In this time, better known as the ‘Age of the Customer,’ what differentiates companies like Apple, Amazon, Zappos from the rest? The simple answer would be their never-ending efforts to exceed customer service expectations and create memorable, ever-lasting experiences. When it comes to the hospitality industry, while there is no shortage of sentiments that should guide a hotelier’s approach to success, there is one which arguably stands above the rest: great hospitality is defined by exceptional service.
A recent Walker study, states that by the year 2020, customer experience will be overtaking price and product as the key brand differentiator. Further, not meeting or exceeding customer expectations can also lead to a lower satisfaction score and unhappy customers are unlikely to stick around. According to Ruby Newell-Legner’s Understanding Customers, it takes 12 positive experiences to counter one negative experience.
With this in mind, we ask: Hoteliers, are you offering the highest level of service to your guests? What sets your service apart from that of other hotels? Moreover, do you have the technology in place to support your staff, optimize your operations and continuously heighten your guest experience to deliver on your brand promise?
Service Today is Defined in Different Ways
Each guest is likely to have a different perception of what defines great service. Some guests may associate great service with uninhibited access to the luxuries and comforts of home, while others may value green, sustainable practices.
While they are away, guests still want the conveniences of home, such as streaming video services, voice assistants like Alexa, by the cup in-room coffee makers like Nespresso, charging ports, high-speed Wi-Fi and use of their mobile devices for just about everything.
Guests are also becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, putting more value on eco-friendly initiatives such as waste reduction, recycling programs, water-saving initiatives, use of local and organic produce, and availability of electric car recharging stations. In a report from Hilton, 20% of guests stated that they consider a hotel’s environmental and social efforts before booking.
Today’s travelers expect their stay to be tailored and their needs to be anticipated based on preferences and data from past stays, bookings, and feedback. In fact, more than 70% of hotel guests report having a positive experience with personalization. Marriott takes it one step further with virtual reality pods where guests can virtually experience Marriott properties.
With this in mind, hoteliers are encouraged to recognize that there is no single identifier of ‘great service’. Rather, the path to achieving great service is best created with the help of technology that positions hotels to offer flexible, personalized service across all tasks. This approach is malleable, dynamic, and empowered by applications and platforms that allow staff to create more meaningful connections with guests, anticipate needs and respond quickly to requests.
The Essence of Independents
Independent hotels are certainly not immune to the industry-wide push for the
implementation of cutting-edge technology. While boutique hospitality is
primarily founded on the provision of authentic, attentive, and personalized
service, it’s essential to recognize that service-oriented technology is
positioned to enhance traditional service, not replace it. While automation is
undeniably integral to the continued growth of large-scale hotels, the operational
benefit of a more streamlined system for independent properties is paramount.
By preventing the prevalence of inefficiencies across departments with improved
technology, hotel staff is able to focus more readily on what matters most: the
guest experience. With the right technology in place, hotel standards are
maintained at the highest level across every service touch-point, while staff
members maintain personal rapport and connection with each guest. It is a
superior level of service and care that boutique properties are especially
known for, and that need for exceptional service is precisely what service
optimization platforms were built to achieve.
“The key is to set realistic customer expectations and then not just to meet
them, but exceed them—preferably in unexpected and helpful ways,” says Richard Branson,
Virgin Airways Founder, in an article in Entrepreneur magazine.
He adds: “Setting customer expectations at a level that is aligned with consistently deliverable levels of customer service requires that your whole staff works in harmony with your brand image.”
Ultimately, personalization will look
different for each guest, but the desire to experience great service is
universal. In a hyper-competitive landscape, guest service is king and
investing in hotel optimization technology that transforms your service each
step of the way will drive staff productivity, guest satisfaction, boost positive
reviews and keep guests coming back.
The Time to Optimize Service is Now
Research shows that hotel occupancy is
currently at record levels, and PWC predicts steady growth throughout this
year. In fact, from 2009 to 2017, US hotel gross bookings grew from $116 billion to $185 billion. Much of this growth can be
attributed to the gradual influx of modern hospitality technology, as the
industry landscape continues to shift in favor of guests’ increasingly digital
demands. In 2009, the first hotel and airline apps were just hitting the market. Social media and mobile technology as
we know it today hadn’t yet conceptualized, and the idea of offering
personalized guest experiences — at scale — was a lofty concept. Fast forward
to today, and we’re witnessing the rapid implementation of new-age technology
that was built from a guest-centric perspective, to transform the guest and
hotelier experience in equal measure. Continued growth and possibility are on
the horizon, and it’s up to hoteliers to vet and implement the platforms which
can elevate their service offering well into the future.
