Paperless pricing in the hotel industry
Digitalization plays a significant role throughout the economic sector and also affects the gastronomy. Sustainability, quality and an attractive design are therefore becoming increasingly important factors. Electronic price labeling combines these elements and provides an appropriate way to be part of the digital transformation. ESL guarantees an appealing and individual design of food signs or menu boards, including menu covers, and the highest standards of hygiene, as electronic labels will not get dirty or damaged as easily as paper labels. Furthermore, RFID- labels adapt precisely to the existing conditions of your hotel or restaurant and are a sustainable option for food, price or room labeling. Due to the digital administration, hospitality businesses can centralize their signage management and update the prices directly from their desk instead of manually writing on blackboards or print new meal planners. For example, you can re-label the signs at buffets wirelessly whenever necessary. By using electronic labels or digital menu boards, your company generates efficiency as well as sustainability, and your business benefits from an enhanced topicality and a greater uniformity.
Areas of applications for electronic shelf labels
In the hotel industry and gastronomy, electronic price tags are a sensible investment. ESL in restaurants, bars and cafés can be used for allergen information and price labeling of food, drinks and other items. On special occasions, like weddings or birthday celebrations, there is also the option of electronically transmitting individual menus or special menu covers onto the digital signs. Furthermore, ESL in hotels is very useful to identify the number of free hotel rooms or to help guests find their way around the building without relying on paper signs. If a hotel has a specific look, the digital boards can also be made to resemble wall art or suit a specific aesthetic. Additionally, digital price labels can be used in the hotel's souvenir shop to highlight items or offers. In terms of food signage, digital tags can be used to label buffets. Menu cards and boards, as well as individual dishes can be updated instantly, if a displayed dish is no longer available or has new ingredients.
- Price information in restaurants and bars
- Information about food allergies
- Digital menus for special occasions
- Information at reception areas
- Product prices and highlights at souvenir shops in hotels
- Digital signage at conferences
- Table reservations
- Updates to the buffet signs
- Digital room signage
Benefits of using ESL for your company
Electronic shelf labels add value to companies, as they allow presenting information in a modern, up-to-date and consistent way. Due to the fact that digital signage can be personalised and updated at will, your hotel or restaurant can easily adapt to international or local competition. If you use electronic price tags, it takes only a few seconds to cut or increase prices. This is especially advantageous when it comes to special events such as "happy hour" or special "tea time" offers in Cafés: digital price labels allow pre-programming of price reductions at a certain time. In another area of application, table reservations can be updated with just one click.
One of the most crucial factors for any business is customer satisfaction. ESL can positively impact relations with guests in the hospitality industry by facilitating information exchange. Finally, digital tags in hotels or restaurants improve sustainability considerably by preventing considerate paper waste. For example, day tickets or programs do not have to be printed daily but can be conveniently transferred to the e-shelf labels.
- Increased competitiveness through up-to-date prices
- Minimal time required for changes of any kind
- Possibility of individual adaption to special events
- Improvement of customer satisfaction
- Sustainability through paper waste prevention
- Transparent and modern signage that every guest can understand
- Ability to get more information by scanning the QR Code
- Constant actuality through regular information updates
- Possibility to request further information
- Easier navigation inside buildings or through buffets
Benefits for hotel guests by using electronic shelf labels
ESL in your hotel or restaurant signals transparency and progressiveness to your guests. Many electronic price tags can display individual QR codes, which guests can easily scan with their phones to receive more information about a product or service. This is especially important for guests with food intolerances, who can use the QR code - displayed on the electronic shelf label – to get all necessary information about the ingredients used in a meal. Because of the simplicity of updating electronic signs, your guests will always have the latest information and complaints concerning incorrect pricing will be avoided. During conferences or at reception areas, ESL serves as information signage. The digital labels can show the names and roles of participants, therefore making name tags or temporary visitor identifications redundant.
Fully automatic menu and reservation planning: SmaSS Catering
The organizational planning of a buffet includes not only the labeling of the dishes at the buffet but also the labeling of menu cards, menu boards and place cards. To save the time from manual labeling and paper costs, owners of restaurants are turning to digital signs. It allows for central content management and changes can be displayed on the digital labels with one click. But it can get even easier. You can skip this click also with the middleware solution "SmaSS Catering": Thanks to the calendar function, meals can be planned in advance in a 2-week rhythm, for example for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This provides you with a fully automated menu and reservation planning system that rotates the labels of buffet and table cards in seconds and with pinpoint accuracy.
Other fields of application
- Events
Digital signage also has many uses in various events such as trade fairs or exhibitions. Labels can be used in large halls with changing contents
- Room Management
Intelligent and updated room management thanks to centralised software which can be integrated into existing planning and calendar software
- Tourism
Online tourism business and the high customer demand result in constantly varying prices – what makes a fast update to an absolute must-have
