Guest experience

Why customer reviews matter

Posted on 4 May 20225 May 2022 by Nicolas Audiffren

Why should you have customer reviews?

A customer review represents a positive or negative testimony. In general, a review summarizes how the customer viewed their stay, by giving their opinion on the check-in process, the services offered and their room.

Customer reviews are important as they are read by many potential guests. They allow customers to gather information, reassure them about potential questions and convince them of their hotel choice. All of this influences their final decision. In fact, 80% of travelers use the Internet to gather information on brands and hotels and 70% of them consult customer reviews to make a decision. This is therefore an excellent way to reinforce your credibility and boost your sales as potential customers will be more likely to book their stay at your hotel.

Customer reviews can also help you to better understand your clientele and their interests. You can analyse how the experience you offer is viewed by your customers, and use this analysis to improve your services, helping you build loyalty. By making sure to respond to each review and thanking your guests, you enhance your relationship with them and show them that their opinion is taken into consideration.
In addition, customer reviews increase your online visibility and your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This in turn increases your likelihood of appearing in the first pages of a search engine, giving you the opportunity to boost your online reservations.

How to collect customer reviews?

There are several ways to collect customer reviews. You can program a post-stay automatic email in your Property Management System to thank your customers for staying with you and ask them to share their experience on Google My Business or TripAdvisor. You can also send a personalized message to customers who have positively responded to your satisfaction survey, asking them to leave a review on your customer review website of choice. To thank your customer for leaving a review, you can offer them compensation such as a discount on their next stay, loyalty points or invitations to special events as ambassadors of your brand.

You can also organize a contest on social media to encourage them to write a customer review and possibly win a stay at your hotel.

How to handle negative reviews?

Negative customer reviews have always been present on various online review platforms. In fact, travellers are more likely to write reviews to complain than to share their satisfaction, so do not panic!

Dealing with negative customer reviews is not an easy task, so you should take the time to read the review and understand it. Once that is done, take a step back and think of a courteous, professional and empathetic response. You do not need to go into detail, just show that you and your team listen to your customers and that you are open to making improvements where they have to be made.

You should also do your own research on the author of a negative review. Indeed, more often than not, some malicious and ill-intentioned people will write negative reviews when they have not even stayed with you. Are they a real client? When did they stay with you? Are there any specific notes related to their reservation? Did they answer your customer satisfaction survey?

Customer reviews should not be underestimated or neglected, as they have a strong influence on your potential customers’ final decision. They can either increase or decrease the interest and trust they have for your hotel and even improve or tarnish your online reputation.Nevertheless, customer reviews allow you to get feedback on your customers’ experience and therefore to get suggestions and ideas that will help you improve your services to convince your potential customers, build customer loyalty and distinguish yourself from your competitors.

5 tips to turn satisfied guests into loyal guests

Posted on 6 August 20214 October 2021 by Sarah Trépanier

Improve your customer experience using post-stay feedback

Your guests’ reviews are crucial for getting feedback on how their stay went. These comments will help you to improve your offers and services as well as the experience your hotel provides. In addition, when guests feel heard and that their needs are taken into consideration, they will enjoy their stay even more and will not hesitate to return to your hotel.

In order to collect comments and feedback from your customers, you can for example insert a link to your TripAdvisor page in your personalized post-stay email. You can also encourage your customers to share their experience on various social platforms.

Make good use of digital marketing

Digital marketing is beneficial to collect your customers’ opinions, but also to keep in touch with them after their stay, either through social media or using newsletters. This way, your customers continue to think about you, even after their stay, and recall memories of their stay. They will want to relive their experience by visiting you again.

However, make sure your communications remain relevant and are not sent too frequently to avoid your customers getting tired of you. Otherwise, they may unsubscribe altogether from your communications.

Collaborate with local businesses

Once customers are interested in your unique packages, promote partnerships with local and environmentally friendly businesses.

As with many travelers, discovering the region in an environmentally friendly manner is important, and can even be the main goal of their getaway. Partnering with a local outdoor business to offer discounts could be beneficial to both parties. Knowing that your hotel promotes buying and consuming locally will attract your visitors and when they want to come back to the region, they will not hesitate to come back and proudly contribute to the local economy.

