Hotel guest data allows businesses to personalize their services for them in their current or future stay.
NB: This is an article from AxisRooms
But for a very long time now, hoteliers have missed out on their opportunities with guest data or were intimated about how to use it. As the industry trends evolved and customer demands became a priority in the hospitality sector, hotel businesses started using data as a tool to offer better guest experiences.
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The hospitality industry has the potential of acquiring tons of data, and a major challenge for them is the idea of managing and utilizing it well.
The integration of the channel manager with the property management system (PMS) of a hotel business came as a rescue to this challenge. These cloud-based management software solutions help hoteliers collect valuable guest data, understand it, and use it with utmost effectiveness.
The possibilities are endless when you can maintain optimal data hygiene over a well-managed system.
With this article, you will gain knowledge about the ways with which you can best utilize hotel guest data. Stay tuned till the end!
What Types of Data Do Hotels Collect?
Before telling you about the evident ways of utilizing hotel guest data, it is crucial for you to know the types of data that can be used for business profitability.
Data is endless, as it depends on how and where you can find and make it profitable. Here are five types of data that you can possibly use to improve your guests’ experience at your hotel:
1. Contact Details
The first data that will come in handy for personalizing services and facilities for your guests is their contact details.
You need to collect your guests’ first names, last names, physical addresses, mobile numbers, and email addresses. You can collect them all at the time of direct bookings or during check-in.
2. Guest Demographics
Demographics such as nationality, age, sex, marital status, parenting status, and other information should be collected on priority.
Apart from that, you can also collect the reason for their travel and store it for further communication with the guests. All of it and more will help you carry out target messaging approaches for your customers!
A traveller on a business trip should receive different messages or communications than a guest on a solo trip. So, these demographics are important by all means.
3. Guest Preferences
Take note of your customers’ preferences by asking through email after the booking or at the time of check-in.
Preferences in rooms, meal timings, beverages, available activities, and other such options must be acquired. These crucial pieces of information will help you to not just give them a good experience for their current stay but also attend them well in the future.
4. Usage and History Data
Apart from the basic data, you need to collect information such as trip type, frequency of visit, and average spending on the trip. It will eventually help you plan out ideal promotions for specific guests, which will make them appreciate the effort.
5. Experiential Data
You need to store and utilize the feedback that you have received from prior surveys or the post-stay reviews of customers.
Along with that, take note of the specific comments that were made for specific staff members during the overall stay of your guests. These interactions will hint at what your guests might expect from your hotel the next time they come for a stay.
3 Major Ways of Utilizing Hotel Guest Data for Added Revenue
The hospitality industry serves millions of guests every day, and every one of them has a specific set of expectations and preferences.
The key players or the brands of this industry are doing their part in gathering as much relevant data as possible to make their services worth the customers’ time. So here are three of the many ways you can utilize hotel guest data:
1. You Can Decide on Better Pricing Aspects
With the use of data, hotels can forecast any seasonal events which might increase/decrease the occupancy rate. Hence, they will have an idea of when to increase or lower the rates, depending upon the demands.
Apart from that, data can help hotels understand the booking behavior of their guests. It will help you predict minimal cancellation charges as well. You can also specify conditions on cancellation charges to keep it fair for all customers.
Hotels that have the potential to predict nearly accurate room demands can eventually price them appropriately for a good profit.
With the use of hotel channel management software, it becomes easy for you to carry out real-time demand analysis. Hence, you can use the collected demand data more effectively.
2. You Can Improve your Marketing Approach
With the use of hotel guest data, you can start and carry out effective marketing measures. You will be able to drive more direct bookings and boost revenues.
The use of proactive software systems will allow you to acquire smart data that can help identify potential guests and target audiences. The demographics can be used for identifying regular guests who usually book their stays with you.
In short, the right use of data can help hotels detect profitable customers. As a result, you get the opportunity to target them in real-time with promotional deals and offers. You can convert them from being a website visitor to a booked guest.
3. You Can Offer Personalized Services to Attain Guest Satisfaction
Hotels get the power to influence personalized offers and purchase decisions, depending upon the analysis of their data.
Preferential data from your guests will help you out in the process. You can send them an email notifying them about their successful booking with your hotel. After that, you can ask a few questions about their preferences. Hence, it will help you offer them good service when they check-in to your hotel.
Not just that, these preferences can help personalize the next stay of your guests. Moreover, this data can be used by your management to upsell more effectively.
You can plan out endless offers, rewards, and discounts for your loyal guests to hold onto them for longer business returns.
How Can Channel Managers Help in Acquiring Hotel Guest Data?
Channel managers are not just meant for collecting data, but also analysing them to prepare insights and reports to help you make productive business decisions.
With the hotel guest data collected by your channel manager, you will be able to understand the trends and demands of your customer. As a result, you can optimize your distribution channels and meet those specific guest requirements to enhance their satisfaction and experience.
