Providing great service may create customer satisfaction during a visit, but surveys show that it does little to create engagement. This means there is minimal, if any, emotional connection that your client feels towards your establishment, which results in less chance of a return visit and fewer dollars spent on the premises during a stay. Here are four steps to increase guest engagement in your hotel.
- Collect Data
When a room is booked, go further than simply making a reservation. Take this opportunity to collect data for the upcoming visit as well as details about the customer. Ask questions regarding the purpose for the trip for which he or she is currently booking as well as common purposes for his or her travels. Include questions designed to gather answers that will be indicative of purchasing behavior. Find out his or her travel preferences and priorities, and ask which types of offers are of most interest. Upon departure, request that customers fill out a survey to better understand areas where your company is well received along with aspects where improvement is needed.
- Anticipate Needs
Build client profiles with the data you have collected to better tend to the well being of guests on their next visit. For those who categorize themselves as primarily family-focused travelers, consider placing them closer to the pool or game centers and further from the nightlife hotspots on the premises. Take note of issues guests may have had on previous visits and be sure to address them prior to arrival. If a comment was made pertaining to a detail or event that pleased a guest, find a way to integrate it into the upcoming stay. Let the customer know you did it because you were aware of those particular preferences and wanted to ensure ultimate comfort. Knowing the company cares about individual needs creates a closer emotional bond.
- Step Up Your Technology
Utilize cutting-edge technology to stay on top of what your guests are saying and wanting in real time. Create mobile apps to allow clients to engage online with your company and to view instant feedback. Offer Wi-Fi and tablets in the rooms, in the restaurants for efficient ordering and payments, and in the lobby for uses such as checking in with airlines. Set up a self-check in to allow customers who prefer increased efficiency to cut out a step. Invest in beacon technology to allow your guests to receive offers based on their location and proximity to activities in and near the property.
- Personalize E-mails
Send a personalized e-mail prior to check-in verifying preferences or special needs. Avoid any type of cookie-cutter form letter, but show that you view the guest as an individual and care about what makes the stay successful for him or her. Take this opportunity to ask for feedback about the experience thus far, helping you to nip any issues he or she may have had at check-in or are having with the accommodations or staff. This allows you to remedy a problematic situation before the guest vents frustrations on social media sites.
By making your guests feel as though their personal well-being is important to the hotel brand, you will be more likely to be associated with positive emotional attachments and will earn repeat visits. This can assist the company in growing organically as your current client base is more likely to tout your merits to the online community and through word of mouth. While amenities are a draw for many first-timers to your property, engagement will keep guests coming back.