Personalize your offers and services

Thanks to your customers’ comments and post-stay survey responses, you have a better idea of their needs and wishes for their next stay. This information can be a source of inspiration to better differentiate your packages.

Don’t hesitate to use your database to personalize these packages ideas and adapt them according to your clients’ interests and characteristics.

For example, local businesses will appreciate if you have a flexible package catering to their business meetings’ needs, whether it’s a special dining room menu or a promotional rate for your conference room. By offering this flexibility and meeting their specific needs, they will be more inclined to make your hotel their reference in the region.

Create a loyalty program

Few travelers turn down an opportunity for discounts or additional services during their stay. Indeed, if a customer is forced to choose between two nearby establishments, the possibility of becoming a member of a loyalty program at one of them can be a decisive factor.

There are several types of loyalty programs, and the which one you want to implement depends on your clientele, but also on your objectives. Your customers can have access to exclusive offers, additional services such as a complimentary parking or late arrivals, or receive points according to the amount spent or the number of reservations made.

It may also be appropriate to reward your customers when they help you improve your customer experience, such as writing online reviews.

A loyal customer represents a great business opportunity for your hotel and can be a true ambassador for your hotel. There are many ways to build customer loyalty and encourage your guests to come back again and again, whether it’s through customer feedback, using appropriate marketing strategies, personalizing your offers and services, collaborating with local businesses or offering a loyalty program. However, each of these tricks requires knowledge of your customers, which is why it is paramount to have an efficient and effective PMS.

Prioritize guest experience through automation

Posted on 23 July 202118 August 2021 by Sarah Trépanier

prioriser-experience-client-automatisation — Prioritize guest experience through automation

Every task assigned to your staff can now be replaced or improved through technology. For your guests, automation offers several benefits, such as increased autonomy and having more available employees to serve them and can even contribute to a memorable guest experience.

Improving your staff’s efficiency

Automating your operations allows you to optimize your staff’s work time, regardless of their tasks. Indeed, many tasks can be repetitive and without added value, such as taking information for the reservation, coordinating the tasks of your housekeeping staff or managing the arrival process. These tasks can be eliminated from your employees’ workload thanks to automation.

With this saved time, the line at the front desk is shorter and guests are free to enjoy their stay without having to wait too long. With a hotel PMS and its advanced features connected to other software, automation is present at every step of the guest’s journey in your property. It is therefore important to master it, to take advantage of it and especially to adapt your staff’s tasks accordingly.

Ensuring a personalized customer experience

With the synchronization of your customers’ data and their stay, guests will simply have to enter their information at the time of booking. Data is essential to offer a unique and personalized stay to each of your guests. Your employees can then add a personal touch and provide customized offers to make your customers feel valued and important, a key element to ensure their satisfaction.

Provide a seamless customer journey

Technology takes care of several tasks, reducing the risk of error so that your guests’ stay is hassle-free. This way, they can fully enjoy your facilities and your restaurant, without having to contact the reception for any issues. In addition, all payments made during your guests’ stay are centralized, making the check-out process easier for your guests and staff.

Invest in technologies to provide a modern stay

With the time saved due to automation, you’ll gain many human resource benefits in terms of recruitment, training and payroll. Indeed, automation can help you reduce your staffing needs while maintaining the same level of service.

The main benefit of automation is making your employees more efficient on a daily basis, allowing them to deliver an improved and personalized guest experience. As a result, guests will be able to enjoy their stay and will be more likely to recommend your hotel either directly to their friends and family or online via positive customer reviews.

5 benefits of personalizing your property’s guest experience

Posted on 7 June 202118 August 2021 by Sarah Trépanier

Increase your guests’ satisfaction

Whether it be by having a lot of variety in your packages, paying particular attention on special occasions or even sending personalized emails, all your actions contribute to your guests’ satisfaction throughout their stay. Thanks to a powerful and efficient PMS (Property Management Software), you can retrieve all your customers’ data and personalize each step of their journey, from the booking to the post-stay message. For example, if a guest is used to staying at your property and already knows several of your services, it could be more relevant to promote your new products to them. On the other hand, it would be more interesting to mention your iconic and unique services if the client is new. Several other criteria, such as the type of client, their origin, or how they heard about you, are useful in personalizing their stay. Therefore, the role of your Property Management Software becomes important as it allows you to collect statistical data on your clientele and provides you with customer lists.

