When it comes to hotels, there is a full range of stars to which your specific establishment will meet and be labelled as, which is often dependent on the style of the hotel, facilities and staff. Providing your guest with the perfect stay is imperative in this industry as it will usually be the deciding factor in whether that guest returns again. So, keep reading if you would like to find out how to keep customers return in hotels.
How to keep customer return: what you need to do!
One of your top priorities as an establishment is to provide your guests with a lasting impression. One of the best ways to do this is by making them feel as though you really appreciate their business. Having someone at the front desk when guests check out will go a long way for the customer, especially when they get a sincere thank you.
When you take a trip away from home and stay in a hotel, one of the nicest things to see is a little freebie or momento from the hotel you have stayed in. It often acts as a lasting reminder of the guests stay at your establishment. Alternatively, you could offer freebies once your guest arrives which makes their stay more memerable, for ideas on what you could do we recommend taking a look at Oyster.co.uk.
Understand your guests needs
What is the point of having a hotel if you do not understand the needs of the guests who stay there? It will often depend on what kind of hotel you are and exactly where you are located. For example, if you are in the inner city where most businesses are located then the likelihood of those staying at your establishment will be business people. These kinds of guests will often need good a wireless network system so they can carry on working or be connected while in their hotel room.
If you currently have wifi but are finding the more people connect, the slower it goes, then you may want to consider hotel cabling systems, such as fibre cabling. Fibre cabling is an excellent option as it allows for more bandwidth but is also safe and reliable for your guests to use.
Welcome your guests
Your guest experience starts way before they enter your establishment. Bookings of rooms are often made way in advance of the date, so you will want to make them feel welcome before they even arrive. We recommend sending your guest a confirmation of their room and when they can check in, make this message personal to them. You may also want to include some information about the local area such as places they can eat or even about local car parking.
To be able to hold all of your customer’s information safely and securely, if you do not already you may want to consider having a server room installation, which will help with ensuring all of your customer’s personal data is kept in one place.
It is also a great way of remembering guests, as you will have somewhere to store their information. This means whenever you wish to contact them you have all their personal information. You can also save all of the customer’s likes and dislikes, for example, if they asked for something specific in the room last time that was not there originally, you can ensure on their next stay they have it in their room, so it is a surprise when they arrive.
Keep in touch
Going back to keeping a lasting impression with your guests, make sure you stay in touch, this does not just mean with a welcome text or email. Get in touch after their stay, out of sight out of mind; if you do not, they will probably completely forget about your establishment. Send them a personalised thank you note and encourage your guests to provide you with feedback. Feedback is a great way for you to know where you can improve your hotel and also to see what your business is doing well. Trustpilot is one of the best sites to do this on, as you can also see who is a genuine guest of your hotel, you can do this by sending them the Trustpilot link in your thank you email.
Reward your guests
Make sure that your guests see something in return for staying with you, such as rewarding them with loyalty schemes or discounts on your services. It can also work in your favour as you may be able to offer discounts during you quiet zones, providing you with more business. It also provides your customers with that sense of appreciation, as a loyal guest one of the most annoying things is when you see offers to new guests, make sure to provide your existing guest with great offers.
Staff
Make sure that whenever you have a new member of staff, they are sufficiently trained. You want to ensure you are giving the level of service a guest expects when they enter your establishment. If your hotel is more upmarket and the guests are paying more to stay at your hotel, then they are most likely expecting a high level of service. Make sure you have not only the right training in place for your employees but also the tools, such as up to date and good quality computer systems.
If there is an incident where a guest wishes to make a complaint, then ensure your staff can handle it in a swift and efficient manner. There is nothing worse than having a problem and having to wait for someone higher up in the business to deal with it. The recovery in a complaint can often lead to a much better experience for the guest, which can in turn also provide you with excellent customer feedback on how your establishment deals with situations.
Hotels
You want to provide your guests with an outstanding experience which will leave a lasting impression on their stay. Make sure you have the right tools and people in place to provide this exceptional service. Knowing what your customers want and are looking out for in their stay is a great way of making them feel valued, which means they are more likely to return.
