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Hospitality Expectations

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | Hospitality ExpectationsFrom humble beginnings, hospitality has evolved into a world of luxury. The first evidence of the hospitality sector dates back to 15,000 BC, when the Lascaux Caves in France were used as houses for members of different tribes. Nowadays, modern hospitality means a combination of various services and factors.

Hospitality is multifaceted and requires a delicate balance of all its elements. For example, a hotel can be open, but it needs cleaning, food and maintenance services, as well as on-point customer service. The consequences of poorly managed customer service practices in hospitality can greatly affect the profitability of the business.

Consumers today expect to be treated with extraordinary care during their time in a hotel or hostel, making the customer experience one of the most important factors in hospitality business success. Customer service provides great potential to attract and maintain loyal customers. For some experts, like Stefan Soloviev, the customer service experience is based on principles like agility, mobility, intelligence, communication, and more.


The Importance of Technology in Hospitality

The introduction of technology to hospitality meant a new beginning. While hotels used to be almost entirely focused on the on-site guest experience, they are increasingly realizing that the visitor journey begins far before check-in. Hoteliers may increase income by communicating with visitors prior to their arrival. For example, a chatbot coupled with a booking system may simplify and streamline direct booking techniques, and sending out pre-stay communication with upselling can generate more money. Technology has also increased the ability to market to specific audiences on the channels that they use most.

All of these practices have improved and optimized the service of hospitality worldwide.

Health and Safety Considerations

There are always things happening in the world, and no matter what they are, people expect to feel safe at their hotel. Be it a pandemic, war, or crime, people who travel want to feel that they are cared for while away from home. Hotel organizations with an adaptive culture and a constructive approach toward change will demonstrate resilience and take the initiative to make their hotels a welcoming, safe place.

Whether this implies increased sanitation procedures, restricting hotel access to those with keys and ID, or other options, those businesses that take the time to find solutions to customer worries will almost always be successful and build a very loyal client base, no matter where in the world they are located.

The Hospitality Business Bible

People running businesses in the hospitality industry have to work hard to ensure they maintain standards. There are lots of tools and concepts that help them to achieve that goal. For the purpose of this post, we’re going to focus on the management of hotels. However, much of the advice on this page applies to all companies under that umbrella. So, take some of the suggestions and tailor them for your company. At the end of the day, people who build a negative reputation will struggle to turn things around. That is why it’s imperative that everyone pays attention.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article
Photo courtesy of Kristoffer Trolle via flickr

Use technology to your advantage

Firstly, all hotel managers can make their lives easier by using the latest technology. Developers from Mingus Software say it’s the best way to keep on top of essential duties. There’s no point working harder than is necessary to create the best experience for guests. The right software could handle everything from the moment they check in until they leave. Also, there’s no need to spend time entering data into multiple systems. You can manage everything from the same page, and that will help to save a lot of time.

Ensure all guests leave with a smile

As a hotel manager, it’s your duty to ensure all guests leave feeling satisfied. That means you need to work hard to ensure they never have any issues. Of course, some people will make complaints no matter how much effort you make. Still, you will keep a clear conscience if you know you did everything possible to assist. It’s wise to ask guests to fill a short questionnaire during the checking out process. It could be all you need to do to make your business a success. That way, you give them the opportunity to highlight some of the ways in which they think you could have improved. Feedback of that nature is the best tool at your disposal for making sure you don’t keep making the same mistakes.

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article
Photo courtesy of Martin Dube via flickr

Go above and beyond the call of duty

It’s vital that all managers strive to go above and beyond what their guests expect. That could mean something simple like leaving a birthday card in a room. You could also place a bottle of wine in a cooler when you know someone is celebrating an anniversary. It won’t break the bank, but you could ensure future custom from the happy couple. Also, you’re going to see some pretty pleasing reviews on TripAdvisor if you do things like that. With a bit of luck, other people will see the effort you made, and that will encourage them to make a booking too.

You should now have some excellent ideas about what you can do to become a better manager. The tips should apply to any business within the hospitality industry. So, consider the advice and try to put it into action as soon as possible. Your company will build a positive reputation, and you’ll have lots of returning customers. Of course, there is always more to learn, and so you should continue your research after leaving this page. There are plenty of other articles on this blog that could help you to take things to the next level. So, have a look around before you leave.