Build customer loyalty

A loyal clientele is a considerable advantage for your establishment, and personalization can help you reach this goal more easily. There are several indicators that can measure loyalty to your property, such as the NPS (Net Promoter Score). When guests feel that their needs are being met, there is a good chance that they will come back to stay in your hotel. Moreover, offering a unique experience tailored to the customer’s type and their needs would encourage them to come back no matter what type of getaway they want. It will also help to strengthen your guests’ loyalty to your property.

Multiply your additional sales

Another undeniable benefit of personalizing guests’ stays is the increase in additional sales. Whether it be at the time of booking, before arrival or during the stay, guest information is essential to personalize their experience. By using your PMS, you will be able to make many other suggestions such as adding an in-room breakfast or a relaxing spa experience.

Have targeted communications with guests

Personalization can also improve the relevance of your communications with your clients. Indeed, you should not hesitate to analyze the information collected by your PMS in order to adapt your communications to the type of guest you wish to target. This will help you to increase your newsletters’ opening rate and click rate. A simple touch of personalization such as using your guest’s first name or information about their previous stay will make your emails more personal and more effective.

Attract Millennials

Millennials represent a significant future clientele for the hospitality industry. This generation of travelers is constantly looking for memorable experiences, so personalizing their experience by offering them a customized stay that meets their needs will increase their satisfaction and strengthen their loyalty.

Personalizing the experience offered by your property will undoubtedly allow you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Do not hesitate to use the data collected by your PMS to better understand your guests and implement a strategy that will not only increase their satisfaction but also strengthen their long-term loyalty. This customer data will also help you design and offer new features while improving the customer experience offered by your property.

Millennials, the generation most ready to book their next vacation trip

Posted on 21 May 202121 November 2022 by Laura Yee Kui Choi

Celle-ci est représentée par des individus connectés, passionnés de voyages et surtout de véritables consommateurs d’expériences personnalisées, uniques et mémorables.

L’expérience offerte par l’établissement hôtelier devient l’un des arguments les plus importants pour réussir à les convaincre de réserver un séjour. En plus de cela, il est prouvé que 70% d’entre eux préfèrent investir dans des expériences plutôt que dans l’achat de biens matériels.

Bien que les mois à venir soient encore incertains, les Milléniaux continuent de s’informer et de s’inspirer pour leurs prochains voyages. Ils restent tout de même enclins aux voyages organisés à la dernière minute. Cette génération de voyageurs rêve de pouvoir découvrir de nouvelles destinations et vivre de nouvelles expériences mais à quelques conditions près.

Voyager en toute sécurité

Friands de voyages et d’expériences, les Milléniaux sont à la recherche d’authenticité mais aussi de sécurité. Le respect de la distanciation sociale et la mise en place de mesures d’hygiène sont de mise afin de les rassurer et de les aider à se sentir confortables tout au long de leur séjour. Nombreux sont les hôtels qui ont décidé d’innover et d’opter pour des solutions en ligne et sans contact depuis la réservation jusqu’au check-in. Étant adeptes des nouvelles technologies, ces solutions sont très pratiques et permettent de perfectionner leur expérience de séjour.

Privilégier le staycation et les établissements éco-responsables

La tendance Staycation influence les habitudes des voyageurs. N’aimant pas perdre une minute de leur temps, certains d’entre eux privilégient les séjours nécessitant peu de déplacements et favorisant la découverte de leur propre pays plutôt que les voyages à l’étranger. Cela leur permet également de profiter d’offres moins chères et d’encourager le tourisme local. Les Milléniaux se sentent très concernés par les problématiques environnementales de notre société actuelle et sont prêts à s’adapter et à privilégier un séjour au sein d’un hôtel éco-responsable.

Choisir des expériences connectées mais pas trop

Bien que les Milléniaux soient en permanence connectés et adeptes des nouvelles technologies, ceux-ci souhaitent sortir de leur quotidien actuel et ressentent le besoin de s’évader et de faire des activités extérieures. Bien entendu, cela ne les empêchera pas d’utiliser leur téléphone mobile pour immortaliser leurs expériences et les partager sur les réseaux sociaux.

