Everything about hotel staff and the teams that help hotels.
73% of guests will leave a review, but 88% use reviews to make their decisions. One bad review can affect your overall rating for months, which affects your overall ranking, bookings, and ultimately your pocketbook. The difference between 4.2 and 4.1 is whether a room gets booked or not. The reality is that rarely are great experiences highlighted. More often, it’s the negative experiences that get highlighted. Most people don’t like conflict or voicing negativity. The Monscierge platform heads off bad reviews by opening dialog early. Early on, a study called out that Monscierge offers technology for introverts. While semi-accurate, we provide tools for anyone who wants to change their experience. Guests can ask questions, voice frustrations, concerns, and enjoy a better stay. Properties can provide answers, service recovery, and count on a better positive experience by their guests. Monscierge provides a single platform that lets properties communicate with their guests and provide valuable information that helps drive higher value. Our in-room hospitality TV, SMS messaging, and digital signage systems are just a few of the ways we help you keep your ratings and increase occupancy.
Trust. Who do you trust? Who’s broken your trust? Years ago, a group of us sat down to document Monscierge’s core values. One of the critical values is trust. We build trusted connections. It would be easy to make promises and never deliver, but we choose trust instead. We’re often on a first-name basis with many of our customers, and in survey’s our team members are often mentioned by name for their outstanding work. Building trust is hard; it’s a daily commitment and earned over time. For us, it starts at the beginning. We’re a business, but our goal is to improve the experience at hotels and vacation rentals worldwide. Sometimes, the fit isn’t right. Whereas other companies would press forward just for the money, in our view, it takes trust to understand the needs of our customers and prospective customers. The trusted connections that we build are paramount. When staff members move to another property frequently, one of the first activities is getting Monscierge at their new property. We’ve also seen a massive influx of vacation rental owners who want it in their property after experiencing our technology at another property. But building trust is easier said than done. …
Vacation time is upon us as 2018 comes to a close. On the occasion of the last post before the break, I wanted to speak one more time about the importance of face to face communication even with the continuous advance of technology. Some brands are hesitant to bring technology into guest communication, fearing it will corrode the very essence of hospitality: making guests well welcome, cared for, and at home. Excellence in hospitality must balance human interaction with innovation at all times. Generally speaking, the client base today is saturated with technology and is already used to having even the most personal conversations via text. Educating your staff on the proper application of text in conversation with guests is the secret to maintaining this proper balance. Often you will find that some guests prefer communicating solely through technological means, which frees your staff up for meaningful face to face interactions for those who most appreciate them. Just as important are the interactions with guests who are using the technology. Each room service order, text, or guest request is an opportunity to make a lasting impression on your visitors. Surprise and delight them by using the same tech to personalize …
We surveyed travelers around the world to discover how they use technology to enhance their travel experience. Some of the most surprising information came from the queries surrounding mobile use during the stay. As expected, use of a hotel’s mobile app to decrease standing in line for check in and check out was a top-rated feature, but we also found that the majority of today’s travelers prefer to use SMS text to make requests such as to maintenance, housekeeping, and room service. Text was named as the number one preferred method of communication by travelers. Considering that text also requires less time than a phone or in person conversation and is easily translated into automated task delegation and follow up, using SMS to communicate with guests is a win-win. What I found most telling was that 94% of people surveyed said they are more likely to choose the same hotel again if technology was used to personalize the stay. This would include location-based offers by means of beacon technology, calling guests by name in communications, and recording and recalling personalization from previous stays such as favorite wine or dining preferences. This recalls to mind a familiar refrain – technology should …
Travel bookings, whether done by computer or mobile, will never again be separated from internet searches, recommendation sites, and reviews. Hotel companies that view this transparency as an asset take measures to delight guests, keep reviews positive, and sometimes change perceptions when a guest is inclined to complain. In days past, complaints may have been left to comment cards or front desk rants. Social media allows for a more public airing, but also creates a space for a back and forth conversation. Many times, a complaint is handled so well that the guest leaves with an even more favorable view than they would have had during a non-eventful stay. A manager at a popular family resort heard about a comment regarding a poor arrival experience and immediately called the guest to see what had gone wrong. He was able to turn the entire situation around by acknowledging the issue and sending some snacks and drinks to the room. Because of his hasty intervention, the guest was impressed and posted a public review to that effect. Engaging guests while on site is the most efficient way to surprise and delight them. Any means of communication with guests, whether it be face …