Do you think improving guest communication is essential for creating a positive experience and ensuring guest satisfaction?
In the world of hospitality, where impressions are everything, effective guest communication can be the difference between a one time visitor and a loyal patron.
Whether you are running a hotel, hostel or serviced apartments, the ability to connect with guests on a personal level is a superpower that can transform your business.
Imagine a guest arriving at your property with a genuine smile, knowing they’ve chosen the perfect place for their stay with a guest who leaves a great review and returns for more memorable experiences. It’s not a far-fetched dream, it’s the reality you can create through purposeful and strategic guest communication.
Picture a guest who leaves a glowing review, enthusiastically sharing their experiences with others, and then returning for more memorable moments. It’s not a far-fetched dream; it’s the compelling reality you can create through purposeful and strategic guest communication.
In this article, we’ll unveil five powerful tactics that will not only enhance your digital guest communication but also elevate your hospitality game to new heights. Whether you’re a seasoned hotelier or just dipping your toes into the hospitality industry, these tactics are your keys to crafting extraordinary guest experiences.
What is guest communication?
Guest communication is a versatile concept that refers to all interactions between the hoteliers and its customers. It’s the glue that binds together the entire guest experience, from the initial inquiry to the warm sendoff.
But more importantly, it is more than just words on paper or polite exchanges, it involves how hoteliers own every channel and optimize it to reach their guests in the best possible way.
Let’s Imagine you are a guest staying at a boutique hotel for a weekend getaway.
When making the booking, the hotel website was very clear on the process and offered a chatbot to answer all your questions. A few days before your check-in date, you receive an email from the hotel confirming your reservation. The email includes details about your stay, including any special requests you made during the booking process.
When you arrive at the hotel, you’re greeted by a friendly front desk staff member who confirms your reservation and provides you with a key card. They also explain the hotel’s amenities and services such as the location of the restaurant hours and Wi-Fi access.
You receive a welcome note in your room addressed by your name along with a personalized recommendation for a nearby hiking trail that matches your interests as you mentioned your love for nature during booking.
A day after checking out, you receive an email from the hotel thanking you for choosing them for your stay and asking for feedback on your experience.
In this example, the guest communication during the entire guest journey was personalized and accurate, no matter if it was a digital or a physical touchpoint, making guests feel special and elevating the guest experience. And that is the balance you should be after.
Why is it important to have good guest communication?
Good guest communication is crucial for hoteliers for several reasons as it can have a significant impact on a hotel’s reputation, guest satisfaction, and ultimately, its revenue.
Hoteliers who prioritize and excel in guest communication reap a multitude of benefits that not only enhance the guest experience but also contribute significantly to the bottom line.
First and foremost, good guest communication lays the foundation for an exceptional guest experience. From the moment a potential guest reaches out with an inquiry to the post-stay follow-up, every interaction matters. Clear, friendly, and timely responses make guests feel valued, setting a positive tone for their stay.
Other benefits of good guest communications are high guest satisfaction, fewer complaints, more positive reviews, building loyalty, and more.
How to improve your guest communication?
Enhancing guest communication is pivotal to crafting an exceptional guest experience that leaves a lasting, positive impression. To achieve this goal, consider the following approaches for elevating your guest communication.
1.Use multi-channel communication
Multi-channel communication allows hospitality businesses to meet guests on their preferred platforms. While some guests may prefer email others may prefer the immediacy of SMS or WhatsApp. By offering various channels, you increase the chances of reaching and engaging with your guests effectively.
If the CRM you are using is a multi-channel CRM, you have even more power in your hands. Guests not only use email sobre prefer other channels and you need to be able to meet them where they are in order to deliver value.
2. Create a value-led strategy
A value-led strategy in the hospitality sector involves delivering personalized, relevant, and meaningful interactions with guests throughout their stay.
If you only communicate with your guests with general offers and messages that don’t take into consideration any of their preferences, you are not creating value for them and your message can be perceived as spam.
The ultimate goal is to provide them with services, information and experiences that enhance their visit and leave a lasting positive impression. And personalisation is key for this.
Begin by segmenting your guests into meaningful categories. This could include business travelers, families and more. Analyze their preferences, booking history, and any other relevant data to create distinct guest profile s. Use your CRM for this and it will only take minutes.
3. Be available in all channels
In today’s digital age, guests expect seamless and instant communication with hospitality providers. To meet these expectations, hotels, hostels, serviced apartments and more, must be available on all communication channels and respond promptly.
Guests appreciate fast and tailored responses. Whether they have a question, need assistance, or want to make a reservation, an omni-channel strategy allows you to respond swiftly with personalized solutions.
Create and maintain active social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Post regular updates, respond to comments, and use these channels to showcase your services.
Utilize messaging apps like WhatsApp to engage with guests in real-time. Enable chatbots or AI-powered systems to handle routine queries efficiently but have a human touch available when needed.
4. Make data-driven decisions
In the hospitality industry, data-driven decision-making has become the backbone of successful guest engagement strategies. Companies have recognized the importance of harnessing data from their CRM systems to tailor campaigns, identify popular communication channels and address common guest inquiries.
You can collect and analyze data from a CRM system to evaluate the effectiveness of various guest engagement campaigns. This includes marketing campaigns, booking data, past purchases, demographics, and more. By measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) such as open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates, your property can identify which campaigns resonate most with its guests.
Making data-driven decisions is powerful for your communications because you don’t rely on perception or instincts anymore, but you are able to understand your guests better and know their preferences.
5. Help them help themselves
Offering self-service options not only enhances guest satisfaction but also lightens the load on your support team.
For example, create a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on your website where you address common inquiries about bookings, hotel policies, amenities, local attractions, and relevant topics.
You can also ensure a simplified, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive booking process with clear instructions. In this way guests can get all the information they need and make a booking without any delay. In addition, allow guests to modify bookings online for flexibility to give them control over their stay.
Another action on this topic is to implement a chatbot or live chat support for instant assistance and 24/7 availability.
Overall
You can build an outstanding guest communication strategy by focusing on all fronts, including physical touchpoints. Remember, providing quick answers and motivating engagement is key to improve your communication with guests, enhancing guest experience and build guest loyalty.