Les Milléniaux sont de véritables voyageurs autonomes. Ils aiment avoir le contrôle, prendre leurs propres décisions lors de leur expérience de voyage mais préfèrent tout de même être certains d’avoir une assistance personnalisée si nécessaire.

Nombreux sont les voyageurs de la génération des Milléniaux à vouloir voyager de nouveau. Ceux-ci souhaitent pouvoir se relaxer loin de leur quotidien stressant et sont impatients de pouvoir vivre de nouvelles expériences en toute sécurité.

Une question se pose alors, comment concilier une expérience de séjour mémorable et les contraintes de la crise sanitaire actuelle?

How to encourage guests to return to your property?

Posted on 5 May 202129 August 2022 by Laura Yee Kui Choi

Les premières impressions positives

Il est important que les premières impressions de vos clients soient positives. Que ce soit au début du parcours client lorsque celui-ci visite le site web de votre hôtel, lorsqu’il valide sa réservation via votre moteur de réservation en ligne, lorsqu’il reçoit un email de confirmation de réservation personnalisé ou bien une fois arrivé à l’hôtel lorsqu’il échange avec votre personnel de la réception ou qu’il découvre une petite attention personnalisée dans sa chambre. Tous ces points de contact reflètent le professionnalisme et l’authenticité de votre établissement hôtelier. Ces points de contacts sont aussi votre vitrine en ligne, que ce soit le moteur de réservation en ligne qui doit avoir une usage facile et une présentation soignée mais aussi votre PMS (Property management software) qui va se charger de l’envoi des courriels et permettre à votre personnel de répondre rapidement à vos clients lors des différentes interactions.

Pourquoi ces premières impressions sont-elles si importantes? Tout simplement parce que ce sont des moments qui marquent vos clients mais aussi une opportunité pour vous de créer le fameux effet “wow”. Ainsi, leurs premières impressions peuvent être décisives et pourraient les convaincre de revenir séjourner chez vous.

Les procédures de réservation simples et rapides

Avec l’essor du digital, les voyageurs sont de plus en plus nombreux à réserver leurs séjours en ligne. Ainsi, le processus de réservation en ligne de votre hôtel est un élément déterminant et il devient alors important de le rendre le plus simple, rapide et intuitif possible si vous souhaitez que vos clients renouvellent leur expérience. À l’inverse, si vos procédures de réservation sont trop complexes et longues, cela pourrait frustrer vos clients, les décourager à réserver leurs séjours et potentiellement les convaincre d’utiliser les plateformes OTA pour réserver leurs séjours chez vos concurrents.

De ce fait, optimiser votre moteur de réservation en ligne vous permettra de simplifier la réservation des voyageurs et que ceux-ci passent par le moins d’étapes possibles. De plus, connecter votre booking engine à votre logiciel de gestion hôtelière vous aidera à automatiser de nombreuses tâches comme la gestion des disponibilités, stocks, réservations et à procéder au paiement en ligne. Les voyageurs auront donc la possibilité de voir en temps réel les hébergements disponibles et leurs tarifs. Aussi, ceux-ci pourront enregistrer leurs informations personnelles, ce qui facilitera leurs prochaines réservations et rendra le processus de réservation encore plus rapide.

Pour finir, assurez-vous d’avoir un service à la clientèle réactif, qui répond aux appels et courriels de vos clients et qui reste disponible pour répondre à leurs questions.

L’expérience offerte et la relation avec vos clients

L’expérience client représente toutes les interactions entre vos clients et votre hôtel, que ce soit avant, pendant ou après leurs séjours. L’objectif de tout établissement hôtelier est donc d’offrir une expérience mémorable à ses clients, mais comment y arriver?

Tout d’abord, votre expérience doit être centrée sur vos clients, ceux-ci doivent se sentir uniques et privilégiés. Il convient alors de connaître leurs besoins et attentes afin d’adapter vos offres et services. Sur ce point, il est primordial de consulter les données statistiques de votre PMS qui est une réelle mine d’informations sur votre clientèle et le type de consommation qu’elle effectue dans votre établissement.

