Building customer loyalty is one of the foundational keys of building a profitable hotel business. According to recent studies, building loyalty five percent can lead to an increased average profit of twenty-five percent.
When focusing on brand loyalty, there are a few things that need to be prioritized. The first being the ease of researching and booking online. The hotel should be readily searchable. Finding information, getting questions answered, and making reservations should be fast and easy from a mobile device. Over fifty percent of travelers do their research from a mobile device.
The second thing is to focus on what information is available online. In addition to price, research shows that travelers look at consumer reviews, photos, the cancellation policy, and the ease of booking online when making a decision.
Once you get travelers to book with your hotel, the key is to treat them in such a way that they will want to return in the future. Research suggests that three out of four travelers will schedule four getaways throughout the year, and you want to build that loyalty to become their hotel of choice.
Hotels software can provide a solid customer support database, which allows employees to look up any needed information about a customer. This includes current and past stays, special requests, possible problems, etc. Hotels software can also be used to track reward points if the company offers them, as well as what customers can get with those reward points.
Being able to look ahead and anticipate needs and interests will make customers loyal. For example, When a customer is booking, letting them know they have enough points for an upgrade or a free night without them having to ask is significant. Something that simple will impress upon the customer that you want them to get the most out of their stay.
It is also important that all employees working the front desk know exactly how hotel management systems work. You do not want customers get frustrated trying to do something with an employee that doesn’t know what to do. Hotel software systems are designed to make tracking, retrieving, and recording information easier. However, they only work if updated and utilized properly. Like most technology options, hospitality management systems are constantly evolving to better serve the hotel and the customers. It is important to stay current on what is available.