Typical upselling starts with the product. You ask every customer, "You want fries with that?" That works well with customers who like fries, but what about the customers who would really rather have onion rings?
Intelligent upselling starts with the guest. What do they like? What did they do last time? How did they rate the experience? Generic offers that miss the mark are easy to dismiss. But targeted offers based on guest preferences are much more likely to succeed. So while the business traveler may not go for the spa treatment, or the romance package, they might appreciate extra bandwidth. Or a shoe shine. Or a room upgrade that includes a separate work/meeting area.
Guest feedback data is a surprisingly rich source of customer information. It tells you not only what guests chose to spend time and money on, but also what they thought of the experience. Many guest feedback surveys go beyond overall satisfaction with room and service. They also ask about the restaurants, spa, pool, golf course, local entertainment, etc. Putting this information to work can add a lot of intelligence to upselling.
The period between booking and check-in can be a particularly good time to offer guests some suggestions that will help them better enjoy their stay. A long list of add-ons during reservation can be overwhelming and even jeopardize bookings. Pushing product at check-in (in an obvious attempt to separate the guest from more of their money) can be off-putting. But a thoughtful email with personal recommendations that will help a guest be more comfortable, entertained or satisfied is welcome. And it's more effective! Marketing efforts that are personally relevant are typically more than twice as effective as generic offers.
A number of Market Metrix customers are now using guest feedback to deliver particularly potent marketing messages and upsell offers. Feedback data is used to deliver promotional offers to highly targeted guest lists. Our clients are also combining feedback data with guest records to create a rich source of guest intelligence that is useful for pre-arrival offers and check-in preparation.
Intelligent upselling doesn't just increase customer spending one time. It enhances the guest experience in a way that converts to greater satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals.
Guests want to be heard. But even more than that, they want to be known. Your guest feedback data is one very smart way to show your guests they are known, and drive up profits at the same time.
Source: Market Metrix
About the author
Mike Waite is VP marketing with Market Metrix.
