Hospitality Tips Please

[Sales_Driver]

Hi, everyone!

My sister and I recently opened up a small in with about 7 to 8 rooms and we're fairly new in the business. Our parents lent us some of their retirement money and got us started so right now, we've got a website where bookings can be made with an FAQ section already set up. We also have a Facebook page and an Instagram account so present, past, and future clients can receive updates. What we'd like to know is, how we can improve the overall customer experience? Any input from members with Travel and Hospitality backgrounds are very much appreciated!

 

[fisicx]

You can improve it by making guests feel welcome and ensuring they enjoy every moment of their stay.

Facebook and Instagram aren't that important, getting good reviews on trip advisor and goggle are.

 

[ethical PR]

I wouldn't rely just on your own marketing channels.
Have you spoken to your local tourism agency about registering on their site and how you can work with them to promote your business.
Have you registered on relevant hotel and travel booking sites?
In terms of customer experience - cleanliness, location, furnishings, customer service, great communication rank high - it really depends on your target customer.

 

[Mike_Cartwright]

Congratulations on you and your sister's business venture!
An Inn is a lot easier to maintain and manage compared to large establishments like hotels and resorts.This gives you the leverage on letting your team focus on getting your finances in order, customer experience, and marketing your business. For the customer experience bit, here's what may want to take a look at:

What's your target market? Is your Inn best suited for families, young travelers, group travelers, couples, seniors? Knowing the details and deciding which age group your services fit best can bring about new ideas how to market your product, pricing strategies, and activities/packages that you could attract these groups to visit your Inn.

What can you offer that other businesses like your won't likely be able to compete? I'm not sure what the demographics are from where you're located, but most likely you'll have more than two competitors lurking in your area so determine what sets you apart from the rest? If there's none, brainstorm ideas that would make you stand out.

Would data and technology fit well into the equation? You mentioned you've already set up social media pages/profiles and that's great. Now all you need to do is make sure you respond to inquiries and concerns promptly.

When it comes to your website, make sure your phone number, email, and social profiles are also listed so whenever a visitor takes an interest in your services, they can reach you right away. If there's one thing we all hate, it's waiting.

It wouldn't also hurt for your business to have a CRM (Sugar, Freshdesk, Salesforce) and phone (Nextiva, BluIP, Cisco) system in place so you can have a dedicated phone like to make and receive calls and keep guest records organized. To ensure all logs and records are in sync, you can take advantage of a PC-phone integration software such as Tenfold. It provides you analytics to see which area you can improve and which targets you're hitting. It can also keep track of emails and SMS exchanges between you and your guests, so that adds to the convenience.

 

[PropertyWebmasters]

I have previously helped travel related companies improve their website and overall experience, this does include a small hotel with 14 rooms.

Gaining positive reviews on TripAdvisor and Google are definitely a good thing in this industry, if people see you you have gleaming 5 star reviews, this will invite new customers to stay with you and existing customers to return.

Giving the best customer service online and offline are both equally important. Make sure you frequently update your website with everything that the customer will want to know, images of the hotel, rooms and the surrounding area, directions to the hotel and even a blog are good examples of what to include. Including useful information of what's going on in your local area can encourage people to stay at your accommodation and will give you a good community stronghold.

Since a lot of people use TripAdvisor to to find and review hotels, you could encourage people who enjoyed their stay to review you on there, including useful images for future customers. Responding to any negative comments with a polite and sincere response will also be important to maintain a positive online presence.

I’m sure that in time you will find out what works and what doesn’t for your business, just make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of not keeping up to date with your online presence which is where many hotels/ b n bs tend to do.

 

[Website Design Ltd]

From my understanding being successful in the travel industry online is about 3 things.

