Dear Hoteliers,
Here is a concise article that is more of a tutorial than my classic posts. But as a significant number of hoteliers asked me the question concerning the Covid-19 (and the new safety standards), I thought I should share the answer. I’m sure you will find it interesting.
How to make your various documents easily accessible online, via QR codes?
This applies to your restaurant menus, your Room Directory, your general conditions, or other regulations, whether you put them in your room or at the reception desk.
Enjoy reading!
Step 1: Prepare your document.
Take the document you need to make available and turn it into a PDF. Depending on the software you are using, the method may be slightly different. To simplify, let’s use an open source online software.
- If your file is a Word document: https://www.ilovepdf.com/word_to_pdf
- If your file is a PowerPoint: https://www.ilovepdf.com/powerpoint_to_pdf
- If your file is an Excel file: https://www.ilovepdf.com/excel_to_pdf
Retrieve your new PDF file.
Step 2: Host your document.
For your document to be available online, you must host it somewhere. There are several elementary solutions. Let’s stick with Google’s solution.
Sign in to https://drive.google.com/ using your regular Google Account (or create one if you don’t have one). At the top left, click on “New” and then on “Import a file.” Select your PDF file and import it.
Find this imported file in your list on Google Drive. Then right-click and select “Share.” A small window will open: click on “Consultation authorized via…” and then, on “More.”
Select “Public” from the list and click “Save.”
Back on your small window, click the “Copy link.”
You now have a file hosted online and available to the general public.
Step 3: create your QR code.
Nothing could be simpler!
Go to https://www.qr-code-generator.com/, paste the Google Drive link of your file in the box on the left, and click “Download.” Wait for the download to start and then retrieve your image from the QR code.
Step 4: print your QR code.
Finally, I advise you to create a small Word document containing your QR Code and an explanatory sentence. Then print this document and put it on a nice display.
Your customers will only have to scan the code with their phone to access the digital versions of your documents. Once again, they will feel that you are making a real effort to maintain the Covid-19 security standards.
Conclusion
To conclude, you must:
- Turn your document into a PDF;
- Host it on Google Drive and make it public;
- Get a QR Code;
- Print the QR code and put it on display in the room and/or at the reception desk.
This is a little trick that will take you no more than a few minutes after doing it the first time. You will then be able to digitize all your paper documents.
Thank you for reading!
Tony LOEB
