Part 2 of 4
Moving The Technology Way… Are You Ready Hoteliers?
Hotels nowadays are capitalizing on the use of hotel technology tools to deliver unique experiences to customers. In part 1 of this blog series, we discussed about How Modern Revenue Managers Bid Adieu to Traditional Revenue Managers with Evolving Role of Hotel Revenue Managers.
Comparing the past and the present brings a little smirk to our faces when we think about how much information about guests and prospective guests we can collect using the latest in technology. The consumer has always been at the heart of the industry; however, finding ways to achieve a high level of guest satisfaction and to meet the raised expectations have clearly evolved.
The expectations of excellent service and unique experiences is the new norm from the consumer. Hotels are more than ever exploring this new standard by leveraging the use of technology to find innovative ways to interact and provide personalized, unique experiences. Technology is opening the gates for them to connect with the guest well before they even arrive at the property.
The story does not end here. The relationship with the guests is not dismissed once they check out of the hotel. Long-term relationships are the key to growth, and proper means must be established to keep the doors of communication open. The data that hotels collect on guest preferences is stored permanently by the hotel, which allows them to offer better rewards in future, create custom itineraries, and present tailor-made offers going forward.
Data on consumer insights is at the forefront of creating a solid hotel sales strategy. Much of this data is collected through various channels like social media, hotel review websites, google analytics and the latest in new technologies developed specifically for hotels. OTA partners are another wonderful source for this information. If you are not doing it already, ask your market manager or pull this information directly from the extranet to give you deeper insight. You might be surprised by what you see and adjust your strategy accordingly. With the amount of data available to hoteliers today, you should have a very good idea of your business and with this an improved decision-making and more precise hotel room price optimization and revenue management strategies.
The rapid evolution of mobile phones is another hot medium for the interaction between hoteliers and guests. The current era has been rightly termed as the mobile era, where we all are so conveniently dependent on these tiny devices for almost anything and everything. Hotels have been offering a host of facilities to their guests, which are accessible right through their mobile phones. Technology has allowed these devices to be used as room keys by the guests, where they are able to check in straight through their mobile app, without having to stop and spend a few minutes at the front desk. And then, when the lights are turned on, technology assures them the most satisfying and personalized journey, a journey that promises to create some well cherished memories. Imagine this – at the time of check-in, the name of the guest appears on the screen along with a welcome message. Pretty cool!
Though the power of technology is being significantly harnessed to enhance guest experience, the role of human touch in the hospitality industry can never be undermined. Nothing can replace the act of a relationship manager coming to greet the guests wearing a pleasant smile on the face.
Thus, as it is important to put guest-centric processes and technology in place, it is equally important to have an enthusiastic hotel staff on the floor to fulfil the requirements of the guests and make them feel special. Yes, let the trip begin!
Watch out for the part 3 of this series, where we will talk about Choosing Your Competitive Set Wisely
