Guest Communications—A Bird in Hand
Once you have acquired a new guest, how do you keep them coming back for more? We will dive into this topic and discuss five ways to ensure we keep our bird in hand and happy as a lark.
Most independent, small lodging properties do not have a full-time or even part-time support staff to carry out sales, marketing, or PR initiatives. Owners are too stretched; it’s a lot to run a small property with little support, so it’s understandable why guest communications fall short once the guest leaves your property. This is where technology and AI (artificial intelligence) needs to work in your favor. A superior technology platform is not only going to log the guest transaction and note why the customers came to your establishment, but it should automatically follow up on your behalf with no additional action on your part (other than scheduling the frequency of the e-mail follow up and personalization). Whether you have this caliber of technological support or not, it is also possible with a simple series of personalized e-mails, regular blogs, e-newsletters, and even print correspondence to ensure customers come back time and again.
So how do we keep this bird in hand?
Log all guest preferences and spend history.
Ideally your PMS (property management system) logs guests’ data the moment the guest makes the reservation asking for detailed information to help personalize their stay. Sending an e-mail several days prior to arrival should then be easy. Whether your PMS does this automatically or not, a templated e-mail that gets the guest excited about their upcoming stay is the goal (with as much personalization as possible). In this e-mail, you can communicate check-in procedures and other housekeeping items, but more importantly, this is an opportunity to get the guest excited, possibly upsell to a suite, add on a special lunch or massage package (20 percent off if booked before arrival), share a bit about the local area and highlights they should not miss while staying at your property. The guest lifecycle begins the moment the guest finds your property and books, growing with each interaction and your continual follow up. Per the Harvard Business Review, customers who had the best past experiences spend 140 percent more compared to those who had poor experiences. Happy guests are golden, let’s not let that wear off! Following up is key to keeping this bird in hand.
Be responsive.
This starts during the guests’ stay as you are responsive to their needs and learn more about the individual. Equally important is how responsive and attentive you are after the guest leaves your property. Thanking the guest for their stay and making a personal comment or compliment is uplifting and sets your property apart from the neighboring cookie-cutter hotel or motel that does little to follow up with authentic interest. Make sure to wish the guest safe travels and share that you’re looking forward to their next visit. Remind the guest why it was so great to have them at the property (as much personalization as you can muster) and how you’d like to welcome them back again, sooner rather than later. I have seen some properties send an immediate thank you card in the mail (very rare nowadays but highly effective) with an upgrade voucher for their next stay (brilliant!). I have seen other properties send a personalized mug or hand towel, even chocolates (of course, you must get permission to correspond which you can secure upon check-in or checkout). The key here is to continually grow the relationship and stay close to the guest even when they are no longer on premise. If you cannot physically send an item, compelling offers via e-mail work, especially if they exude thankfulness and generosity. Make sure to include a link to TripAdvisor or other online rating programs to promote your property and when the rating is received, send an e-mail thanking them with a special offer the next time they book (make sure to include a link to your property’s website).
Stay in the eye of the traveler.
Staying in front of the traveler means being visible in locations where they frequent. Regardless of the content in an e-mail to the guest, make sure it’s mobile friendly (otherwise most guests cannot properly view your offering, news, or updates). Many travelers now prefer online travel agent sites and digital communications (social media) to human interaction. You can still be highly personal, just consider where the guest is looking for properties and make sure you’re at the party.
Create news and happenings.
You are your best advocate for your property and location. No one knows your location and timely events better than you do and it’s your job to keep your past guests informed. Creating buzz and PR for your property can start with something as simple as a monthly blog which then gets incorporated into your monthly e-newsletter. Aim to create a sense of urgency with deals and specials.
This must be done delicately, in such a way that the guest is encouraged to return to your property while the special is valid. Include a quarterly calendar with events, highlights, and offers at your property on your website and in your newsletter. For example, during a lower occupancy time frame, incentivize with packages that take the guest away from their day-to-day lives for no particular reason other than rest and relaxation with a spa package or romantic weekend getaway. Piggyback on a local event in your area and pair your room with the event. Make the special available until just a few days before the event to create a sense of urgency. Breaking your offerings down by quarter is realistic and not overly time consuming, yet creates ongoing interest and value to your past guests without becoming overwhelmed to you or them. Relevant blog content with references and links to events and businesses in your area is a Google magnet but also news to fill a portion of your e-newsletter to past guests. Add in a few timely specials, photos, and news from the property, a recent quote or two from a guest, a featured breakfast item (including the recipe is always appreciated and ranks high in guest interest) and your e-newsletter is prepared.
When sending to past guests, make sure the guests’ first name is in the introduction with a unique, positive introduction each month. If there is no major news in your area, then you create the news! Your property can certainly be the center of events and local happenings generating more interest from locals and press in your area with further reason for guests to return.
Cultivate loyalty.
Whether a large hotel or a small lodging property, creating loyalty stems from personalized service and exceeding expectations. Do those two things and you’re golden, then remind the guest and repeat. Loyalty programs that encourage the guests’ continual use and return are great and especially popular with Millennials.
There are many ways to create loyalty, but going the extra mile is by far what’s going to have the biggest impact. If your PMS logged the reason for a guest’s first stay, such as an anniversary, then message your guest with adequate time so that they may rebook their next anniversary celebration. Let the guest know how honored you were that they came the previous year and how you’d like to help them make their anniversary special again with complimentary chocolate covered strawberries or a bottle of bubbly.
There are so many ways to get creative with guest communications at each stage of the guest life cycle. Consistency, generosity, and personalization are the foundation. Guests are looking for experiences, not just a bed to lay their head. By engaging your customers and exceeding their expectations you are creating a personalized service and lasting impressions that will dramatically set your brand apart. You are cultivating loyalty that will go well beyond the first night’s stay. Guests will become your own personal marketing team, sending family and friends your way for many years to come.
Treat the bird with love and kindness and it will always come back to your hand.
Takeaways
Assiduously maintain your guest database by using a great property management system to keep track of guest info, saving you a lot of time.
Message your guest list monthly or quarterly with a timely, informative newsletter (electronic or post) and include specials and upcoming local events.
Personalize the occasional message designed to bring back past guests, using data you gathered during their previous stays.
Resources
Examples of Property Management Systems for Independent Lodging
Establishments:
Little Hotelier (www.littlehotelier.com)
Rezovations (www.rezovation.com/)
Think Reservations (http://thinkreservations.com/)
RezNexus (https://resnexus.com/)
Guest Centric (www.guestcentric.com/)
Possible Loyalty Programs suitable for Small Lodging Establishments:
Stash Hotel Rewards (www.stashrewards.com/hoteliers)
Select Registry (www.selectregistry.com/select-rewards)
References
Harvard Review: https://hbr.org/2014/08/the-value-of-customer-experience-quantified
TripAdvisor: www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/n2134/video-power-management-responses-guest-reviews