How do you give guests at your hotel the kind of stay that encourages them to share their great experiences and return again and again? Knowing their likes and dislikes is essential. So is knowing the difference between service and hospitality.
Service is nice, but hospitality is better
To create a better experience for your customers, the kind that keeps them returning and leaving positive reviews, you have to be proactive. That includes making sure your basic services – everything that every guest can reasonably be expected to experience at your property – will exceed expectations. It also means working to find out the personal touches that turn a hotel stay into a great experience. Because when you anticipate what the customer wants, you turn a transactional service into an expression of hospitality. This is especially important to hotels, which function as a “home away from home” that has more of the comforts and none of the hassles.
Ways to improve the guest experience
From the moment your customers book with you, compile a profile that tracks their likes and what they expect. Sometimes these discoveries can be made through face-to-face conversations. You can also make them as you track the quality of the customers’ experience throughout their stay through automated emails that welcome them, seek their input, and that keep in touch after they’ve left to embark on the next stage of their trip or return home.
The communications you share should let them know about services you can provide that will make them feel like a VIP. Those same services may encourage them to return. In both instances, this simple process can be the key to increasing revenue.
As you gather the information needed to provide a superior experience, organize it in a customer resource management system, also known as a CRM. The CRM will be your database that you’ll use to input your guests’ demographic data, activities, and what they want and expect. Through this system, you can segment your customers into alike groups and automate the offers you send to those lists. That’s how you effectively deliver and improve upon great experiences. Gathering information into this CRM and using it to tailor your communications is a cost-effective way to understand and connect with your customers while driving profits.
From the time of their reservation, you gather information about the services they choose to consume from you, as well as those they would like to have. Some of these could include:
- Supplying refreshments during check-in/ check-out
- Gifts that await your guests in their rooms
- Complimentary services that you may already offer (like free Wi-Fi or shuttles to nearby attractions and amenities at your property)
- Making it easy for guests to ask questions and request services especially through online services and mobile apps they can access through their smartphone. Staff should also be trained to let every guest know that they are available to answer any questions they have
- Loyalty programs; early/ late check-ins, check-outs; room upgrades
Keep in mind that what you do for your customers is far more important than the story you tell about your business. Exceeding what your guests expect will go a long way toward ensuring they return.
How will you deliver the experiences that increase your revenue?
Don’t let fear of making the wrong move keep you from investing in the solutions and services that will help you understand what your guests want and communicate with them. Contact us today and let us understand your services and clientele. We can then strategize some ways to work together so that you can maximize the value from your most profitable guests – and do it in the most efficient way.