Par la suite, équipez-vous de nouvelles technologies qui vous aideront à simplifier vos opérations, à automatiser les tâches répétitives de vos employés afin qu’ils soient plus efficaces au quotidien et qu’ils puissent être plus disponibles pour vos clients, pas juste des nouvelles technologies à l’affût des nouvelles tendances hôtelières. Il existe plusieurs innovations telles que l’enregistrement en ligne, les bornes d’accueil, l’intelligence artificielle, la réalité virtuelle et bien plus encore.

De plus, assurez-vous que vos clients soient satisfaits de leur expérience. N’hésitez pas à leur demander comment s’est passé leur séjour que ce soit lorsqu’ils passent à la réception ou bien en leur envoyant un sondage de satisfaction. Il est également important de toujours répondre aux avis client en ligne, qu’ils soient bons ou mauvais afin de remercier vos clients d’avoir pris le temps de partager leur expérience au sein de votre hôtel ou de leur montrer que leurs commentaires ont bien été pris en compte et qu’ils permettront d’améliorer l’expérience client de votre hôtel. Vous pouvez aussi vous référer à plusieurs indicateurs incontournables qui permettent de mesurer la fidélité de vos clients comme le NPS, le taux d’acquisition, le taux d’attrition de la clientèle, le taux de réachat ou encore le taux de rétention.

Les offres exclusives et les récompenses

Comme vous l’aurez compris, fidéliser vos clients n’est pas une tâche facile. Pour y arriver, il est possible de mettre en place un programme de fidélisation, des offres exclusives, un système de points ainsi que des récompenses, réservés aux clients les plus fidèles.

De plus, utilisez votre logiciel de gestion hôtelière pour récolter de l’information sur vos clients, faire des campagnes marketing qui cibleront vos clients fidèles et effectuer des actions de retargeting.

Lorsqu’un client séjourne dans votre hôtel et qu’il en repart très satisfait, n’aimeriez-vous pas qu’il revienne? Ainsi, des clients fidèles représentent une véritable opportunité pour vous de les transformer en ambassadeurs. Ceux-ci sont très satisfaits de leur expérience et vous font confiance, ils n’hésiteront pas à vous référer à leur entourage et à revenir régulièrement.

De ce fait, plusieurs éléments tels que les premières impressions positives, un processus de réservation simple et rapide, une expérience client mémorable et des offres et récompenses exclusives seraient de bonnes raisons pour vos clients de revenir dans votre hôtel!

The importance of customer service in the hospitality industry

Posted on 23 April 202130 March 2023 by Catherine Daoust

The role of customer service in the hospitality industry

The mission of the customer service department is to be available and present for guests before, during and after their stay. Whether it’s by providing information, advice or helping guests feel comfortable and confident, the role of your customer service department is to provide a positive experience to your guests. In doing so, they will be able to associate excellent customer service with your property and become loyal clients.

What is considered excellent customer service?

Offering excellent customer service requires constant work and effort from your employees. They need to be involved, respectful, available and more importantly attentive to your guests.

Moreover, empathy is key to not only solve problems but actually understand them. In fact, you want to understand your guests’ needs and impressions to find an ideal solution.

An excellent customer service is able to quickly adapt to any situation, and has an extensive knowledge of its guests and their needs. Your clients need to feel heard and understood. They will appreciate the fact that your employees understand their situation and emotions and that the service they are offered is catered to their own specific needs. They will therefore be more likely to stay loyal to your hotel.

How to offer better customer service?

In order to improve your customer service, it is essential that you adapt to potential changes in your guests’ behaviour and new trends in the hospitality industry. You can use your property management software (PMS) to obtain clear and precise information about your guests and their previous stays.

In addition, try to regularly find out how your guests feel by checking the answers to your satisfaction survey, your online customer reviews or by talking to them at the hotel reception. This will help you to collect more information about how their stay went, what they particularly enjoyed or disliked. This can help you uncover which aspects you should improve on.

You can also educate your employees on the importance of providing excellent service and being welcoming for your customers through training. These trainings will allow them to better understand their role, encourage them to improve the service they provide and make them aware of the potential impact their behaviour can have on the image of your property.

