Research continually and consistently finds that there is a positive, statistically significant relationship between satisfaction and a host of business outcomes such as customer retention, loyalty, wallet share, referral etc. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that guests who had extremely pleasant experience spend over 100% more as compared with those who had less-than-desirable encounters. Clearly, happy guests can ensure healthy revenues for hotels.
Part of providing a great experience is being present wherever your guests are, and today, they are on mobile. Travelers are utilizing mobile technology more than ever before and there are so many different ways you and your employees can increase guests’ satisfaction through mobile. Here’s how;
Streamline guest services: Guests are now a more self-sufficient bunch and have become used to getting what they need quickly. More and more guests want control over their hotel experiences, they want the same comforts and conveniences when away from home and expect to see mobile technology integrated into their hotel experiences. Consumers, in general, are coming to expect self-service and a streamlined experience that mobile innovations provide – services such as check-in and out, room service orders and request, amenity bookings such as spa appointments or dinner reservations, the ability to view billing information, track expenses and complete online payments etc.
By leverage mobile platforms you can offer a plethora of self-service solutions to streamline the guest experience and provide a superior service experience that your guests have come to expect.
Connect with customers: Messaging and chat services are rapidly becoming another way that mobile is transforming the guest service experience. It is a versatile, effective way to ‘chat’ to guests in a place they are already conversing. Guests are able to communicate quickly and seamlessly with a dedicated concierge to take care of any requests or queries. Whether a guest wants to order room service or needs an extra rollaway bed, prompt service is just one text message away.
By using mobile messaging services hotelier can provide the guest with an improved guest experience.
Personalization: Mobile solutions can aid flawless customer service. They present a major opportunity for hotels to personalize the customer experience enabling hotels to directly connect with guests’ pre-arrival, during the stay and post-departure. With integrated cloud solutions, hoteliers have the ability to easily keep track of and consolidate guests stay history and personalized preferences while also providing a system that can satisfy each customer’s needs by delivering real-time personalized experiences.
As a result of such high customized service interactions, guests feel unique and treated as an individual, improving overall satisfaction and generating increased customer loyalty.
Ease of operations: Well-executed operational functions are a key determinant of whether a guest’s stay meets their expectations and whether they check out satisfied. A cloud-based mobile PMS hotel can make a hotelier’s operational life much easier. Cloud systems simplify integration with other systems for improved operational efficiency via automation. Automation of repetitive tasks helps to free up staff time allowing them to focus more of their time and attention towards the guest. Staff can also assign certain tasks to specific employees and quickly communicate with other departments instantly and simultaneously through integrated mobile devices. And most importantly, mobile means staff are free to move around the hotel, servicing guests directly resulting in more face-time and enhancing their overall guest experience.
Mobile technology can certainly improve the hotel guest experience. Not only does it allow hoteliers to manage day-to-day operations more effectively but it helps meet escalating guest expectations and serve guests better by providing greater immediacy and personal engagement. To top it off, mobile has the ability to improve the bottom line and give you that competitive edge over your rivals.
