Meeting guest needs in the Digital Age

By Ryan Haynes, Director, Haynes MarComs - travel and hospitality marketing technology expert

Contactless technology has enabled businesses to serve customers under the tightest of restrictions.The pandemic refocused us on what is most important to guests, and the digital age presents opportunities to redefine guest services.

Hospitality now has access to a plethora of digital guest technologies from digital ordering, self-service kiosks and contactless payments to mobile apps, messaging and email. All replace traditional physical touchpoints. To make effective use of these technologies, it’s important to develop a holistic digital guest journey that will take your customer from pre-booking to post-check-out, leaving a satisfied guest.

Consumers today expect the same slick digital experience they have in other areas of their lives - such as entertainment and online shopping. The customer’s digital experience should abide by four rules:

1) Convenience: it should be simple, intuitive and - most of all - easily accessible through their digital devices, especially smartphones.

2) Relevance: news, information, updates and offers related to their specific booking or enquiry.

3) Immediacy: timely communications, with answers when they need them. This means businesses need to offer near 24/7 service.

4) Recognition: personalised services; know who your guests are and their preferences.

Digital guest touchpoints

Digital guest engagement can be split into multiple touchpoints to build a deeper connection with guests. Following a couple of tumultuous years, guests seek security in their bookings, clear confirmation of their upcoming plans, and opportunities to maximise their travel experience. This provides hospitality companies with ample reasons to contact the guest.

One hospitality company, Branson Family Retreats, has a 14-step pre-arrival approach: this includes booking confirmation, a digital guide book, providing additional recommendations, offering insurance, and remote check-in. Each step is fully automated, requiring little to no management once the process is in place. Guests depart Branson Family Retreats with a high level of satisfaction, leaving rave reviews.

The guest journey should be built around your brand and customer. There are numerous solutions to help you implement a full digital guest experience:

Customer Relationship Management system - CRM

Customer contact details are essential data. Having permission to use these details means you can keep dialogue open with upcoming reservations and past guests. This is especially important where you have secured direct bookings because you ‘own’ this guest, rather than having to communicate via an OTA or third party.

By storing contacts in a CRM, it is easy to send emails to an entire database, or schedule and automate emails to specific reservations. Personalising the message will better engage customers. By building CRM customer profiles you can offer products and promotions relevant to each guest, showing you understand them and their interests, making you a valuable business to deliver on their expectations. 

Instant messaging

Customer engagement is becoming increasingly immediate. Smart messaging apps allow hospitality businesses to send reminders, confirmations or offers through SMS, Whatsapp and social media messaging (Facebook Messenger/Instagram). Guests can message for more information and expect an immediate reply.

Instant messaging platforms enable you to schedule and automate messages. With chatbots, you can offer 24/7 customer support for frequently asked questions. By making life easy and convenient for guests, you are meeting one of their key needs.

Artificial Intelligence - AI

AI is slowly being integrated into technology systems, and hospitality businesses that embrace AI are reaping the returns. AI enables businesses to understand customer behavioural patterns and respond in real-time. AI-powered booking engines can recognise customers by the way they interact and select the most relevant experiences, products and promotions to show them throughout their digital guest journey. This secures bookings faster, increases the value of each customer, and provides a more seamless brand experience, driving repeat business.

Guests, like any consumer, are looking to be recognised and have an enjoyable experience. The better you communicate with your customers from the very beginning, the better brand experience you’ll provide. By using technologies which work together, you will provide a digital guest journey that satisfies your guests and provides you with additional revenue opportunities.