Autonomous arrival in a short-term rental is announced as The 2021 trend by Airbnb and industry experts. Perfectly adapted to the pandemic period we are going through, it nevertheless arouses passions. Especially when the subject is raised on social networks. Defenders and recalcitrants oppose it, revealing an unfinished debate. Autonomous arrival, in a nutshell, is the ability offered to a traveller to take possession of the rented property, without human presence. It will therefore be able to access via a connected lock or a key box. If you want to know more about how smart locks work, feel free to read our article here. And that, without requiring the intervention of a third person (host or concierge). Short-term rentals have also recently become popular. However, the hotel sector, guardian of the codes of excellence in tourist reception, has used this model for many years. Especially for late travelers, then on a daily basis. Not to mention first-class hotels where the reception is automatically done via a terminal. This does not in any way call into question the concept of hospitality in this activity. It is just experienced and realized differently. Because it must be admitted, everything is changing. Everything is changing. Does autonomous entry mean that the welcome will necessarily be impersonal and cold? According to Airbnb itself, the answer is no. “Autonomous arrival allows hosts to offer a warm welcome even from a distance”. And yet, despite the platform's stated support, the question is divisive. On the other hand, it brings together all the players in the hotel and short-term rental sector on a fundamental point. All that counts is the satisfaction of the traveller in the end.
If you realize right now that you will have neither the time nor the energy to take care of your short-term rental property, OIQIA offers you to manage it from A to Z, for you.
From the writing of your announcement to the autonomous entry of your guests to cleaning your home, we take care of everything!
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For the entrance to the home to be autonomous, it requires that each entry point (from the first portal, SAS, etc.) to the housing door be openable without external intervention. For this, several solutions exist.
Very affordable (between 20 and 50€ on average), key boxes or keylocks are proliferating. By entering a code manually to obtain a physical key, the traveller can access the accommodation. This key box can be fixed to the wall (pay attention to authorizations), hidden, padlocked. All shots are allowed. Small inconveniences and not the least: it must be found (it is necessary to explain its access to the traveller well) and it can easily be robbed.
Connected locks allow you to open the rented accommodation by downloading an application or via a digicode. The connected lock or the keypad (code keypad) is installed on the door, without damaging it, and facilitates the automation of the entrance. In fact, temporary entry codes can be generated as soon as a reservation is confirmed. And allow the host or concierge to save time. For the traveller, all you have to do is access the front door. Easy, easy to use, encrypted, this solution is strongly encouraged. It also allows you to control entrances and exits and to be able to open the door remotely (in the case of Nuki, for example). Small disadvantage: the price (between 200 and 400€ on average). But quality comes at a price.
OIQIA has chosen connected locks and works in collaboration with the Nuki brand. Autonomous entry is part of its DNA and its values. How does this work in practice? From the traveller's point of view, they are asked to download the OIQIA application from the store (Android or Apple). Once downloaded, he will be able to enter his reservation number and access information on the rented accommodation. The application allows him to standalone entry particularly simple. Either he enters a code or he presses a button. And the door opens! Finally, the application also allows him to be remotely guided to the door of the rented accommodation and to access the house rules and welcome booklet.(I am reading: the Airbnb short-term rental welcome booklet: why? how? for what?)From the point of view of the manager, host or concierge, there is no need to multiply management tools. This is what is revolutionary about the OIQIA approach: no waste of time and resources. A single management tool to manage everything. This unique channel manager will allow you to manage both reservations and the Nuki connected lock. Unique and simple. Because the time of the host or the caretaker is valuable. In concrete terms, there is no need to call or manually send the entry code to the traveller. The OIQIA tool makes it possible to automatically generate temporary codes that will be sent to it. Everything is managed from one place. And our tool allows us to control entries and exits. Allows us to generate a specific code for the cleaning service provider. It couldn't be simpler!
When it comes to building doors or gates, you have to consider case by case. In the majority of configurations, Autonomous arrival can be set up without major problems. In particular, when there are intercoms or digicodes.
On the rental platform (Airbnb, Booking, Abritel etc.), it is essential to indicate the autonomous entry of the accommodation. As well as the related instructions. It is also possible to specify that this may be an option in the announcement. Depending on the purpose of the host or concierge. Thus, the traveller who filters by autonomous entry will be offered accommodation. In addition, he will have time to integrate the instructions before he arrives. Although the precise details will only be communicated once the reservation is made. Also, for segments of travelers who are reluctant to arrive independently, it will be possible for them to make their choice with a clear conscience.
The autonomous arrival of the traveller is, according to Airbnb, one of the most popular filters used on the platform. In addition, it allows entry without time stress. Many countries have already adopted it and the feedback is, according to the platform, more than positive. Moreover, in our article on the 2021 short-term rental trends, we clearly relayed that fact. Autonomous entry will be preferred in the years to come, especially driven by this period of pandemic. And social distance.
Sans Autonomous arrival in the accommodation, it is necessary to schedule a physical appointment for the delivery of the keys. Unfortunately, in fact, travelers are not always respectful of schedules, whether voluntarily or not. The establishment of a standalone entry makes it possible to overcome this disadvantage. Especially during the curfew period. The host or the concierge does not necessarily want to risk a fine for being late outside the time limit.
