and are engaging them onsite
using a mobile messaging solution,
you have several opportunities to
surprise and delight those you want
to see return.
We have seen clients send special
offers using our Loop® messaging
solution tied to special events the
guest might enjoy during their
stay. From inviting them to a
special complimentary cocktail in
the lounge to a discount on golf
tee-times or spa services, there
are many ways you can add a little
surprise-element to their stay.
Even when things don’t go so well,
you can still turn things around with
a small perk or gift to apologize for
their inconvenience. If the guest
has an issue, you should always
strive to resolve it immediately
and to their satisfaction. When our
clients resolve an issue via Loop®
as opposed to in-person, it doesn’t
mean they are abandoning the fine
art of delivering great personalized
service. Most will follow-up with
a simple hand written note and
a small in-room gift from their
chef after having dealt with their
concern using Loop®. It is how
they add a “touch of delight” to
a mobile engaged guest’s overall
experience and drive repeat
business.
4. Make the guest experience a
unique one
While the OTA may be the source,
the guest you are attracting is after
the experience more than anything.
This is particularly true amongst
millennials. The modern guest
isn’t simply coming to your hotel
or resort, they are coming to the
city or region and the experience
it offers. As a result, they want to
have a unique experience that can
only be delivered in the area, not
40 ILHA
just on your property.
This is an area where hoteliers need
to be creative and bring the unique
experiences of the destination
into the property. The simplest
of things can make you stand out
versus other properties. Locally
sourced farm-to-table foods in
the restaurant, craft beers in
the bar, locally-made treats and
beverages in your hotel mini-bar,
and packages that rely on some of
the local artisans and businesses
that make your destination unique
should be part of the on-site
experience.
More importantly, be a resource
for them to hand-craft the perfect
experience. If you have a concierge,
make sure they are well educated
on not just the big attractions
- but the hidden gems only a
local would know of. If you don’t
have a concierge, make sure your
front-desk team or bar/restaurant
staff can act as local guides for
your guests. In essence, treat the
experience as if you are the only
innkeeper in town. You should know
what’s going on locally and what
makes your destination unique!
However, gaining insights is only
part of the equation for making
your property stand-out and to
retain your best guests. You need
to listen and analyze what they are
saying. It can be a bit of a daunting
task. Guest requests for more
amenities, a series of issues with
leaking faucets, or issues related
to quality of service are all things
properties struggle with. If you
aren’t able to capture the data on
these issues properly, you will never
be able to improve.
By gathering these insights,
you can prioritize on the most
frequent ones and make changes
strategically. Our clients look at
trends continuously and prioritize
their efforts and investment on the
items that will have the greatest
impact on the guest based on
frequency of request. Without this
data, they would be ill-equipped to
make smart investments to improve
the overall experience of the guest.
In summary, ask for insights from
your guests, analyze the data, and
make sure you are focusing on the
improvements that will deliver the
greatest return on investment.
Then repeat.
5. Ask for feedback, analyze the
trends, and repeat.
Finally, you need to get feedback
from your guests, especially ones
coming from an OTA. More and
more OTAs are owning the entire
experience of your guest and if you
don’t ask for feedback yourself,
you can be sitting in the dark. Our
clients are using Loop® messaging
service and our reporting tools
to get insights into their business
and trending guest needs. Getting
real-time insights into your service
experience is something every
hotelier should be focused on in
this changing landscape.
About the author
James Geneau is the Head of Marketing
at Benbria and has close to 20 years
of experience in the field of customer
relationship management and strategic
marketing. His company is the provider
of Loop®, a mobile guest engagement
technology solution allowing guests and
hotel brands to communicate with each
other in real time while on-site. In addition,
their product provides the tools for
analyzing these requests and identifying
opportunities for improving service quality
and guest experience to increase loyalty and
revenue long-term.