Providing responsive, efficient and quality customer service has become a necessity for properties. Indeed, an excellent customer service will improve the relationship between your guests and your establishment. Also, satisfied guests are more likely to come back and be loyal to your hotel, as they will become true brand ambassadors.

Therefore, the customer service of a property plays an important role in its development strategy since it allows the improvement of its reputation and help to distinguish itself from its competition.

4 trends revolutionizing the hospitality industry

Posted on 26 March 202121 November 2022 by Laura Yee Kui Choi

Contactless and connected experiences

These days technology is everywhere. There exists an infinite number of new technologies which you can implement in your property, and it’s up to you to choose the ones that will best suit your establishment and your clientele and that will also allow you to minimize the interactions between your customers and your employees while offering them a memorable experience. Moreover, this will also help you to better retain your customers and encourage them to come back to your hotel. In fact, 4 out of 5 travellers say that the implementation of new contactless technol o gies would encourage them to stay in a property again.

Your Property Management Software (PMS) and its numerous integrations will give you the opportunity to automate your hotel’s systems and prioritize contactless experiences such as online check-in or the use of check-in kiosks. This 100% contactless experience gives your clients the opportunity to confirm their information, accept the hotel’s terms and policies and validate their pre-authorization. They will not have to register at the property’s front desk to retrieve their room key. Simple and efficient isn’t it? Moreover, this will save time at the front desk, ensure health safety protocols are respected and help maintain social distancing. Thanks to your PMS and its integrations, your clients will be in control of their own experience. For example, they will potentially have access to a home automation system in their room, be able to order an item from the restaurant’s menu on their room’s TV, receive personalized messages throughout their stay using their entertainment system or receive specific offers for a unique and personalized stay via a Guest Management System (GMS).

Stays combining work and leisure

With the rise of working from home, travellers wish to combine work and leisure, especially with the ability to work from anywhere. Thus, many properties have decided to convert their rooms into office-friendly rooms to offer a work environment which is peaceful and relaxing and also stimulates creativity and concentration. Therefore, having a fast and efficient Wi-Fi connection and conference rooms will be key factors in the upcoming months. Offering a package which includes a lunch box is an additional selling point for your clientele.

Revisiting restaurant services

Restrictions and social distancing measures pose a real challenge for hotels offering food services. In order to keep contacts to a minimum, many initiative have been put in place, such as using a QR code to view the menu, having the option to pick-up orders and having robotized in-room dining. Another simple initiative is to move tables and chairs from the hotel’s restaurant into the guests’ rooms to allow guests to enjoy the restaurant services in the comfort of their own room.

Eco-friendly stays

Following the recent ecological concerns, individuals are rethinking their daily consumption habits and travellers are more ecologically conscious when they stay at hotels. In fact, 66% of travellers are willing to pay more to stay in an eco-friendly hotel with environmentally friendly sustainable practises. These practises include eliminating plastic and single use shower products, reducing food waste, water consumption and energy, and using 100% recycled linens and towels.

Becoming an eco-friendly hotel is an excellent business strategy for those wanting to cut down on their cost, reduce their ecological footprint and contribute to their clients’ satisfaction. However, this transition requires all parties involved to be motivated and diligent. Promoting your ecological and environmental practises using green marketing will help you strengthen your brand image. Nowadays, 64% of establishments use green marketing to sell their products and services.

While being consistently evolving, the hospitality industry has always been able to adapt to new trends and reinvent itself to better anticipate its clientele’s needs. Respecting social distancing and health safety protocols is now more than ever a necessity. Hotel managers must therefore meet their clients’ expectations regarding these norms by investing in technology. This ensures guests are satisfied and have a successful experience no matter what the situation is.

New hospitality experiences for your guests

Posted on 4 March 202118 August 2021 by Karine Thibeault

Checking-in at a welcome kiosk is not reserved for airports

Your property is not an international airport and yet your property management software may offer you check-in kiosks. Indeed, these kiosks allow your guests to check-in directly in the lobby, as if they were with a receptionist. By using a welcome kiosk, your guests will have a better perception of your property, because you offer them a new experience. It allows them to quickly access their room, regardless of their arrival time.

Moreover, your guests can use the welcome kiosk anytime, 7 days a week, to identify themselves, validate their stay’s information and confirm their credit card pre-authorization.

