Nathan Mayfield, Vice President of ResNexus: Elevating industries, one business at a time, through service, innovation and education.
In today’s digital age, a business’s online reputation is paramount to its success. According to ReviewTrackers, 40% of hotel guests are likely to write a guest review after a positive experience, while 48% of hotel guests are likely to write one after a negative experience. Furthermore, a staggering 94% of consumers said a negative review convinced them to avoid a business. In other words, guests are more likely to leave negative reviews than positive ones, and that’s what turns consumers away.
Keeping guests engaged at every stage of the booking process is essential to delivering a quality experience and driving more positive reviews. In this article, we will explore four essential strategies for mastering guest engagement and reaping the benefits of guest satisfaction and loyalty in the ever-competitive hospitality industry.
1. Get found through OTAs and provide a good first impression.
When it comes to guest engagement, guests discovering your location online first doesn’t usually come to mind, but it should. And for most hoteliers, that means listing your property on online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb or Tripadvisor. I am always surprised at how many smaller hoteliers neglect this step.
Guests often find a hotelier’s property through their OTA listings and then visit their website directly. High-quality pictures and copy on all these platforms demonstrate to your future guests that you take your business seriously. When I renovated my vacation rental, the first thing I did was get new professional-looking photos. Your photos provide the first impression of the type of stay your guests can expect. If the photos are inaccurate or out of date, it will negatively impact the guest experience.
The importance of reviews is also evident here. In essence, a review is a previous guest speaking to a potential future guest. Whether you like it or not, your reviews confirm to other travelers whether the experience is as packaged.
2. Engage your guests multiple times before the arrival date.
Just because a guest makes a booking at your property doesn’t mean they’ll follow through with it. If you’ve heard of trip stacking, you know that savvy travelers tend to make several simultaneous reservations and make a final decision at a later time. So which property do they choose? In my experience, it’s the one that’s the most engaging to them.
Post-booking messages are crucial to keeping your future guests excited about staying with you. Whether it be through email or text, be sure to reaffirm your value proposition and let them know about any events or activities occurring in your area during their stay. You can also use this opportunity to get personal with the guest and ask what brings them to your neck of the woods. This not only helps to familiarize yourself with their needs but also adds a level of personalization that can help keep your property top of mind if the guest is deciding between multiple options.
3. Use innovative tools to do more with less.
The hospitality industry has been facing substantial labor shortages for years, with many properties struggling to find and retain skilled staff. Unsurprisingly, this can cause friction for the guest experience. As a result, hoteliers need to find ways to do more with less, especially when it comes to guest engagement and communication.
Keep in mind that not every meaningful interaction has a human behind it, and those non-human interactions still impact your guest experience. For example, let’s take a look at automated text messaging. Did you know that texts are opened five times more often than emails and responded to over seven times more frequently? Automated text messages are an excellent way to reach customers and guests and provide meaningful interactions while freeing up staff time. Scheduled mid-stay messages are a great way to check in with your guests and head off frustrations before they occur.
In addition, self check-in kiosks, mobile apps, guest portals and other automated systems can provide guests with the convenience and flexibility they need while reducing the dependency on staff. If your self-service options are user-friendly, reliable and provide a seamless experience for guests, then those experiences can become meaningful, as well.
Keep in mind that some guests will still want face-to-face interaction once onsite. The best practice, in my experience, is to provide options for both if you can. At the very least, guest portals help free up your staffing resources and allow the guest to choose how they want to interact with your property.
4. Meaningful interactions don’t end post-departure.
Engagement doesn’t end once the guest leaves; you still have to close the loop. The post-departure stage presents opportunities to further connect with guests and foster long-term relationships. For instance, sending personalized promotional offers on special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries show guests that you value their patronage beyond their stay, and it encourages them to consider your property for future visits. Utilizing social media channels to stay in touch and share updates, events and promotions also keeps your property top-of-mind and allows guests to continue engaging with your brand.
Another essential aspect of post-departure guest engagement is soliciting and responding to online reviews. This demonstrates your commitment to guest satisfaction and that you value their feedback. Positive reviews can attract more potential guests to book with your property, while addressing negative reviews promptly and professionally can help mitigate any potential damage to your online reputation. This helps build a loyal customer base, increase your return guest rate and enhance your property’s online presence, leading to more travelers discovering and considering your property for their future stays.
Conclusion
In today’s competitive hospitality industry, mastering guest engagement is a key factor in building a loyal customer base and driving repeat business. By implementing these strategies throughout the entire booking process, businesses can enhance their online reputation, increase guest retention and ultimately thrive in the industry.
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