When the pandemic first started, it wasn’t yet clear how the virus was transmitted. All of a sudden, 'contactless' and 'touchless' were everywhere. 

Parking operators raced to add sanitation stations to lobbies, train staff to sanitize kiosks frequently, and retrofit doors with either automatic openers or 'easy open' handles. Most were ill-equipped for this sudden shift, forced to rethink how to keep parking pay stations sanitized and how to keep staff safe while taking payments at exits. 

But, as things progressed, it became clear that the virus was transmitted mostly via the air rather than surfaces. Yet, even as our understanding of the virus evolved, contactless remained a buzzword. Businesses rushed to promote their 'contactless' experiences as part of their commitment to health and safety. Even if it was only lip service, it became the latest 'must-have' aspect of operations across nearly every industry. 

The reality is that companies that are still pitching contactless and touchless are doing it because it’s something to talk about, not because there’s any real increase in value in the industry. It’s really been more of a watchword for 'streamlining operations,' aka reducing costs by eliminating touchpoints between company and customer. It’s really about frictionless. 

And it’s nothing new. Contactless -- especially for digital payments ordering, and 'tap and pay' at the point-of-sale -- had been rapidly growing in popularity outside the U.S. prior to the pandemic. Like most things, the pandemic has simply accelerated what was already happening. 

'Certain mechanical elements of the [contactless] experience are going to be digitized, but that was happening anyway. It’ll just happen faster.' -Hilton CEO, Chris Nassetta

What the hype misses is the real way to add value: giving customers more convenience and control. 

How many times have we all waited for a waiter to return twice to our table, once to grab the card and again to bring back the receipt for signature? It’s a frustrating experience that somehow always seems to take forever. But you’re usually wondering what’s taking the waiter so long rather than wondering if you’re going to get the coronavirus from your card!

And that’s what the hype gets wrong: Contactless is less so about reducing contact with the waiter and more about returning control of the experience to the consumer, who can choose when to pay without waiting around. It improves customer satisfaction and makes for a more streamlined experience. 

It’s a similar concept when it comes to parking: drivers want convenience and control. Drivers don’t want to stand in line at a kiosk or at the exit, waiting to pay. They don’t want to walk back to the car to feed the meter. And they most definitely don’t want to feel trapped by the gated experience of most parking operations, waiting for the person in front of them to figure it out. Or worse, wait while the company tries to figure out what’s going wrong with a gate arm that won’t go up. 

Contactless is only a buzzword. What customers want is a frictionless experience that centers around their needs, such as easy-to-use reservations and payments on their phones. 

The right strategy for long-term success is a fierce focus on the customer -- this means intuitive controls and payments on their phones, and yes, even ripping out your gate arms so that customers have a fluid experience from entry to exit. Put your customer first and the rest falls into place.