by Sarah Cade
‘Guest engagement’ is a phrase often heard in the hotel industry. But what does it really mean in practice, particularly in a post Covid-world?
According to HospitalityNet: “Most often, guest engagement is touted as a social media tool, but in reality it is utilising the tools at your hotel’s disposal to create a relationship with the guest, to forge something beyond the physical property.”
Given that we have not been able to invite people into physical hotel properties for large spells of time during the lockdowns of the past eighteen months, guest engagement now has a new meaning.
It should not be assumed that what we did pre-pandemic to connect with and interact with guests, will necessarily work now. Here’s my take on how things have changed:
Mindset
According to the global consultancy firm McKinsey: “As companies and industries plan for life after the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the trickiest tasks will be to identify a new set of priorities…a contagious virus will not always be the top concern for organizations, and other urgent issues, including sustainability, cloud computing, and competition for talent, will require top-of-mind focus.”
While the initial shock of the pandemic may have worn off, we are still grappling with the fallout. Covid has penetrated all corners of the globe and every aspect of our personal and professional lives. This all encompassing virus has forced us to re-evaluate.
The recruitment market is more active than ever before with staff shortages being felt most keenly in the hospitality sector. The BBC reported earlier this year: “Industry bodies say one in five workers have left the sector during the coronavirus pandemic”.
This presents a huge management challenge for hotel operators.
This mindset shift also means consumers are being selective about where they go, how they spend their leisure time and who with. Hotel operators need to be able to understand and meet these new needs through an agile approach to marketing, operations and guest engagement.
Understanding the new guest requirements is the only way to do this; a review of how your hotel is perceived by your target market and what they are looking for is a good place to start. Talk to people, guests and suppliers or do a guest survey. Feedback is important and could give you valuable insight.
Added value
In a world where we are missing out on real-life experiences, value does not necessarily mean cost.
We have seen huge spikes in room rates across the UK this summer. This comes as a result from hotels looking to offset 2020 losses and capitalise on Brits’ newfound appetite for staycations. Smart hotel operators have been getting creative with what they offer guests as a way to rebuild loyalty, stimulate reviews and referrals and create a long tail pipeline of repeat bookings.
Added-value guest benefits we have seen over the last few months include:
- Extending guest reward programmes (extending expirations of vouchers and points programmes, adding new incentives for repeat bookings)
- New in-room arrival benefits (contactless rewards which go beyond champagne and strawberries to offer a wider variety of food and beverage options for guests to create a personalised welcome)
- Making better or more use of outdoor spaces, garden seating areas, more picnic tables, improved outside dining and refurbed spaces which can be used whatever the weather
- Serving pre-packaged food and providing a greater choice of quality packed lunches to be enjoyed on days out to local attractions
- Stronger links with local attractions to offer guests discounts and pre-booked tickets to enhance their stays.
Technology
The concept of ‘techcelleration’ has been referred to over the last eighteen months. A positive bi-product of the Covid era where technology has been advanced faster than any time in living memory.
It is now a business imperative to take a digital approach to guest engagement. Contactless, automated and mobile check-in is becoming commonplace (this is something our clients can offer guests with our cloud-based PMS, Rezcontrol). The rise of contactless payments is doing away with cash transactions – we will see contactless spend limit in the UK rise to £100 next month.
Guests are now more accepting of digital front desks, and this, in part, can address elements of the staffing challenge. We have built in functionality to help communication between hotel teams. For example, our Rezcontrol PMS enables housekeeping staff to easily alert frontdesk and maintenance to in room issues.
Mobile app functionality with easy-to-use booking features both pre and during stays. In-room, or ‘Smart’ technology is also seeing an acceleration. New 5G mobile networks mean more of our living comforts can be controlled through internet-enabled devices – heating, lighting, security,smart showers, fridges, interactive TVs, and in-room tablets/iPads – the list goes on.
The challenge for hoteliers is to identify what their guests will respond best to and to undertake a cost-benefit analysis to see what will offer the best return on investment.
Ethical values
A final observation that is not new, but has definitely come to the fore is the values and ethics of businesses and brands we engage with.
A more local perspective, brought about by the pandemic where we have spent long periods discovering areas and places near to us, has also created a more conscious awareness of company values and the role they play in their local communities. Many hotel businesses now focus on local sourcing more proactively than before.
Being able to showcase your hotel’s approach and stance on global issues is now seen as the norm. Look at the corporate responses to the Black Lives Matter movement and environmental impact. These events bookmarked 2020 as a pivotal year of change and consumers expect businesses to behave in ways that reflect their own personal values.
There has never been a better platform for hotels to tell their own story, celebrate their local heritage and showcase staff, clients and suppliers who work hard to provide memorable experiences for guests.
It’s this palpable combination of factors that can provide inspiration and a renewed look at the industry. The UK hospitality sector contributes greatly to the UK economy as well as it provides much-needed getaways for guests looking to recharge and reconnect with friends.
For more information or to arrange a Rezcontrol demo, click here.