Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has become one of the first hotel companies to offer a portfolio-wide, mobile tipping solution.
Developed and managed by Béné, a leader in cashless tipping, the platform enables guests across the USA and Canada to tip hotel team members digitally via their preferred mobile device. It comes as a rising number of consumers adopt and show a preference for digital payments, which according to consulting firm McKinsey, 82 percent of Americans are now using.
The guest demand for digital payment solutions was dramatically accelerated by the pandemic and is expected to only continue in the coming years.
"Having previously empowered our franchisees to accept digital, contactless payment for stays at their hotels, the next logical step was to find a solution that allows guests to recognise housekeepers, wait staff and other frontline team members similarly," said Scott Strickland, chief information officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "This platform does exactly that at virtually no cost to franchisees."
Once a hotel opts in and is set up on the Béné platform, guests can easily recognise employees of their choice by scanning a QR code during their stay and choosing how much they would like to tip. Each team member's QR codes are unique, and tips are deposited daily directly into their individual bank accounts or the property's account to be distributed with regular payroll. Multiple forms of payment are available, including credit card, Apple Pay and Google Paytm. Like other digital payment services, platform costs are covered by guests via a small transaction fee, leaving hotels responsible only for basic marketing materials, which can either be ordered directly via Béné at a minimal cost or created by themselves.
The beauty of this tipping solution is its simplicity and how easy it is for franchisees to allow their guests to switch from cash to digital. There's no application to download and no software to install. Entirely web-based, as long as guests have a phone and an internet connection, they can tip and show appreciation.
Wyndham's push for mobile tipping comes with the Company's broader celebrations supporting International Housekeepers & Environmental Services Week, a global initiative sponsored by The Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association (IHEA), dedicated to acknowledging the efforts of housekeepers and custodial staff members. Held annually during the second full week of September, Wyndham leadership and its franchisees spend the week honouring hotel housekeepers worldwide, making in-person visits while giving away an array of awards and prizes, including millions of Wyndham Rewards points.
"At the heart of every great hotel is a great team of housekeepers," said Scott LePage, president, Americas, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "This week is all about celebrating them and all they do for both guests and our industry. While we invite everyone to join us in showing their thanks this week, our greater hope is that through initiatives like mobile tipping, we can empower guests by making it easier for them to show their appreciation with every stay, no matter the time of year."
Mobile tipping is the latest initiative as part of Wyndham's ongoing, multi-year digital transformation. Over the past three years, the Company has significantly invested in new technology to enhance the guest experience while providing best-in-class resources and improved operational efficiencies for its franchisees. Earlier this year, it launched Road Trip Planner, an innovative new tool allowing travellers to seamlessly plot, plan and book their ideal road trip via Wyndham's award-winning mobile app. More recently, RevIQ, a next-generation, cloud-based, mobile-first revenue management system designed to help franchisees optimise their revenue strategies and grow market share, was debuted.
