Regardless of your CRM goals, the starting point is, and always will be, a database containing information on your contacts. This database needs to be intelligently segmented and filterable so that you can quickly obtain lists of contacts differentiated on the basis of any given criteria.
Of course, it is also important for your interaction history with these contacts to be recorded in their respective files.
Any CRM worth considering should offer, as a minimum, the options outlined below.
Determining the purpose of your CRM tool
As defined in the previous article, the main function of a CRM system is to manage interactions between your establishment and its customers.
The purpose of customer relationship management varies depending on the department or office within the company and can therefore take many different forms.
For example:
- A sales department uses a CRM system to generate prospects, with the goal of obtaining a signed contract (thus turning the prospect into a client).
- A quality assurance department uses the CRM to find out if customers are satisfied with the product they have purchased and if their questions/needs were answered quickly and effectively.
- A marketing department uses the CRM to create email marketing campaigns in order to build customer loyalty.
- Etc.
As you can see, although all three cases involve a system, there could be three different software systems within the same company. Therefore, before investing in one or more solutions, it is crucial to clearly define the specific goal(s) you hope to achieve by implementing your system.
You may have several different objectives and be focused on various solutions, with each one being highly specialized for its specific purpose. At Expérience Hôtel, we use two main systems: PipeDrive for sales relationship management and FreshDesk for technical customer support. PipeDrive is not suitable for managing customer service, but it is fantastic for tracking sales.
Which is the best CRM system for a hotel?
There is no definite answer. The particular features of your hotel will dictate your choice of a software solution.
