO