Temperature Checks and ID Verification in Contactless Hotel Experience

Contactless guest experience is the new reality of hospitality. In addition to changes in the front desk, elevators, and guest rooms, there are other areas where contactless technology has proved itself to be indispensable: temperature checks and ID verification.  

Body temperature checks, though not perfect, are a widely adopted preventative method. As businesses reopen, they have put in place a dedicated temperature checkpoint to spot individuals displaying the most obvious sign of coronavirus.

Read part 1 of our series about “The New Face of Hospitality” HERE

However, mass temperature checks using handheld devices can be overwhelming, and these devices could misread the body’s heat or become a virus carrier if not sanitised correctly after every use. 

Another tough nut to crack is providing contactless ID verification during the era when the number of frauds and identity thefts are increasing at an alarming rate. 

Interestingly, customers prefer self-service technologies⁵. How can hotels ensure these procedures are as secure and seamless as taking a selfie?

Contactless temperature check and ID verification, what are the options?

In Singapore, touch-free temperature check kiosks have already been put into a trial at several busy bus interchanges and MRT stations⁶. Commuters stand in front of the device, and the sensors detect heat signature from their forehead. 

In the attempt to minimise the spread of the contagious virus in public, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Hotel Association have launched an e-Visitor Authentication System (EVA) – a contactless tech designed to verify guests’ IDs during check-ins⁷. 

Guests simply take a picture of their passports using their mobile phones, the information will be auto-populated into an e-registration card and instantly verified by the Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. Identities can also be verified through facial recognition technology using selfie photos.

Though still in its trial stage, the system is expected to help hotels to reduce up to 70 per cent of processing times⁸, allowing them to authenticate guests much faster.

Earlier this year, IntraEdge, Pyramid Computer and Intel have been working together to manufacture a contactless option, named Janus, capable of scanning the temperature, verifying IDs, and sending statuses to individuals’ smartphones and checkers’ systems.

Read more: 5 More Digital Transformation Trends in the Hotel Industry

NEC, a Tokyo-based corporation, debuted its contactless biometric check-in service including delivering guests’ room keys via biometric kiosks in Singapore back in August to several hotel operators⁹. NEC’s solution can help to authenticate every guest by requesting them to scan their passports and faces at the kiosks, then compare the data captured for verification. The solution by NEC received high remarks due to its capabilities to authenticate guests even when they are wearing face masks.

Having said that, temperature checking is not entirely fool-proof. There is a possibility that guests are asymptomatic and do not display any obvious signs of being infected. Hotels need to use a combination of different preventative methods advised by healthcare authorities to ensure a safe environment for both guests and employees.

Read more: A Primer of Next-Generation Revenue Management

You have just finished part 2 of our multiple parts series about “Unmasking the New Face of Hospitality” where we will discuss in-depth the various contactless technologies and opportunities of establishing new revenue models. Stay tuned to our upcoming part 3 by subscribing to our TRG Blog today!

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