Your reservations team needs to be flexible and have excellent interpersonal skills when assisting guests via phone, social media, or chat. This is a time to capture leads and offer upsells.
Travelers have varying influences and priorities, so it’s essential to understand them to drive more direct bookings.
Make it easy to book
Many hotels today have a reservation system that allows guests to check availability and book rooms without calling or speaking with the hotel staff. In addition, if your guest loyalty program is integrated with your reservation system, it’s easy for guests to build their profile and collect points.
It’s also important to pay attention to the details during the booking process, particularly for any extra charges — such as resort fees and city taxes — that can add up quickly and significantly. These additional costs are often not included in the initial price advertised online and can surprise guests. Click here to learn more about details in hotel reservations.
Once a guest books their stay, it’s important to impress them immediately with the quality of your service and amenities. A simple but effective way to do this is to provide pre-stay communication that reflects their needs and interests. For example, if you know, they’re traveling with children or pets, sending them a welcome kit with essentials can make them feel cared for from the start of their stay.
Make it easy to cancel
Most hotels have a cancellation policy shown clearly on the booking confirmation email. These policies may include a period during which the reservation can be canceled. It is essential to understand these policies before making a reservation.
It is also worth considering whether a hotel allows rescheduling of reservations. This can save a guest time and money in the long run. If a hotel does not allow rescheduling, canceling the reservation and booking a new one is a good idea.
Guests are often willing to give hotels a second chance when the circumstances are right. If a person’s travel plans are disrupted, they will likely be more forgiving if the hotel offers a solution such as a room credit or other incentives. Hotel managers should encourage employees to be compassionate when dealing with unhappy customers, particularly during a pandemic. Some hotels are taking this opportunity to implement more formal customer satisfaction surveys. A company, for instance, offers a Guaranteed Reservation program to its elite members that clearly states what they can expect from the company if their hotel “walks them.” This type of transparency is excellent.
Make it easy to upgrade
Hotel guests who are polite to front desk staff can improve their chances of a complimentary upgrade. Be nice, and don’t come off as a jerk because the desk workers are gatekeepers to vital information, including what rooms are available.
It’s also a good idea to mention that you have elite status, as this can trigger them to review the inventory for better room availability for free. If you stay longer, this can also work in your favor; bumping someone to a suite for a week or more will not hurt a property’s bottom line.
In addition, modern hotels should offer a convenient way for customers to communicate with the hotel via smartphone apps or other online communications systems. This makes the guest experience easier for everyone involved and can help ensure that any complaints or concerns are addressed as quickly as possible. It also demonstrates that the hotel values its customers’ feedback and cares about the quality of their stay.
Make it easy to pay
Many hotels require the guest to input a credit or debit card at booking. But they don’t charge this amount until check-in or, sometimes, at checkout (depending on the hotel). These courtesy holds are usually only set if the hotel cannot reach the guest via phone or email to cancel a reservation or find another room of equal value for the remaining time on the property.
Providing guests multiple ways to get in touch helps build trust and makes the booking process smooth and easy. Transparent pricing is also essential, preventing surprise fees and encouraging transparency.
Adding flexible payment options like e-wallets and mobile payments is another great way to provide convenience for your guests while keeping their personal information secure. This is especially important for first-time bookers needing more time to share their data with a new brand. In addition, it’s a big win for your staff when guests can book and pay online. It eliminates the need to communicate with them over multiple channels and automatically records the financials in the back end.
Make it easy to communicate.
When a potential guest reaches out to your hotel via email, text, phone, or social media, it’s important to answer quickly and clearly. This not only shows guests that you are eager to help them, but it also increases trust.
Using a hotel reservation system with an online chat option will help your team quickly and easily communicate with guests. This feature allows you to answer questions and provide support without interrupting other hotel services. It’s also a great way to upsell guests on new packages and services that you have available.
Many travelers contact your hotel even before they’ve booked their stay, so being easy to reach by email, phone, or chat can help you convert them into guests. It’s also an excellent opportunity to tell them about your new amenities, special offers, and local events.
Your hotel website should include all the information guests are looking for. This includes pricing, packages, add-ons, inclusions, and more. You can even have a calendar front desk view to make it easier for your guests to book the room they want on the available dates.
