The hospitality sector has a long standing history of focusing on the customer experience. High end resort chains like the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are frequently used as model examples of how to wow the customer with delightful and personalized attention. And while their more economical counterparts may not be featured in the latest Harvard Business Review, they too are focused on delighting the customer with everything from free WIFI, breakfast buffets and warm cookies.
As a consumer, selecting a hotel and spending time at a specific destination for either work or pleasure, is an extremely personal experience. Key word is personal. So when you think about face to face and personalized attention, where does technology fit into the world of hospitality? The answer is pretty much the same as other businesses… technology not only fits in but is a necessity for long term success.
According to a recent article on Hospitality.net there are some key trends that hoteliers need to embrace, adopt and implement.
It’s all in the cloud. From an infrastructure perspective, businesses are using cloud based solutions to prevent heavy capital investments. This applies to all facets of the business from the corporate office, to the reservationists who take customer calls, to the physical phones in the customer rooms. Etech Global Solutions for example has thousands of agents taking calls for all lines of business across the globe. We use hosted IP voice solutions to handle client contacts in a more affordable manner.
Going mobile. Customers are on the go and expect to interact when and where they want. For the hospitality sector in particular the mobile check-in process is a huge advantage to clients who want to avoid long lines or make special requests on an as needed basis. Allowing customers to self-check in also reduces administrative work for front desk clerks and overall operating expense for the firm.
Social awareness. The online reputation of a property is business critical. According to industry experts, Trip Advisor has become one of the main sources of information for people researching vacation destinations, hotels and leisure facilities. Meanwhile, Social Media tools like Facebook or Twitter are quickly becoming just as influential. As experts in property management and commercial real estate, our team at Creative Choice Group in Florida knows just how important managing your brand can be. Finding ways to promote positive endorsements from residents (or guests in this case) helps to grow your business and reinforce value in the market.
It’s personal. As mentioned above the hospitality industry is expected to address personal circumstances but more importantly, remember their client’s needs. Passing on important information like food preferences to additional services such as personal training or flowers in the room, helps create the ultimate experience that will bring the customer back again and again. However, making that an automated reality is more than hiring a super star concierge. It requires a systematic process to pass details from functional departments to one another and maintaining it for future visits. Investments in CRM are a key enabler to making this a reality for every guest. You would hate to miss the opportunity to meet a specific customer need or even worse make a mistake that could end up in a law suit.
The hospitality sector like other business verticals continues to grow, expand and evolve. Technology is one way to stay a step ahead of the competition and get featured as the next best thing for travelers both here and abroad.