Self Check-in | Kiosk Setup

Kiosk Self Check-in is a series of services that differ from Mobile Self Check-in, in that the Guest will interact with a URL that is <usually> loaded onto an internet device (Mac, Windows, iPad, Android tablet, etc) in 'Kiosk mode' so that it neither looses power nor 'sleeps', already ready to serve your guests. When the Guest approaches the Kiosk, they can:

1. Load a Booking and Check-in
2. Make a Booking
3. Do one or both

Optionally, for MyGuest users, the Kiosk can deliver these functions from within the Concierge, or the access to the Concierge can be delivered from the Kiosk before or after check-in.

The Kiosk Agent

There are special Agents specifically for Kiosks, intended to make it easy for properties desiring Kiosks at multiple locations, for a variety of needs.  For example:

• If you run a Hotel at one location, a cabin rentals business in another location, and an RV or campground in a different location, each of the Kiosks at these locations may have different 'rooms' and rates to book, different payment policies (maybe EMV full payment for RV/camps, but authorization at check-in for the Hotel), and different contracts/deposit/ terms and conditions for checkin.  In this case, each Kiosk is a unique 'front desk' enforcing the rules of each business unit.
• Property manager with a collection of vacation rentals may desire a unique Kiosk at each 'house/villa', with a MyGuest Concierge for the particular Unit.

Of course, most BookingCenter customers have a single location and only one Kiosk. But Kiosk controls can be separate from normal 'front desk' business in order to:

• Offer the ability to book a room via your Kiosk and immediate;y resolve payment, contract signature, and access to the room.
• Allocate different rates/avail to the 'BookNow' from your Kiosks than is what is publicly display on your website, OTAs, or GDS profile.
• Enable a Guest who booked via a 'rate suppress' channel such as Expedia Collect, Booking.com pre-paid, HotelTonight paid booking (described here), to check-in, not sharing the rates that were booked via these 3rd parties, not see rates on their 'registration letter' required to sign, but required to provide an incidental credit card.
• Present unique Deposit and Cancellation messages when offering 'BookNow' from your Kiosk(s). To Guests who booked via traditional sources such as Booking.com, Expedia, or your website, the policy booked can be maintained, thus can be different for bookings booked via your Kiosk.
• Each Kiosk 
• The ability to turn on/off one Kiosk at a time and observe the status of each Kiosk.
• If using MyGuest,  each time a Kiosk is turned ON, MyGuest generates a request and identify who turned it on. When it's turned OFF, MyGuest closes the request.  This allows managers to know when, and whom, is using Kiosk Self Check-in to turn the property into auto-attendant mode.
• Each Kiosk presents particulars such as emergency phone number, payment policy, default language (yes, it is multi-lingual!), deposit policy so that each Kiosk offers different policies and branding business profiles, if desired.
• Each Kiosk can use a unique Booking Engine template (if offering 'Book Now' capabilities at the Kiosk) in order to facilitate the best experience for the Guest.  Learn more here.
• Each Kiosk uses a unique Letter (html file) that is displayed to the Kiosk when the Kiosk is Active (we call this the 'welcome letter'); when the Kiosk is Inactive; and also a branded Confirmation page presented to the User who turns the Kiosk On.  Letters are customized for the 'introduction' to each Kiosk, creating the 'look and feel' for your Kiosk experience.  These Letters are setup as 'Kiosk Letters' in the Letters area.  

Each Kiosk can show whether it: Authenticates (ie, 'check in' existing bookings); Books a Room (ie, allows user to 'book online'); or either/or of these options.  

Authenticating Bookings in a Kiosk:

Each 'welcome page' that BookingCenter supports has an option for a Guest to 'check in' via authenticating themself and finding their Booking(s).  

• If there is a single booking found: the Guest is taken to MyBooking to complete their Self Check-in.
• If there are multiple bookings found: the Guest is taken to MyBooking to complete to complete their Self Check-in for each booking, one-at-a-time.
• If there is no booking found: the Kiosk presents a Failure message "Sorry! We we not able to find you in our system."  They are then directed to contact the Hotel using the Kiosk contact number/Skype/WhatsApp provided.

Making a Booking from a Kiosk

When choosing to offer this capability, the Kiosk requests the following:

Booking Engine Template to Use

Each Kiosk Agent selects a unique Booking Engine template when offering 'Book Now' capabilities at the specific Kiosk(s), in order to facilitate the best experience for a Kiosk Guest.  Learn more about the different Booking Engine templates here.  

Manage the System Date and Arrival Date for Kiosk Bookings

By default, the Kiosk uses the 'System Date' of the PMS as the 'arrival date' to offer the Guest the ability to 'Book Now' and upon successful completion of their <optional> eSign and payment policy compliance, 'check in' to their unit.  By using System Date, the property can accept arrivals for 'today' as late in the evening as desired.  

Most properties manually manage Night Audit to set their System Date, and then increment the date manually when they wish. But some properties use Auto Night Audit to do this, and this can allow any setting between midnight and 6:30 am in half hour segments.  For example, if you are willing to accept bookings via your Kiosk for 'today' up till 4 am, but then want to stop any more checkins for the day, your options are:

1. Manually increment the date at 4 am in Night Audit to move to 'tomorrow' so your Kiosk begins offering booking arrivals at the current System Date.
2. Have your Auto Night Audit time set to 4 am so it automatically runs and offers booking arrivals for 'today' from 4:01 am onwards.  
3. Turn Off the Kiosk agent at 4 am to cease any more bookings from occurring via the specific Kiosk(s).

Payments for a Kiosk via an EMV device

Each Kiosk can have its own EMV payment terminal, so that a Kiosk in one location can offer different EMV terminal(s) than other Kiosk(s).  If using an EMV terminal, it is required that the Kiosk and the EMV device be on the same subnet of your IP network, and the EMV device secured and powered-up to work.  Getting a user to identify and use a 'tap/dip/swipe' EMV device can be a challenge, thus BookingCenter allows you a 'Note' field to explain to the Guest where the EMV device is located and how to use it.  Note that you can use either an EMV device (what we call 'EMV MyCard') or have the guest enter their credit card manually (what we call 'Traditional MyCard') when paying via Self Check-in. Either way is secure and offers PCI compliance.  In fact, you can offer a mix of payment options, with some bookings paying via an EMV (what we call 'EMV MyCard') while others manually manage credit cards (what we call 'Traditional MyCard').

Check-in After the Booking

Upon completing the booking, the Guest is requested to click a 'Check in now' button (or 'Pay and Check-in Now' if using payments) and then they perform their Self Check-in without having to authenticate themselves (as they just completed their booking, we 'know' who they are).