Since social distancing is mandatory, the check-in kiosk helps limit contact with your staff and avoid contamination concerns. Nevertheless, it is still important to disinfect it regularly!

Online check-in, an evidence in a world full of mobile phones

Mobile phones have become an essential device in people’s daily life. Since most of your guests have a mobile phone, why not take this opportunity to offer them the possibility to check-in online, directly on their phone? From home, on the road or even at the office, your guests will be able to complete their check-in process anywhere and anytime, before they arrive at your property. Once in your lobby, all they have to do is get their key with the QR code that their mobile check-in will have provided them.

Pre-check-in is hybrid, so it’s trendy!

Thanks to the PMS, a few simple technological solutions that are easy to implement allow guests to anticipate the actions that the receptionists’ will have to take when they arrive at the hotel. Thus, these solutions help simplify communication with your guests and give them the opportunity, prior to their stay, to validate and correct their personal information and accept property’s policies. These anticipated actions allow your front desk to complete the check-in more efficiently.

La technologie a cet avantage d’être disponible à tout heure à tout moment, en plus de permettre aux clients d’être plus autonomes et donc de limiter les contacts avec votre personnel. Les options technologiques permettent de proposer de nouvelles expériences qui pourront rafraîchir votre établissement mais aussi de limiter le personnel dont vous aurez besoin à la réception. De ce fait, votre rentabilité sera d’autant plus importante puisque vous rendez votre lobby attractif et vous limitez les personnes qui y sont présentes.

What is a successful guest experience in hospitality industry?

Posted on 7 January 202118 August 2021 by Sarah Trépanier

experience-client-reussie-hotellerie — What is a successful guest experience in hospitality industry?

A customer-centric experience

First of all, the experience provided by your property must make your guests feel unique and privileged. Indeed, it is important to show them that your employees care about their needs and they are available for them throughout the customer journey, whether before, during and after their stay. Thereby, take advantage of the pre-stay period to inform, reassure and create curiosity. This period is particularly essential to learn about your guests, but also to optimize what you offer them. During your guests’ stay, be sure to offer them a positive experience and be available at all times. Finally, the post-stay period shouldn’t be neglected and should allow you to follow up with your guests. It could include asking them to complete a satisfaction survey or to write an online review. Those feedback will allow you to know if they are satisfied with the experience received and things that need to be improved.

The customer experience is often dependent on many factors, including customer knowledge, which resides in the data collection. This data is stored in your property management software, since they are used by your staff to view your guest’s information. Thus, keep in mind that your softwares must communicate with each other to obtain consistent and identical information.

An experience that satisfies your guests

On the short term, an experience that satisfies your guests is a successful one if it has met their needs and expectations and if they are really satisfied with their stay. Moreover, in order to satisfy them, it is essential to have a good knowledge of your guests and their preferences to offer them suitable and attractive offers. Also, the greeting, the services’ personalization and your staff’s dedication and attention to your customers will help your experience stand out from your competitors. Indeed, don’t underestimate your employees’ power in the success of a stay. Don’t hesitate to raise their awareness concerning service and train your new employees so they can properly answer your guests’ questions.

Furthermore, having happy guests will allow you to create a solid relationship with them and generate positive word of mouth.

An experience that builds guest loyalty

On the medium and long term, a successful guest experience builds customer loyalty. Having a good knowledge of your guests allows you not only to satisfy them, but also to be proactive and anticipate their needs and expectations. This proactive approach will help you retain their business and win their trust. Thereby, your loyal guests will not hesitate to book future stays at your property and also refer your property to their entourage, on social media and online review platforms.

In the hospitality industry, a successful experience is customer-centric but also an experience that satisfies and retains guests. Therefore, it is essential to be available and focus all your efforts on your guests, so that they succeed in living, feeling and fully appropriate the experience offered by your property.

Also, keep in mind that a successful experience asks you to work consistently with your actual tools and the ones that could be acquired. Nowadays, technology is more and more needed to create new experiences, so it is important to optimize your current tools in order to make the most of their capacity and stay tuned about new trends.

Finally, a successful guest experience also means a potential increase of your revenue and strengthens your brand image.