In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an innovative New Zealand designed application for venue check-in is gaining global recognition. Developers believe it could become the international standard for venue access.
GuestHQ allows customers to check-in to a premises using their phone. New Zealand hospitality operators Richard McLeod and James Arnott, who also own Loaded Reports, designed GuestHQ prior to the lockdown period, which allowed for extensive real world testing over the past six weeks.
It has had an overwhelming response, with businesses throughout the country using the free application: over 750,000 check-ins occurred and more than 5,000 businesses registered in just the first three weeks of operation.
GuestHQ has already started to roll out in Australia with a similarly overwhelming response from restaurant, bar and cafe owners. Early adopters of the application include Baby Coffee Co, Bondi Trattoria and Fix Wine Store.
The Restaurant & Catering Association has put out best practice guidelines to assist business owners as they look to reopen. The first is ‘Bookings and Conditions of Entry’ and encourages people to pre-book or sign-in. GuestHQ provides a fast, secure and easy check-in process that respects consumer privacy.
General manager Poppy Gresson sees GuestHQ sitting alongside the venues’ booking systems because it has the ability to capture all guests’ contact details (not only those of the person who booked) as well as suppliers and staff members — providing a more complete registry of who is in the venue at any time for tracing purposes. It also requires minimal staff involvement as guests check in via their own device.
Gresson says New Zealand is internationally recognised as ‘going hard and going early’ in response to COVID-19 and Guest HQ has set the standard for ease and efficiency of use.
Registration is free and has been designed so no account is required to operate, you simply register your business at www.guesthq.com.au/register and within 24 hours guests can begin checking in at your premises. For larger businesses there are opportunities to White Label the Check-in process to provide a complete customer experience.
There are also a number of high profile New Zealand companies who are looking to roll out in Australia and they will be taking GuestHQ with them.
One such company is Rodd & Gunn. “Our business relies significantly on walk-in customers so it is vitally important that there’s a standard, fast and simple way that people can access our stores,” says owner Mike Beagley. “We are hopeful GuestHQ will become the standard application so shoppers don’t have to use countless different methods to check-in to venues.”
Operators can sign up for the service now.
