What happens when a potential guest rolls onto your property five minutes after the office closes and they do not have a reservation? Do they try calling the after-hours number? What if you miss the call? Do they just pull into a space and hope nobody already reserved it for the night?
This, and more guest independence, is easily resolved with a kiosk. A kiosk is simply a computer or tablet secured in a location open 24 hours a day and locked on one webpage for self service.
Self Serve Options
If guests arrive to find office staff unavailable or you want them to have more self serve independence, they can use the kiosk. The five self service options are: Check in, Make a reservation, Pay for a past stay, Manage my reservation, and Check out.
Check-In
If the guest already has a reservation, this option allows the guest to check in when they arrive so you know they have arrived. This information is recorded on their reservation so you can track no-shows.
Make a Reservation
Guests who arrive at your property who do not already have a reservation can choose this option and reserve a space using the reservation portal. This is the same reservation portal your guests use from your website, so the experience will be the same. They will be able to view real time availability of spaces, and they will have assurance that the space they choose is not already reserved. Plus, they can pay for the reservation immediately so you get paid quicker.
Pay for a Past Stay
On rare occasions, a guest may pull into an open space late at night without having made a previous reservation. Even if you require all guests to have a reservation be staying, this scenario is still possible and understandable, as this is standard procedure at many parks. When morning arrives, the guest would just need to visit the kiosk and select this option to pay for the previous nights stay. This logs the stay in the system as a regular reservation for reporting purposes.
Pay for a past stay with the always available KioskManage My Reservation
Finally, the last option allows the guest to view and manage their reservation by opening the guest portal. This is the same guest portal that is accessible online. The guest portal allows for the guest to view and make payments, update payment methods on file, and view reservation details. This can be useful if the guest does not have access to their own computer or tablet.
Check Out
If a guest already has a reservation, this options allows guest to complete check out. When clicked, a guest will be prompted to enter their first and last name associated to the reservation. If the reservation is found, they can then proceed to check out.
Setting Up Your Kiosk
Setting up a Kiosk only takes the 3 steps outlined below. To view and test the URL of your property's Kiosk, just navigate to Settings > Property, and select the 'Kiosk' tab. You will see your Kiosk URL in blue hyperlinked text. Click on the link to be taken to kiosk mode.
For security, a user is signed out of Firefly when they navigate to the kiosk URL. Anyone using kiosk mode has no access to Firefly's front desk or internal information. All kiosk users may only access the five self serve options listed above.
Implementing a kiosk only takes a few simple steps!
- Choose your location. Decide where your kiosk will be used. The location needs to be weatherproof to protect your device and accessible to guests 24 hours a day. Possible locations are the lobby of your office, the laundry facilities, or a community room. If this will not be the first location guests visit when they arrive, you will want to provide information directing your guests to the kiosk.
- Choose your device. Kiosk mode is available from any device with a browser and internet, including a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet. Windows 10 has a kiosk mode which allows a PC to be locked down so only 1 website can be used and Windows 11 offers Assigned Access. When the computer is booted up, it goes directly to the chosen website and the user cannot leave that site. There are also kiosk apps for iOS and Android tablets that provide similar features.
- Setup your kiosk. Set up your device in it's location, don't forget signage to assist your guests in locating and identifying the kiosk. Set your device to the kiosk URL. Here are instructions on using the Windows 10 Kiosk mode. If using a tablet, you will follow the directions provided in your chosen app.
Kiosk Mode on a Guest Device
You are still able to offer self service to your guests even if your property does not have a secure location or an extra device. As an alternative to a property provided kiosk, you may create and display a QR code linked to your kiosk URL. A sign directing guests to the self service features through the QR code, allows guests to use their own device for any of the self serve kiosk actions.
Even though your guest is using their own device, your property data remains secure as kiosk mode does not provide any access to Firefly's front desk or internal information. All kiosk URL users can only complete the five self serve options: Check in, Make a reservation, Pay for a past stay, Manage my reservation, and Check out.