2015 started with an emphasis on Digital Marketing. What is becoming apparent now is the comments and dialogues about personalisation of guest information and their experience. This means the capture and use of guest preferences, transactions and feedback for use in marketing. The end goal is to make each guest feel happy and spend more.
The key to achieving this is the daily use technology available at your fingertips. Your PMS system handles your guest information before, during and after a stay, as well as for returning stays. It must allow the entry, retention and action-prompting for the personal touches that each guest is provided with.
Your PMS must allow interaction with your guest, before, during and after their stay, usually by email and/or texting. This can be personalised and automated. Texting is a personal and great way to increase spend, for example by inviting guests to book dinner in your restaurant, or perhaps recommending a local event that might extend their stay.
Your PMS must retain guest analysis information such as nationality, market segment, purpose of stay, spend, and number of visits, all to be used for intelligent marketing.
It is suggested that this data is then best used by specialised hotel marketing and/or loyalty systems that will allow you to meaningfully reach out to guests with thank yous, invites, incentives, surveys, and whatever is in your program to win return stays.
A trend that has also been developing is the monitoring and management of social media mention and comment by guests, and by implication their experience at your hotel. Again, the best option is to ensure that your PMS interfaces with specialist hotel systems for this.
The trend is for personalisation of a guest’s experience. The goal is increased revenues for your hotel.
