An overview of technology for hospitality.
It’s time for our annual family vacation, wherein I put my children in a car for eight hours, spend a week corralling them in a strange environment, then squeeze back into the car for the exhausted drive home. We stay in the same place every year, and I have to remind myself each year that this place caters more toward an older generation than my own. It does highlight some omissions in the planning and booking stage. Although we are loyal to our chosen property, I always check reviews and social media for anything new before we book. This particular place has abandoned its Facebook page, and has never been on another social or review site as far as I can find. If I wasn’t already emotionally invested with this place, I would skip it. Review site and social media presence tell me that a hotel is genuinely invested in the guest experience; they want to know what guests have to say and they take the time to listen and respond. A lack thereof (especially an almost non-existent online presence) suggests an outdated property and unwillingness to listen. Along the same lines, I will also visit their website once or …
Last month, in what should have been a fairly commonplace task, I tried to purchase my dad a Father’s Day gift. Instead, I got an example of “what not to do”, easily dissectible for my article this week. Never anger a writer, they say, he’ll put you in his book. Without giving away identifying details, I will point out the five steps that would have transformed this, and most, bad experiences into good. Make things easy. Easy to find, easy to buy, whatever part the customer plays in the transaction should be easy. I would add to this that contact information should be easy to access. Contractors should be just as invested in the guest experience as you and your staff. Remember that each guest is a person who has chosen to spend their time and money with you. Listen to them and be honest, even if you have to tell them what they don’t want to hear. Meet expectations. If something is promised, whether it be on your website, during a phone call, or in person, be sure that you follow through. Exceed expectations. You can measure happiness in the space between expectation and reality – any time reality …
Our team had a great time at HITEC 2015 in Austin, Texas, last week. They all had different thoughts to share on industry changes since last year, but the overwhelming sentiment was that hoteliers are more tech savvy than ever before. “This year, the consumers are much more educated on what is possible through mobile apps. Last year there was a lot of tire kicking and shopping features. This year, they came with a mental list of must have items, and were well versed in discussing it. It was a much more focused group that was shopping mobile as well as lobby this year. “HITEC 2015 brought the brightest minds in hospitality technology to Austin. It was refreshing to see how well educated and focused on the product they were.” ~ Kristen Tsitoukis “It was amazing to see the difference in the questions and understanding that the buyers had this year. Last year, mobile seemed like a ‘cool idea’ and not really defined. This year, they knew it was a must have and understood the type of questions they needed to ask. It was interesting to see how far they had come in just a year. It spoke to how …
It’s been a busy few weeks at Monscierge headquarters gearing up for HITEC. We are looking forward to seeing our old friends and meeting new people in Austin, and our developers have pulled out all the stops to put the latest technology in the hands of HITEC attendees. This year, you will be able to: Open our hotel door with a mobile phone using Assa Abloy’s Vingcard RFID technology Use the guest requests feature of our app to make requests from the refreshment stand Put our two-way SMS messaging to the test to see firsthand how easily staff and guests can communicate Experience local recommendations, wayfinding, offers, and meeting and events technology at your fingertips And our special offer available only to HITEC attendees – SMS messaging for your hotel, free for the month of July Stop by and visit us at booth #2405.
True communication is a two-way street, and has always been a staple of great hospitality. That is why it is so important for the latest digital communication tools to encourage interaction lest the conversation of the past becomes the megaphone of today. We all know that careful listening to guests not only helps the guest in question, but future guests, as management gauges what is working and what is not. Including two-way communication in your guest-facing app benefits your staff, your guests, and your ROI. Not only can guests make requests directly to the relevant department, they can also be kept updated on the status, decreasing frustration as they wait. Aside from the obvious benefits, providing two-way SMS communication can enhance just about every aspect of a stay. During travel, hotels with nearby road construction can alert guests about delays or where to park. Guests can give the front desk an arrival time, make their preferences known, and ask for directions if needed, which decreases the pressure and frustrations of a check-in queue. Aside from making room service or housekeeping requests during the stay, staff can also be made immediately aware of any problems the guest may have. This allows …