Thanks to the electronic word-of-mouth, we live in an age where with just a few clicks it is possible to find out everything about the experiences of others with any product or service. Yes, reviews can make or break a business. It's the same in a highly competitive industry such as hospitality. With the rise of online review platforms and social media, the opinions and experiences shared by guests have a significant impact on a hotel's reputation and success.
Each review, even though it is a personal opinion, might affect future guests’ choices and expectations. All online platforms from hotel web sites, online review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp, online travel agencies like Booking.com, Agoda.com and Expedia.com, together with social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) are channels that can be used to share comments, reviews and photos.
To ensure a steady flow of positive reviews, hospitality providers need to make sure they deliver a unique and satisfying guest experience at every touch point. This brings us to digital competitiveness that plays a crucial role in empowering both guests and hotel staff.
Seamless Booking and Check-In Process
A seamless booking and check-in process is the very beginning of a positive guest experience. Make sure you have a good-looking, user-friendly and efficient booking platform that allows guests to easily make reservations and check-in. Software development companies, especially those experienced in dealing with complex core enterprise applications, can help hospitality providers to reduce friction during these crucial steps. Moreover, this can set a positive tone for the guest's stay right from the start thanks to a good booking platform. Of course, this platform has to be integrated with all other software and applications implemented in the whole hotel ecosystem in other to have real-time data and maximum occupancy.
Personalized Services
Personalization is key to success since reviews are subjective impressions. So, it is important that guests feel valued and appreciated. Quality data, together with software solutions, are here to be used for the creation of tailored experiences. From remembering guest preferences to suggesting personalized amenities, these efforts create memorable moments that guests are more likely to share in their reviews. In other words, this means that hospitality providers must have an application that will collect and analyse data and suggest ideas for personalization.
Real-Time Communication
Effective communication also means that guests, and potential ones, get feedback instantly. This can be hard when dealing with different time zones, but thanks to the technology, nowadays it is just a matter of implementing the right software. Addressing any concerns or requests promptly is essential for effective communication. Software development companies are the ones that can help hospitality providers to implement communication tools such as chatbots, mobile apps and in-room tablets that enable guests to interact in real-time. This instant communication can prevent potential issues from escalating and enhance guest satisfaction. Not to mention that reviews also can be real-time, so hospitality providers' communication should aim to get guests to contact them rather than write queries on review platforms.
Streamlined services are closely related to real-time communication for both guests and hotel staff. Easy access and seamless request for services like room service orders and housekeeping enhances the overall experience and increases the likelihood of positive reviews.
Smart Room Controls
IoT technology enables hospitality providers to offer guests a high level of control and convenience in their rooms. Adjusting lighting, temperature and entertainment systems according to their preferences are just some of the things that can be controlled by guests and therefore empower them to create a comfortable environment that suits their needs. From the guest's perspective, smart rooms are something to share online as a positive experience. From a hospitality provider perspective, solutions based on IoT technology also enable better efficiency of different departments like front desk, housekeeping, sales and marketing, as well as better energy management. For example, thermostats and different sensors like motion and ambient light sensors can automatically adjust settings based on room occupancy.
Prompt Issue Resolution
No business is immune to occasional issues and some kinds of complaints, including hospitality. So, the time and process of solving problem have a huge impact on guests' perception. When guests experience that concerns are being taken seriously and resolved quickly, they are more likely to appreciate the commitment to their satisfaction and mention that in their review. That’s because people like to be forgiving and like to talk about it, e.g., mention it in their review. This tells us that hospitality providers have to address problems promptly and effectively, and for that, they need to have a good software that enables issue tracking and resolution.
Post-Stay Engagement
Offering incentives for returning guests and seeking feedback is an important part of the guest experience since engaging guests doesn’t end the stay. By fostering a sense of loyalty, hospitality providers can encourage guests to share their positive experiences on online review platforms. Post-stay engagement, loyalty programs and surveys can be conducted with the right software that helps hospitality providers to stay connected with guests through post-stay emails, surveys and loyalty programs.
In short
In the digital age, building online brand value is a strategic approach. The way this is handled has a significant impact on the overall hospitality provider’s success. By focusing on the source of the guest experience, hospitality providers can ensure memorable experiences that guests are eager to share with the world. At the end of the day, behind all of described here are tools and solutions that are enabling a better guests experience and the growth of the hospitality industry. Providers looking to have seamless processes, personalized services, real-time communication and efficient issue resolution should be looking for a proven software development partner in the hospitality industry. Feel free to check out how we help our client to build digital competitiveness in the hospitality industry, or reach us to discuss how we can support yours.Â
