After the state of alarm and the opening of borders between communities and abroad, the idea of a vacation no longer seems so far away.
Many hoteliers hope to open their hotels normally, some will do so this season and others will foreseeably wait for the next one, in 2021.
Many hotel chains are working with enthusiasm to refine their establishments and guarantee, one more summer, unforgettable experiences. For example, one of the areas in which the most work has been done is on protocols and safety and hygiene measures.
However, due to the new norms of social distancing and capacity reduction, these are not the only measures that the accommodations have to adopt; Changes also have to be made that affect the organization, staff, and internal processes, restructuring services and spaces.
The new normal is going to fundamentally change the day-to-day of hotels in the short, medium, and, most likely, long term.
It is required of the accommodations to adapt quickly to the new circumstances, finding ways to attract demand without losing profitability.
For this reason, digitization is an essential aspect at this time to guarantee the safety of guests and employees, we will have to better deal with the changes that come in the future and add added value to the experience.
What tools can help the hotelier at this time?
Tools for direct sales
In these moments where there is a lot of uncertainty, the most important thing is to keep the client informed and, above all, to generate trust to encourage them to book with flexibility and security. It is important to communicate clearly in all possible channels the measures that are being implemented.
In this context, it is logical to think that the client is going to seek direct contact with the hotel more than ever, so it will be a great opportunity to promote direct bookings. Therefore, having a direct channel optimized is very important. Do not neglect your website and invest time and effort in maintaining and improving it to get visitors to book. Now is the time to make sure your website is conversion-oriented, with calls to action, powerful images, an efficient booking engine, intuitive navigation, and differentiating elements that can convert visits into bookings.
Tools for more sales
There are loyalty and sales tools such as online interaction assistants, or chatbots, which allow us to automate the service and solve doubts in an efficient way. Many hotels even already have a live chat on their websites that allows the hotel to chat in real-time with customers who visit their website. These tools enhance the online booking experience and incentivize direct selling, however, success largely depends on whether it is properly configured and time is spent improving it each month.
On the other hand, there are also other types of virtual assistants that require less setup and time, which in the same way encourage direct sales. They do not focus on generating a conversation but on encouraging users who visit the page to book through it by offering them the possibility of benefiting from an offer and adding a series of advantages to their reservation without paying more for it.
In this way, the potential client enjoys extra benefits that they will not find on other websites and OTAs, and the hotel gains reservations through its own channel, with the consequent savings in intermediary commissions, managing to differentiate itself from competitors by offering customer added value.
Tools for the check-in process
The coronavirus crisis has brought a series of security measures, capacity, and social distancing that have highlighted the urgent digital transformation in hotels, fundamental in this new normal. And one of the areas where this digitization is most necessary is at the reception to speed up the entry of guests and avoid crowds.
The check-in process at reception is usually a manual and little digitized process that usually generates waiting for queues and discomfort for guests. On the other hand, kiosks or totems solve part of the problem, but they continue to create queues and do not allow several check-ins to be carried out simultaneously.
Tools for easy checking without much contact
One solution that allows you to control capacity, reduce waiting, minimize contact between employees and customers, and improve reception staff productivity is online check-in. This system allows customers to register at the hotel a few days before the stay on the hotel website or upon arrival at the accommodation from the WiFi, without having to download an app. There are advanced platforms that even allow travelers with reservations from TTOO and OTA to pre-check-in online from the hotel’s website.
The client himself can do all the registration without assistance because it is very easy and intuitive, avoiding filling in papers or the presence of a receptionist. You just have to follow the steps indicated to check-in and get your key. In addition, these systems can integrate SMS communications to promote direct contact between the guest and the hotel and enhance loyalty.
This optimization of the check-in process allows us to significantly alleviate the workload of the reception, eliminating tasks that do not provide essential value. And, most importantly, it facilitates social distancing, protecting the health of workers and guests.
Tools for loyalty and reputation improvement
The social isolation of a few months ago and this current situation of uncertainty have not only altered our daily habits but also our social behavior and as consumers. Companies must be aware of this and face the challenge of adapting to the new expectations of their customers to strengthen their relationships while trying to maintain profitability levels.
In this new normal, empathy and closeness with the client will be rewarded more than ever, as well as the flexibility to adapt quickly to new scenarios and needs. Therefore, at this time, it is essential to ensure by all means that the customer has a good experience to convey security and strengthen the bond with the brand. But also because of its power of prescription: travelers believe in the comments of other travelers as much as if they were personal recommendations and in this context, they will be very important because they will give them more confidence.
Therefore, once guests have enjoyed their stay, they must be actively encouraged to recommend the property, for example, with an email that includes a link to an opinion portal (such as Tripadvisor, Holiday Check, or Zoover) so that they leave on these websites your assessment.
Increase Your booking
Thanks for sending emails like this, a hotel can receive a constant flow of positive opinions, increase the number of its reviews, and be in the first positions. This, in turn, will help increase your bookings due to the confidence generated by accommodation with good traveler reviews.
As we can see, guest reviews can make a difference for a hotel. However, for these positive opinions to emerge, it is essential to know the level of satisfaction of the guests during their stay to solve possible incidents and improve their experience even more if possible. To do this, satisfaction surveys during the stay make it possible to detect dissatisfied customers and solve possible incidents in time. In this way, negative opinions can be stopped that can turn into positive ones because, when an unwanted situation is solved quickly, a customer is doubly satisfied.
About the Guest Author
Julien is the founder of Julius Homes His interest in hiking, skiing, and adventure holidays made him bring together the choicest accommodations around the globe to make holidays relaxing and comfortable.