In today’s world, the quality of customer service you provide can make or break your brand. In a recent Vision Critical study, 97 percent of global consumers cited customer service as a very important factor in their brand choice and loyalty. This means providing superb customer service is imperative to ensuring your guests not only enjoy their stay but return as repeat visitors.
In order to provide optimal service and to make sure your guests leave with your brand top of mind, here are 5 ways you can enhance their stay:
Mobile or Kiosk Check-In and Check-Out.
A mobile or kiosk check-in is a great opportunity to enhance the guest experience for individuals who don’t want to be inconvenienced by long line-ups or slow processes. Having a fast check-in process sets a great tone for the rest of their stay. With a mobile or check-in/out kiosk, you speed up the time it takes for a guest to receive their key, in addition to streamlining the process of up-selling or recommending additional features such as room upgrades, spa services, dinner reservations and so much more.
In addition to fast service, kiosks also run for 24 hours and never go on breaks, ensuring a guest is never inconvenienced. They also open up time for your front desk staff to tend to more pressing guest issues by automating the simple routine tasks.
Sending Reminders and In-Stay Messages.
Sending thoughtful reminders is not only a great way to enhance the guest experience but it also help to build a stronger overall relationship. Whether you’re reminding them of a dinner reservation or an array of services offered in your spa, informing a customer with reminders and in-stay messages lets them know you care about the quality of their experience while on-site.
With a customer engagement platform like Loop®, you can even send reminders to a plethora of people in an instant with a Group Messaging™ tool. You can remind a group of people that their yoga class is at 5PM or inform wedding attendees when the cocktail reception will begin. With broadcast or group messaging tools you have the option to inform a single person, a specific segment, or your entire guest list on the messaging channel of their choice.
Have Mobile Ordering Options.
A recent Statista report revealed that 62 percent of travelers would like to use their mobile device to order room service or amenities. Why? Because it’s fast and easy. With the click of a button, guests can instantly have their order placed and routed to the right team with no staff interaction needed. This enhances the stay for guests who are in a rush to have their order placed or simply don’t want to interact in-person.
Having mobile ordering options also reduces the amount of “mix-ups” or delays because requests that are submitted in person or over the phone are prone to human error. With mobile ordering options, requests are logged digitally and routed automatically to the appropriate department, ensuring your guests get what they ordered while your staff remains organized and efficient.
Offer Personalized, Complimentary Perks!
Whether you learn about your guest’s preferences through face to face conversations, or from online chats, understanding their likes and dislikes is a great opportunity to enhance the guest experience over time. If they enjoy a particular magazine, or have a favorite snack, make note of that, and leverage these insights during their stay to delight them.
Additionally, you can record these preferences in their individual customer profiles on your PMS or CRM solutions. Other staff and management can refer to these notes at any time when they want to make a positive impression on the guest. Leaving their favorite magazine on their bed before they check out or delivering coffee to their door during wake-up calls, are great examples of how to delight the guest based on what you know they prefer.
Welcome Them Back.
Your customer’s checkout shouldn’t be the last touch point you have with them. On a basic level, welcoming them back or sending them a message telling them that their stay was appreciated, makes the customer feel valued. It also makes them feel like a treasured participant in an on-going relationship.
With a customer engagement platform, you can set up queued messages so every guest receives a follow-up after they leave the premises. You can even take it a step further and personalize the message – such as wishing them good luck on their next conference if that’s where they were headed.
Creating an amazing guest experience is essential to strengthening your brand and to ensure repeat customers. By following these 5 steps you are well on your way to enhancing your guests’ stay at the moment, and when they return.
What are some steps you take to enhance your customer experience? Let us know in the comments, or on social media: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Don’t stop there! Engage and enhance your employees experience with our blog post: How To Build A Great Company Culture.
