The voice channel delivers from 20 to 50% of bookings for hotel brands. So why has the Contact Center become such an overlooked hospitality distribution channel? In my opinion, our industry has forgotten the impact of this valuable asset, its power to generate revenue, and the customer service it can provide to satisfy the demands of today’s busy traveller
In a recent survey, we discovered a startling fact – Contact Centers are an increasingly poorly managed channel. In fact, we learned that a surprising number of organizations did not have a handle on their voice revenue conversion. And even when they had these numbers, there was no industry standard for comparing them to their competition.
But let’s go back to the forgotten revenue stream. How is it possible that one of the most valuable distribution channels in our industry has become so misunderstood that hotel operators – especially larger brands – manage it from the cost side, not the revenue generation or guest engagement side?
There are three main reasons why:
- Compared to digital and social channels, voice is just not sexy. What operators don’t realize is that voice is not old school; it is a key enabler of their mobile and social media strategies.
- Inconsistent metrics, high turnover and pressure for profits have operators keeping the Contact Center at arms length. They don’t understand it, don’t know how to make it work, and don’t have time for it.
- They undervalue the “experience.” Plain and simple, the Millennial demographic is telling us that experience is what they look for. The “YOLO”-driven Millennials are spending more and traveling more than any other demographic – even Boomers*, and Operators need to adjust the Call Center strategy to accommodate.
But there is a path for Brands to evolve the perception of the Contact Center to better suit the consumer and their financial goals. Here’s how.
