If you missed the new kiosk live webinar on 2nd November, don’t worry, you can watch the recording here where our Product Manager,
- What’s happened since the release? (3m 50sec)
- the new feature in a live demo (5m 50sec)
- How kiosk delivers on time-saving efficiencies for your guests, with supporting statistics (20m 00sec)
- Q&A where our PM
@James.taylor answered +30 questions around the new feature (31m 30sec)
Read further below for FAQ’s that we weren’t able to get to as we ran out of time.
How accurate would the ID scanner reservation search be? Does it scan just the last name?
Using the find by ID option to find a reservation uses both the first and last names extracted from the ID to match against a reservation.
Is it possible to use 1 kiosk to check-in at multiple different properties? For locations that have off-site front-office?
Kiosk is configured to a single bookable service within one Mews property, as configured in Mews. It is not possible to configure one Kiosk to different Mews properties.
Are you planning to have a "confirmation number only" option to find reservations?
No, not at this time. However, please do reach out with any details about why you would like confirmation number only as a method to find a reservation at Kiosk.
Can we make the guest scan their passport if they selected other options other than id scan to check in as we need them to scan their passport?
In Guest Mode, if the guest doesn't scan their passport to find their reservation, then there is not another opportunity to use the passport scanner.
In Staff mode, the ID can be scanned from the registration card page.
The ID scan in the Kiosk only extracts the data from the ID to populate on the registration card. If the guest manually types in their information then this will achieve the same end result as scanning an ID. Please do share any further information you can about the need to scan the passport and how you expect that to be handled in the system.
Can the guest make a new reservation from the kiosk for walk in guest?
Currently, it's not possible to create a reservation in the Kiosk for walk-in guests.
A workaround to this is to use a QR code to a booking engine for walk ins. These guests will then be able to check themselves in on the Kiosk after creating a reservation on their own device.
For the guest who has completed the online check-in & we need them to scan their id at the kiosk, can that be done?
I'm keen to learn more about the reasons behind this question, please do reach out so we can have a follow up discussion.
If a guest has completed their online check in then a registration card is generated based on the entries made during online check in. They are not asked to provide additional details on the Kiosk, including scanning an ID, as everything will have been provided during online check in.
Can we limit the guest to a maximum number of keys?
Yes, the number of keys is always limited to a maximum of the number of people on the reservation.
Is the email address a mandatory field ? What if guest don't want to provide this data ?
The email field is mandatory for the reservation owner. It is optional for additional guests.
Capturing the email is important for continued communication with the guest, for example; sending the bill at the end of the stay or any important communications relating to their reservation.
Additionally, if the guest chooses to allow marketing communications, then this enables you to contact the guest.
If the reservation owner doesn't want to provide their email then they will not be able to complete the check in at the Kiosk. Please do contact us about this as I'm keen to understand your experience with this.
Is there any way to change MEWS Terminal for other integration in terms of payments? In some countries, MEWS Terminal is not competitive.
No, the Kiosk can only be configured with the Mews terminal for payments.
Is it still possible to copy the address from the main booker to the other people in the room, or does everything has to be written again?
This is not available in the new Kiosk yet, but we're actively working to have this available soon. Please keep an eye out for this soon!
Will the early check-in take the number of available rooms into consideration?
Yes, the early check in will only be offered if there are available rooms for the entire reservation. If there is not enough availability, then guests will be advised that their rooms aren't ready yet and to return at check in time.
Is it possible to have 2 options available, 1 for guest that have to pay at check-in and 1 for guest that will be invoiced afterwards because of company payment?
If you're directly invoicing guests from certain companies, then you are able to move or assign these bills to a company. Kiosk will then not charge guests this balance during check in. This can also be automated with a routing rule, see this guide.
Is ID scan available everywhere? It doesn't look like it's available in Canada right now?
ID scan is available in all locations. Please contact Support or reach out if this is not the case in Canada.
How can we connect the key card to our existing card provider? We have automation on the door and an automatic email is sent the code used on our app.
If you're using an email with a pin code for your door locks, then you wouldn't need the key card encoding steps in the Kiosk.
These won't be displayed in the Kiosk when there is no key encoder connected to the Kiosk. As you're using pin codes, you can configure some custom text in the "Thank you message" field that informs guests that they've received an email with their unique door code pin. Use this guide on setting up your Mews kiosk for help.
Small reminder that we'd love to see the Salto KS integration, so that the Guest Journey would be 100% possible with Mews only (without additional partners) 😊
Noted 👍 We’re speaking with the connectivity team
Can you use the kiosk to order products during the stay (i.e. drinks we sell at reception)
It is not possible to order products during stay on the Kiosk.
However, please do reach out as I am keen to discuss this further with you. We're assessing how we can better support the in-stay experience in the Mews Guest Journey, so this will be a good discussion.
If the reservation is already paid by the agency and the guest has nothing left to pay, is the kiosk asking for card details as guarantee for extras as minibar?
No, if there is no balance for the guest to pay then they will be allowed to check in on the Kiosk.
We have been working to add pre-authorization capability to Kiosk, so please let us know if this would be of interest for your use case and we can contact you with more details when it's available.
Can I assume it wont reallocate to a room that has a block-key on it?
Correct, if you enable the "Automatic space reallocation" setting, Kiosk will only move reservations to spaces that aren't locked. Also, Kiosk will not move a reservation that is locked to its current space.
When you have several "bookable" products our kiosk stopped working due to a bug with several bookable products in a Mews account? Is this fixed?
This is not a bug I'm familiar with from the description. Please can you reach out to Support with the details and we can follow up on the issue you experienced.
Are you looking into finger print identification for guests to obtain card and even check-out? Now anybody knowing name/room# can check you out
Finger print is not something that we're considering to get a room key or check out. I'm keen to understand more about whether the current options are suitable for your property or if you're looking for something more secure. Please do reach out so we can pick up that conversation.
For check out, we tried to strike a balance between secure and easy to complete. I believe there is very limited risk if a guest does check out another guest, but please do share any more context if you believe this to be too open.
Reservations through AirBnb that are not always paid to the hostel when checking in, the reservation will appear to be paid instead of credit?
Please can you share some additional details for this question and perhaps an example as well? This will help me better prepare an answer.
Will the kiosk be used to book a room in the future?
This is not currently possible, but I'm keen to discuss this further with you. We're assessing ways to keep improving the Kiosk experience and walk-in bookings is an opportunity we see. Please do reach out so we can discuss this further.