Staffing costs are the single biggest expense in Swiss hospitality – and at the same time the hardest to plan. Illness, seasonal peaks and the persistent skilled-labour shortage hit the reception first, because it has almost no buffer. A virtual reception moves precisely this fragile part of the operation to a place that is staffed around the clock, without you creating a single additional position.
Why the reception is the most expensive place in the hotel
To have the reception staffed at seven in the morning you need at least two shifts – ideally three if you want to be reachable in the evening and at night. On top come social-security charges, training, equipment and the constant risk that someone falls ill exactly in peak season. A fully staffed 24/7 reception easily costs a small property more than 300,000 francs a year.
What a virtual reception actually takes on
Our teams work directly in your PMS and take on every task that does not strictly require a physical presence at the desk:
- Phone and email reservations in twelve languages
- Enquiries from booking portals and web chat
- Check-in guidance and self check-in support
- Night audit and daily reservation control
- Concierge requests and local recommendations
- Complaints and follow-up bookings
The maths: 60–80% less staffing cost
Instead of staffing three shifts, you pay a fixed monthly price for a team that never gets ill and never disappears on holiday. The saving does not come from lower quality but from pooling: dozens of properties share the same trained team.
A worked example
A 30-room property with a 24/7 reception typically invests 220,000 to 280,000 francs a year in staff. With a remote reception the cost drops to around 60,000 to 110,000 francs – including the remaining on-site presence for greeting guests.
When the switch pays off
- Your reception is regularly understaffed or you cover shifts yourself.
- Night enquiries and weekend calls regularly go unanswered.
- You want to introduce self check-in but have no one to support it.
- Staffing costs eat the margin of your peak season.
You don't have to outsource everything. Many properties start with the edge hours – evenings, nights and weekends – and keep their own team during the day. That way you test the collaboration without risk and still save where it hurts most.
Want to know what your property would concretely save? Book a no-obligation 20-minute first conversation – we show you the numbers for your situation.
