How to provide the best customer service in the hotel industry pre-stay?
NB: This is an article from asksuite
Let’s imagine you are the traveler and you are trying to decide where to stay on your next trip. I’m pretty sure you will do some research from your mobile or desktop, check out hotels’ social media, and from the information you gathered, you will try to connect with your hotel of choice.
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Where you are going to stay is an important factor that impacts your entire travel experience, so you don’t want to make a bad choice. As much as you want to gather information, at the same time, you probably don’t want to waste too much time doing research. You want to decide to start dreaming about your travel.
As you can see, your hotel customer service is crucial to converting online visitors into guests. Many articles talk about the customer service during stay, but what about the assistance provided before booking?
It’s at this moment you want to be there for your target audience and provide spotless and efficient customer service so they choose you over your competitors.
Keep in mind that the expectations of consumers of service are changing. You are expected to create delight at every customer touchpoint, including before stay.
Here is where two challenges arise for you, hotelier:
- You need to provide travelers with important information so they can make educated decisions about where to stay
- You need to be fast providing them what they are looking for before booking, after all, it is so easy to book another hotel.
Customer service is the heart of the hospitality industry. But it became a greater challenge with the multiple channels customers now have to contact a hotel.
In this article, we will explain how to provide excellent customer service in the hospitality industry with valuable and practical tips you can apply now to improve your service during the travelers’ decision-making process.
How Do You Provide Excellent Customer Service in the Hospitality Industry?
Even though there are different sizes for hotels, different ways to operate them, and different categories, the truth is travelers today have high expectations. With the additional note that when travelers compare your service, they don’t compare it only with other hotels, but with any kind of business they’ve been in contact with.
The buyer’s journey has changed. Today’s consumers do extensive research before committing to a product or service. Sometimes, they might even know better than your sales team when it comes to what your hotel doesn’t have or have in comparison to another hotel, or where they find the best rates – unfortunately, many times it is not through direct bookings.
Might not be fair, especially for small independent hotels, but that is how the game is played now. That’s why it is so important that you elevate your service in all channels.
Ok, so all channels are impossible for you right now? Then focus on the ones your ideal guests prefer. How to choose? Through data. Get to know your customers well before making a strategic move.
And remember that whatever channel you decide to focus on, the customer service must be top class. Don’t make the wrong first impression digitally, they do count!