Of course, that growth can’t be achieved without change, and hotel properties
around the globe are reaching an integral turning point. In order to keep up
with evolving industry demands and guest expectations while empowering their
service model, hoteliers aptly realize the importance of shifting away from
all-in-one legacy technologies in favor of dedicated guest experience and
service optimization software solutions powered by mobile.
Legacy models of the past, primarily defined by their limited infrastructure
and expensive integrations, do not offer the robust capabilities of new
software designed from the ground up with the sole focus on streamlining and
refining vital areas of the hospitality operations. With a service quality
optimization platform, hotels can effectively automate and manage areas of
operations to reduce costs like never before. These applications provide staff
with access to better guest data, streamlined communication and prioritized
task tracking, to better anticipate, respond and surpass guest expectations across all touch-points.
The ROI of Enhanced Guest Service
Social media has transformed how consumers interact with brands, and this is
especially prevalent in the case of hospitality. With credit to the growing
influence of travel review sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor, hoteliers are
implored to be especially vigilant when managing their online reputation. In
fact, studies reveal there
is an extra 3.2 billion to be earned over the next decade if the hotel sector
becomes more attentive to online reviews. This comes as no surprise when we
consider that 96% of TripAdvisor users consider reviews necessary when vetting
and booking hotels. The bottom line is quite simple. It is imperative for
hotels to provide quality service, every stay.
In many cases, prospective guests are also willing to pay more for a hotel with
a trusted online reputation, with 76% of travelers
surveyed noting that they were prepared to pay more for a hotel that has higher
review scores. Beyond that upfront advantage, it’s no secret that happy guests
tend to spend more, and the cultivation of loyal guests helps hoteliers to
mitigate rising acquisition costs. After all, the repeat guest is the one who
stays at the same hotel 15 to 20 times a year.
Fortunately, great service is the ultimate predictor of guest experience and,
in turn, continued guest loyalty and positive feedback. By leveraging mobile
technology to automate critical processes such as the
handling of guest requests, complaints, maintenance jobs, room turn-over, and
more, hoteliers can ensure high staff productivity, operational efficiency and,
subsequently, guest satisfaction. Housed within one, centralized system, hotels
can rely on a customized stack of applications that optimize service and can
scale according to the growth and unique needs of the property.
About the Author
Karen O’Neill is a
thought leader and hospitality industry veteran with over twenty years of
experience working with top tier hospitality and restaurant clients. She spent
fifteen years with MICROS Systems where she held various positions in project
management, major account management and sales and strategies. In her last role
as Vice President; Hotel Sales and Strategies, Karen worked closely with
leading global hotel chains, independent properties and management companies on
their technology strategy, system selection and deployment. Karen also founded
KnockOut Hospitality Consulting, LLC. to assist hotel clients in streamlining
and managing key operations. In October
2015, Karen joined StayNTouch, a leading SaaS property management system
provider as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In this role, Karen
managed the company’s global sales and marketing initiatives, contributing to
their aggressive growth.
Most recently, Karen assumed the responsibility of President, Americas for Knowcross
with a focus to grow and manage the company’s operations and sales initiatives
in the Americas region. With the evolution of technology, Knowcross’
game-changing products for housekeeping automation and workflow management are
a must for hotels globally, to meet the growing needs and expectations of
customers. The Americas is a key market and an engine of growth for Knowcross.
Karen is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of
Science from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management.
About Knowcross
With a global customer base across 40+ countries, Knowcross is a trusted partner to some of the world’s most well-known global brands including Aqua-Aston, Capella Hotels & Resorts, Cheval Residences, Hoxton, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG, Kempinski, Minor Hotel Group, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels, Rosewood, Sydell Group, Taj, The Doyle Collection , Sutton Place Hotels and Shangri-La; as well as marquee independents and hotel collections such as Angad Arts Hotel, Dolder Grand Zurich, Grand Pacific Resorts, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, Le Bristol Paris, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Royalton New York, Sixty Soho, The Century House, The Curtain London, The Mark New York, The Ned London and The William Vale Brooklyn.