Grab & Go Kiosk Improvements

Following the initial testing phase and several months of daily operational use, we have collected a number of observations and improvement suggestions for the Grab & Go Kiosk. Overall, the product is functioning well and has been positively received. However, several recurring real-life scenarios are creating unnecessary friction for both guests and hotel staff.

Most of the feedback relates to reservation lookup and guest identification, which currently represents the largest operational challenge.

1. More Flexible Guest Search Functionality

Current challenge

Reservations can only be found when the guest details entered at the kiosk exactly match the information stored in the PMS.

We regularly encounter situations where:

The guest's first name and surname were accidentally reversed during the booking process. The error was not identified during check-in and remains in the PMS. The guest subsequently cannot find the reservation at the kiosk because the exact combination is required.

Requested enhancement

Allow the kiosk to identify reservations more flexibly by accepting either the first name or surname in combination with the room number, regardless of which field the information is stored in.

Expected benefit

A more flexible search logic would significantly reduce failed reservation lookups caused by data-entry errors and improve the self-service experience.

2. Guests with Multiple Surnames

Current challenge

Guests with multiple surnames, particularly guests from Spain and Latin American countries, often need to enter all surnames exactly as stored in the PMS together with their room number.

Many guests are unsure which surname combination was used during the reservation process, resulting in failed searches.

Requested enhancement

Allow reservation lookup when one of the surnames is entered together with the room number, rather than requiring an exact match of all surnames.

Expected benefit

Improved usability for international guests and fewer failed reservation searches.

3. Special Characters and Accents

Current challenge

Guests frequently struggle to enter special characters on the tablet keyboard.

Common examples include:

Dupré entered as Dupre Müller entered as Muller José entered as Jose

These variations are not always recognised by the current search functionality.

Requested enhancement

Implement accent-insensitive and special-character-insensitive matching during reservation lookup.

Expected benefit

A more user-friendly search experience and fewer lookup failures caused by keyboard limitations or typing variations.

4. Hyphenated or Combined Surnames

Current challenge

In many countries, guests use combined or hyphenated family names such as Garcia-Lopez.

If only Garcia or Lopez is entered, the reservation cannot currently be located.

Requested enhancement

Allow the search functionality to recognise and match individual components of a hyphenated surname.

Expected benefit

Improved reservation lookup accuracy for guests with combined family names.

5. Allow Purchases for Same-Day Arrivals Prior to Check-In

Current challenge

Guests who arrive before their room is ready are often assigned a room number but cannot yet be checked in because housekeeping is still preparing the room.

These guests frequently wish to purchase coffee, drinks or snacks while waiting. Currently, purchases cannot be posted to their reservation through the kiosk because the reservation has not yet been checked in.

Requested enhancement

Allow kiosk purchases for guests with:

Arrival date = today Assigned room number Reservation status not yet checked in

Expected benefit

Improved guest experience and increased operational flexibility.

6. Allow Purchases for Same-Day Departures After Check-Out

Current challenge

Guests lose charging privileges immediately after checkout.

We regularly have guests who remain in the hotel after checkout while:

Working in the lounge or bar Attending meetings Waiting for transportation

These guests can no longer post kiosk purchases to their reservation.

Requested enhancement

Allow guests departing on the current day to continue charging purchases through the kiosk, with the reservation automatically moving to a status similar to "Checked Out with Balance".

To avoid unintended situations, this functionality should only apply to:

Guests arriving today Guests departing today

Expected benefit

Better alignment with real-life hotel operations and additional revenue opportunities.

7. Simplify the Final Confirmation Screen

Current challenge

The final screen currently contains explanatory text such as:

"Add/remove item? Tap < to edit your selection" "Want to cancel? Tap X to cancel purchase"

These instructions are generally self-explanatory based on the icons already displayed.

Requested enhancement

Reduce or remove unnecessary instructional text on the final confirmation screen.

Expected benefit

A cleaner user interface with improved focus on the most important information.

Business Impact

The kiosk is performing well overall, and these suggestions are intended to further improve adoption and usability. The majority of operational challenges currently relate to reservation lookup limitations rather than the purchasing process itself.

The highest-priority improvements are:

More flexible guest search functionality Multiple surname handling Accent-insensitive matching Hyphenated surname support

Together, these enhancements would resolve the majority of guest identification issues currently encountered during daily operations and significantly reduce the need for staff assistance.