Journeys to destinations around the world have been on everyone’s list, travellers, and vacationers alike. And while packing bags to commence a trip, guided by one’s whim may not be possible anymore in the post-Covid world, hoteliers around the world can ensure that those journeys that are in fact made are memorable. A balanced combination of comfort, convenience, safety, and hygiene work together to create a favourable experience for guests, which further translates to beautiful lasting memories. It would not be an overstatement to say that mobility in technology used by the hospitality industry can be the defining factor in crafting these memories for hotel guests. The pandemic has propelled rapid adoption of mobile solutions by hotel business owners worldwide. The crucial role mobility would play, in the future of the hospitality industry, is now evident. In this blog, we will discuss how hoteliers have mobilised technology and eased hotel management for themselves and why you must too.
Pre-Arrival – Information Gathering:
It is believed that every guest goes through a cycle, from pre-arrival to post-departure and every stage of this cycle presents hoteliers with plenty of opportunities to add value, interact and influence their audience/guests. The use of mobile technology in managing your hotel business helps achieve this task with admirable ease. All through the recent past, mobile has grown from an independent channel to being the baseline of all experiences that are digital in nature. Mobile strategies are therefore being designed keeping in mind the customer expectations that dominate this ecosystem.
A fair amount of research precedes the final decision a customer makes about the hotel they would like to stay in, and mobiles have increasingly become the preferred devices while undergoing this process. From weighing options of accommodations, to reviewing their images and making price comparisons, this exercise of finding the right hotel that fits customer needs presents opportunities to hoteliers to influence their decisions and also to make a mark through visuals and brand related imagery and ethos. An accurate reflection of these factors is important, as is the time taken to respond to queries or negative feedback or the tone adapted by responders while addressing concerns.
Channel Manager softwares , which are now increasingly being used in hotels allow hoteliers to efficiently distribute and manage their inventory on online travel agent portals, thereby increasing chances of being seen by customers. Not just that, web booking engines which come integrated with Property Management Systems (PMS) like Hotelogix also make it easier for hotels to receive bookings through their own website, while ensuring that they get all the opportunities to put their best foot forward by establishing their brand’s identity in their audience’s minds. A mobile hotel PMS can be a handy tool in steering the social media activities in the right direction, since they provide constant updates, which hoteliers can utilise to build and maintain their online reputation and create more chances of being chosen, over their competitors.
Arrival – Information Exchange:
Studies show that a growing number of people make their hotel reservations online, through mobile devices or otherwise and seek hassle-free booking processes. It is important therefore for hotel websites to be mobile optimized, just like the Property Management Softwares that they use to manage operations. A PMS like Hotelogix also permits guests to check in and out of their hotels through contactless mechanisms, which decreases their waiting time and elevates their overall experience with the hotel. Automated check-in and check-out methods not only accelerate process completion and save time, but also reduce large amounts of paperwork. Automation of processes like these also have the added benefit of offering registered guests an easy entry to their rooms, without needing to queue up at the frontdesk and allowing loyalty card members to use contactless check-in/out facilities on their mobile applications.
While these facilities may be useful in many ways, it is important for hoteliers to ensure that their digital offerings are easily accessible and user-friendly, so that even those who may be technologically challenged can use them without trouble. At the same time, it can bring immense benefits to users if there are built in guides in the software systems they use, whether mobile or desktop, that can help them navigate through the difficult technology terrain. Hotelogix PMS has an automated guide which prompts users to take specific actions while using the software. This is especially helpful in peculiar scenarios such as that which the Covid pandemic has put us in where one needs to manage things remotely.
Flexibility is another key feature of digital mobility. Giving customers the opportunity to do more on their own can give them a feeling of being in control of their own hotel stay experiences. Small details like these could be characteristic in keeping you a notch above others in the market.
Stay – Information Utilisation:
The possibilities of personalized experiences, delivered through mobile devices and optimized applications are endless. As touched upon previously, customers wish to control their journeys as far as possible and constantly look for ways to curate their own experiences. For example, guests can share their preferences or likes and dislikes even during contactless self-check-in and ensure a stay that matches their expectations. In-room tablets or their own mobile device applications can be used by guests to place food orders or avail in-room dining facilities and other services.
Another benefit that can be given exclusively to regular guests are discounts and service vouchers. They can receive all the information about on-going promotional deals or discount codes by subscribing to push-notifications on their mobile phones. This goes to show that digital mobility facilitates hoteliers in gathering vital guest information, all throughout their journey, and enables them to use it in a manner that is mutually beneficial. A hotel software can help hoteliers in collecting, sorting, and storing all this information safely in their cloud storage systems, filtering out any possibilities of data theft and equip them in creating tailor-made experiences for their guests during future visits.
Post Stay – Information Collection
Experts from SAAS companies often lay more importance on the satisfaction and retention of existing customers than on winning new ones. Therefore, it is important that even after a customer completes his/her journey with your hotel, the connections built with him/her are kept alive through constant communication and timely responsiveness, because there is no better advocate for your hotel business than the one who has done business with you.
Hotel PMS softwares help you keep a track of what your customers have to say about you and give you the power to prevent any damage to reputation. A kind and reflective approach towards guest grievances can win your hotel repeat customers as they would find their opinions valued.
Summary:
The hospitality technology trends are on the rise due to the pandemic and it would be wise for hoteliers to foresee how it would affect their businesses now and in the future, to avoid a potential struggle with digital transformations. Mobile software lets employees manage tasks even while they are working remotely and allows them to engage with it deeply.
It is insightful to note that consumers engage more with technology that they can carry with themselves. Therefore, in a business setting, especially an enterprise software, accessible through a mobile device could spell an increased level of engagement transitioning into specific benefits that could represent opportunities for digital transformation in many industries.