Autonomous entry for short-term rentals is also a practical solution for cities whose centers are difficult to access. Impossible to access it by car or simply because of a lack of free parking space. This will make it easier for the traveller to take possession of their accommodation, especially when the accommodation is a small area with few instructions to exchange. Of course, this does not prevent a host or a concierge from visiting him afterwards. Practicality is once again in doubt.
As with any business, whether you are a host or a concierge, the interest is to be profitable. And that, beyond all the pleasure or the meaning that one gives to one's activity. It is preferable to optimize your trips in order to welcome a traveler if you think that it is essential to do it in person. Just to adapt to your arrival, which is more or less approximate in hourly terms. Because poorly orchestrated logistics means wasting time in transport, spending gas, parking tickets. Not to mention possible fines for annoying parking. Logistics is an important point, regardless of the sector of activity. Autonomous arrival of the traveller therefore makes it possible to gain in profitability. Time is money, say the Anglo-Saxons. No wonder that Autonomous arrival be widely used in these countries.
So, Autonomous arrival is a solution perfectly suited to the current period and should be considered as a possible option rather than a frontal attack on face-to-face reception. As two superhosts in Mexico explain on the Airbnb site, the idea is to allow different segments of travelers to choose the option they prefer. The welcome can also be done virtually via a recorded message. As physical distance is currently preferred, finding new tips to adapt to the context is a must. Finally, the digitization of documents is also recommended. And this, in order to meet current health recommendations (pdf format, QR codes: everything is allowed)
For decades, the hotel industry has insisted on the importance of face-to-face hospitality. The small touch of welcome, the smile, the kindness. However, this did not prevent it from turning 360 degrees, preferring, in many cases, Autonomous arrival and fast for the traveller. Indeed, who wants to line up at the reception to take possession of their room, in exchange for a smile (certainly fabulous) from the receptionist? Let's be pragmatic. Many segments of travelers today want quick access to their room or accommodation. And do not necessarily want to be welcomed in person and to have to communicate. Smile, chat. The pleasure that the host or the concierge has in receiving is not necessarily the pleasure felt by the traveler, eager to enjoy his stay. Travel fatigue, children running in all directions... you can sometimes make every effort in the world to welcome the best in the world in person, your traveler will not care. Why? Because his need at this precise moment is not welcome but to rest. To manage the children. To have peace.
The hotel industry is not the only one in the service sector today to automate access to them. Banks favor it, as well as car rental companies, public transport, hypermarkets, etc. The list is long. Some dissatisfied people are protesting against the change. In short-term rentals, there will always be travelers who need and want a person in person to welcome them. Moreover, it is a transversal customer segment, with seniors in particular. However, today the observation is clear: are those who require face-to-face meetings really ready to pay for this service? In other words, is it important enough for them to agree to pay extra if necessary? The answer is no. But in order not to transform this customer segment into a group, organized and critical, the various sectors of activity continue to offer specific face-to-face services. But at a higher cost. It's up to everyone to choose. When the statistical weight of this segment is significantly minimal, then it will be destined to disappear. Automation and the empowerment of the customer and the traveller make it possible to make the business profitable and save time. In the end, all industries are facing the same problem. And seem to solve them in a similar way. Can we really fight against change?
“Change like automation is killing jobs.” Oh yeah? What job? Is a job that is no longer adapted to needs still a useful job? Let's not forget that needs are changing. It is a fact whether we like it or not. If we look at the example of the cashier who would disappear in favor of the empowerment of the customer who scans his purchases himself and makes the payment. However, have they disappeared from our field of vision? No. But their role is changing. It is less mechanical and more focused on interpersonal relationships and especially the resolution of problems and conflicts. And what is the warm welcome basically? It is transmitting positive energy, a smile, the happiness of receiving another person. It is communicating with the other and for the latter to receive the signals sent. Is physical presence essential? Of course both answers are acceptable. Because travelers are not one but multiple. Some will still need in-person attendance, others will not. Basically, there are several customer segments. And so the objective is just to serve the segment we want to target. Welcoming is therefore not human. Reception means customer satisfaction, regardless of the way used. What matters is the result, not the means. And that is why the art of welcoming is multiple.
OIQIA favors autonomous entry but in no case does not neglect the human element. On the other hand, humans, as many sectors of activity have done before, are there when they are needed. In other words, it meets a specific and real need. An expectation. The OIQIA team is there when the owner needs advice, feedback, or a solution. It is also there when the traveller expresses the need for it. Otherwise, the digitization of the service allows him to meet his own needs, when he wishes, thanks to the application dedicated to him. Thus, people are always where we want to invest. If, in your opinion, the reception is only face-to-face, it is a completely defendable point of view. But we must also admit that we enjoy welcoming ourselves in person. Hence the fact that we project a lot on travelers that we meet our own needs and expectations. Whether you are a host or a concierge.
So, the autonomous arrival in a short-term rental of the traveller is a convenient, efficient and cost-effective way to access rented accommodation. In no case is it automatically a question of eliminating all human presence. Face-to-face reception can be carried out but in a staggered manner. More optimized in terms of logistics. Especially during curfew when the traveller arrives late. He accesses his home independently and the host or the concierge can optimize his visit at another time to welcome him. If he wishes and if he feels a need in the traveller. Autonomous arrival in a short-term rental is above all an easy, flexible and secure access tool. That said, many countries, many sectors of activity, have automated the taking over of services and there is little doubt that this trend will be normalized. In fact, whether we like it or not, services are becoming more and more digital because no activity can survive for long without profitability. And short-term rentals will be no exception.
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