Guest Experience
When we talk about Guest Experience, we're referring to the entire journey a guest takes from their very first interaction with your hotel until they leave your property.
It's crucial to understand that the guest experience begins when the traveler dreams of a destination, searches online, makes a reservation, tries your service, and ultimately becomes either a promoter or a detractor of your brand.
To make guests feel at home, it's essential to get to know them and personalize their stay from start to finish.
This is a daily challenge for hotels and their teams who strive to satisfy their guests' needs at all times.
Why Is It Important for a Hotel to Manage Guest Experience?
Every customer is a challenge, but we agree that the relationship with them strengthens when they are heard. That's why, from the moment a guest makes a reservation, a communication plan must be activated to make them feel recognized and supported. This way, you can respond to their needs, get to know them better, leading to greater online reputation and loyalty.
Before
Booking
It's very likely that guests will find your hotel through a friend's recommendation, an online travel agency, a review, or your website. Regardless of the channel, it's essential that the guest's experience is the best it can be. Pay attention to your website's web design, your property's reviews, and your guest service channels. Without a doubt, these will be key during travelers' purchasing decisions.
Communication Channel
Once the guest has decided to stay at your hotel, it's fundamental to open a direct communication channel as soon as possible. How to do it? With online check-in. This service will help you get in touch with the guest before arrival and understand their preferences from the very first moment.
Personalization
Exceeding your guests' expectations is not an easy task, but we know it's not impossible. The check-in process will help you get to know the guest from the beginning, and having access to that information is key to managing the experience. For example, if the guest is visiting your hotel for their birthday, you could leave a congratulatory card or a welcome gift. At the same time, offering personalized services will strengthen the experience and help you implement actions to increase your property's revenue (upselling). One of the most common options is to offer early check-in or late check-out.
During
Request Management
Guests are increasingly demanding and expect a quick and functional response from you. It's essential that during the stay, all areas are internally communicated to respond to guest requests as soon as possible. To be more efficient, it's important that teams are connected in real-time to offer an even more satisfactory experience.
Problem Resolution
Remember that if you don't listen to or read your guests, you'll never know how they're experiencing their stay. It's important to monitor service during the stay so you can react to a negative experience. This way, you'll be able to transform your detractors into promoters of your hotel.
After
Measurement: NPS / Ranking by Areas
After their stay, guests will become an influencer of your brand, and it's important to know their loyalty. Most industries measure customer loyalty through the Net Promoter Score (NPS). In the hotel industry, this indicator reveals the degree of satisfaction a guest has with a hotel. This metric, combined with the performance of a property's areas, reveals the quality of your service and the improvements that can be driven in your hotel. Likewise, this will help you set achievable goals for your teams and review your hotel's evolution.
Reports
Measuring and monitoring your guests' experience will help you decide what to do and what actions to implement to further position your property. Reports are fundamental for visualizing your performance and making the best decisions for your hotel. The operations, commercial, and/or marketing teams will undoubtedly appreciate this information, as they will be the ones driving actions and improvements within the organization.
Reviews
Implementing a good Guest Experience strategy will help you gain even more satisfied and loyal guests. Your promoters or detractors will share their experiences at your property on social media and global travel sites like TripAdvisor, Google, or Booking. It's crucial not to lose sight of them and to always respond to their comments.
To offer an outstanding and quality Guest Experience, we must know our guest perfectly.
We know that today, Guest Experience is fundamental for the hotel industry. It's important to make the most of it and establish it as an essential part of your property. To offer an outstanding and quality Guest Experience, we must know our guest perfectly. How to do it? By being empathetic. It is essential that you put yourself in their shoes and experience the service you are offering firsthand. Without a doubt, managing the quality of your service will help you increase your sales and continue to offer unique and unforgettable experiences to your guests.