1. Reviews (Trip advisor, Google, Facebook)
2. Being in the right place (Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc.)
3. Being the right price for your area and the quality of the accommodation (You don't have to be the cheapest in the area if you are better quality, but don't be more expensive if you aren't)

 

[Ophi Hendrix]

I agree with the others. As a consumer/customer, imagine what you'd expect from a business like yours? Of course, online presence is a great addition as part of your marketing efforts. As a consumer/customer, I'd still look into the experience that I'll have while I'm staying at your place.

 

[The Byre]

My sister and I recently opened up a small in with about 7 to 8 rooms . . .

About 7 to 8 rooms???

Does one of the rooms sort of come and go, or does it commute?

 

[Ashley_Price]

2. Being in the right place (Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc.)

While this is a good idea, I would suggest you don't just leave it to a third party to deal with your bookings for you. Some people (my wife and myself for example) prefer booking direct with the hotel, as this is often less stressful. The two times we have used Booking.com there has ended up being complications and - despite what the adverts and website say - our money was never refunded.

 

[Mike_Cartwright]

About 7 to 8 rooms???

Does one of the rooms sort of come and go, or does it commute?

Maybe..just maybe they're planning to add one more room OR 1 out of those 8 rooms is still under construction. I'm sure the OP has a rationale explanation.

 

[HazelC]

Connect with local businesses and share offers; promote packages with your business and theirs, especially local restaurants / attractions and similar.

Go that extra mile with customer service; things like a personalised welcome card or a small gift could really brighten up the room and this will get shared on social media too.

Tripadvisor reviews are super important so find ways to encourage customers to complete these too.

Also, when customers arrive ask if it is a special occasion - if so take note of this, put a card through their door if it is and ensure you send a card in time for the special occasion next year too - it's those little touches!

 

[Mike_Cartwright]

...when customers arrive ask if it is a special occasion - if so take note of this, put a card through their door if it is and ensure you send a card in time for the special occasion next year too - it's those little touches!

This is absolutely true. Special requests may often get a bit crazy, but as long as they remain harmless, you should try your best to fulfill these requests. Guests will surely thank you for it.

 

[Mr D]

While this is a good idea, I would suggest you don't just leave it to a third party to deal with your bookings for you. Some people (my wife and myself for example) prefer booking direct with the hotel, as this is often less stressful. The two times we have used Booking.com there has ended up being complications and - despite what the adverts and website say - our money was never refunded.

We have used multiple booking services, only once has there been a problem and the hotel did try and organise something else for us but not to our taste.
Rest of the time (a couple of dozen or more times) using a booking service has been fine.
And usually below the rate the place charged on their own website & for people just turning up.
Last time we used Booking.com we had a great experience, lovely rooms and the price we paid was £10 cheaper than if we had turned up for a room. For a one night stay its not much, with a half dozen trips a year it starts adding up...

 

[Richard Walton]

Make sure your delivery has as many unique selling points as possible, this will keep it in peoples minds for longer and make your reviews look fresh and positive.

Don't be afraid of a polite call to action at the end of a guest's stay. As long as it doesn't feel pressured an you excelled at customer service and experience, most are happy to leave a positive review.

Create an entire list of USPs that you make sure you can deliver to every single guest every time. The hard work pays off!

 

[TheConsulter]

1. Make the guests feel welcome. You should be responsive and friendly in your communication with potential guests. It will make them looking forward to meeting you rather than having second thoughts about booking. You should also meet the guests when they arrive and show them around, so they feel at home. You could also write a welcome letter which includes the house rules, recommendations of local establishments and your WiFi password. To impress on your guests you should consider offering them a welcome package on arrival. The best welcome package includes chocolate and flowers.

2. Make it possible for your guests to leave reviews. Tripadvisor is one of many places where guests can leave reviews. If you get good reviews, it will lead to more bookings in the future.

3. Be in the right places. Explore the opportunities to add your business to big booking websites such as Booking.com, Hotels.com and Airbnb.

4. Co-operate with local businesses. Restaurants and attraction establishments can promote your business if they get a percentage for every referral.