With the onset of 2019, we’ve stumbled upon a rather interesting
(albeit, integral) crossroads in the hospitality realm. As consumer technology
continues to expand its influence and popular adoption across industries,
brands are realizing mounting pressure to adapt to this new age of
technological personalization and hyper-connectivity.
Why? Because with heightened technology and uninhibited connection across
platforms, comes higher stakes and those companies who fail to keep up are,
simply put, at risk of being left behind. And rest assured, hotels are no
different.
Welcome, hoteliers, to the new era of personalization; better known as the
hyperconnected guest experience.
What Does Hyper-Connectivity Look Like?
Consider this — If the ideal hospitality environment is one which cultivates a
“home away from home” experience, how can hotels expect to remain competitive
if their guests have more advanced technology and/or enhanced comforts in their
own home? Industry leaders agree— “Personalization of the guest
experience is the next frontier”. Those hotels which find the most success
in today’s digital-savvy climate will be those which offer an experience that
is equal parts high-touch service and high-tech offerings. Guest engagement and
communications should be personalized and convenient, upgrades and upsells
should be targeted and insight-driven, and technology should empower a seamless
and hyper-connected guest experience. In fact, Aberdeen Group claims
that companies with the strongest omni-channel customer engagement strategies
retain an average of 89% of their customers, as compared to 33% for companies
with weak omni-channel strategies.
The digital realm has evolved at a rapid pace, from being a segment of the
guest journey which hotels could choose to navigate for potential growth, to
one which they absolutely have to occupy and utilize for effective guest
connection. In fact, reports show that by 2020
customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand
differentiator. Further, the number of connected devices around the globe is
expected to hit anywhere from 50 billion to a staggering one trillion in the
next five years alone. With this in mind, hotels today have to find a way to
connect with each individual guest (and their unique set of preferences) while
communicating and engaging with said guest across various new channels and
devices.
Ultimately, embracing hyper-connectivity isn’t a choice — it is now a
necessity.
After all, the modern consumer interacts with brands from multiple devices,
platforms and touch-points (desktop computers, mobile devices, iPads, smart
watches, social media etc.) at any given time. In the case of hotels, this
expectation remains the same — hoteliers must remain privy to the increasing
influence of non-traditional, virtual channels (while maintaining a high-level
experience across traditional channels as well). If the modern guest transitions
from physical to digital touch-points seamlessly in their day-to-day life, it’s
no surprise that they expect that same experience on hotel properties as well.
Hoteliers must utilize modern technology to effectively anticipate, manage and,
better yet, understand guest needs and expectations for each and every stay,
and across every touch-point.
The True Value of Exceptional Guest
Service
Studies show that a moderate
improvement in customer experience (CX) would impact the revenue of a typical
$1 billion company an average of $775 million over three years. Further, 67% of
consumers say they will pay more for a great experience, while loyal customers
are seven times as likely to test an offering, five times as likely to buy
again and four times as likely to refer. Not only that, but 81% of consumers
want brands to understand them better and know when and when not to approach
them. Curating a personalized guest experience not only drives revenue, but it
enhances guest loyalty and brand reputation.
Ultimately, by offering a more personalized travel experience, hoteliers are
able to establish a value-driven, long-term connection with each and every
guest — who are then far more likely to become advocates for their hotel. With
travel and hospitality representing one of the most competitive industries on
the planet, it becomes ever-important to capture (and maintain) guest attention
and loyalty, all while increasing revenue, decreasing costs and streamlining
operations.
Leverage Technology
The evolving demand for technology across hotel properties goes beyond
satisfying guests by demonstrating an understanding of modern trends and
convenience. What becomes more important is the opportunity which technology
offers hoteliers in the way of a more personalized service offering. Emerging
technological solutions open the door to data-backed insights and behavior,
which help hoteliers generate a 360 degree view of each guest. In this sense,
investing in technology allows hoteliers to better invest in their current and
prospective guests.
With the help of integrated, digital-savvy platforms (think mobile PMS and CRM software), hoteliers can access a dashboard with organized
data from all channels, that not only curates a personalized view of each guest
but also helps to offset operational load. With certain communications and
touch-points going digital, guests are treated to a more efficient experience
and staff are empowered to connect with guests on a more personal, memorable
level. Further, these platforms can help to monitor social behavior and
influence the lifetime value of current and prospective guests, collect data on
industry trends, track purchase behavior, identify targeted upsell opportunities,
measure performance, and ensure messages reach the right guests at the right
time (and through the right channel).
Embracing the Mobile Experience
Embracing the demands of a hyper-connected world means embracing the demand for
a mobile-centric experience. By the end of the year, mobile search will generate 27.8 billion more queries than desktop
search and by 2020 it’s predicted that a customer will manage 85% of the
relationship with an enterprise without ever interacting with a human. When it
comes to convenience and self-service, the mobile experience simply reigns
supreme. Still not convinced?
Consider this:
– 83% of travelers find social media a top source of inspiration when browsing
online
– 70% of travelers who own smartphones use them to research travel
– 60% of travelers won’t go on holiday without their smartphones
– 76% of travelers say their mobile devices are their number one travel
accessories
– 75% of Americans say that a week without Wi-Fi would leave them grumpier than
a week without coffee
– 84% of travelers want to be able to access information from anywhere in the
world while they travel
Modern guests expect (and rather, need) an uninhibited travel experience that
is largely defined by digital accessibility. Creating a mobile-centric booking
experience, offering keyless entry through a mobile
device, text-based communications, mobile concierge and more, hoteliers can
curate a more connected and convenient stay for their guests.
About Jos Schaap
With a 20+ year track record in hotel software technology, Jos Schaap is a leading authority on how it can help to enhance the guest experience.
Jos began StayNTouch with the vision of re-inventing hotel PMS technology; making it simple, mobile and transitioning the software to the cloud. StayNTouch was successfully sold to Shiji Group in September 2018 and Jos currently manages several business units for the Shiji Group while remaining CEO of StayNTouch.
StayNTouch
brilliantly connects guests to hotels. StayNTouch delivers a full Hotel PMS and
PMS Mobile Overlay bring mobility to both hotel staff and guests. Via any
tablet or touch device, Guest Service and Housekeeping have mobile access to
PMS via a touch-optimized interface. Guests, from their smart phone, can self
check-in and out, view room bill and receive upgrade promotions. StayNTouch
dramatically streamlines operations and increases margins, and revolutionizes
how the hotels connect and engage their guests and how guests experience their
hotels.
About StayNTouch
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