6 Tips for Doing Social Customer Service Right
Great customer service has always been (and always will be) synonymous with the hospitality industry. But the approach to delivering customer service is evolving; great customer service has become synonymous with social customer service—providing customer care through your social media channels. Online reputation and social media are now inextricably tied to attracting new guests and […]
How to Win Guests and Influence Customers
It’s been more than eight decades since Dale Carnegie wrote his famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Self-help books come and go, but this seminal work remains popular today. Why? The advice is not only practical and timely but also logical and straightforward. If Carnegie’s advice could be distilled into one sentence, […]
Happy Employees = Happy Guests: How to Increase Staff Engagement
While the pandemic may be winding down, and people no longer swarm the toilet paper aisle, labor shortage is still a significant challenge for lodging operations. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), 85 percent of its member hotels remain understaffed. And without staff, there is no hotel. Technology can increase efficiency so […]
Getting to Know Your Guests: How to Gather Guest Data
In our digitally connected world, consumers expect increasingly personalized service from the businesses they choose to deal with—especially from those in the hospitality industry. To stand out in such a competitive market, hotels need to provide individually relevant (and therefore memorable) guest experiences, the key to which lies in guest data. Guest data has long […]
How an Independent Motel Can Be a Lodging Superstar
When we think of a roadside motel, we don’t think of a business with five-star service and amenities. Ironically, that’s why independent motels are uniquely positioned to surprise and delight; guests don’t expect it. Designed to serve roadtrippers with convenient, affordable accommodation, motels are the preferred choice for many travelers—travelers who expect to get nothing […]
Hold The Phone! 6 Tips for Converting Hotel Calls to Bookings
For hotels today, there is so much focus on online conversions that the traditional voice channel is in danger of being overlooked. But call inquiries are still key to direct sales. Eighty-three percent of US travelers would rather book online, but that leaves approximately a fifth who would not. In this digital era, front desk […]
Social Media Tune Up: 5 Tips for Hoteliers
While various channels may change and disappear, social media is here to stay. It’s like the blackberry bush in your garden. You can pull the roots up all you want, but it isn’t going anywhere. You may as well harvest the berries. More than half the world uses social media for everything from baby updates […]
5 Tips for Designing a Hotel Loyalty Program that Really Works
Loyalty programs give consumers a better deal and companies repeat business they can rely on, so it’s no surprise they’re growing in popularity. In 2021, eighty-three percent of consumers claim that participating in a loyalty program affects their choice whether to purchase again. Loyal guests mean revenue. As of 2020, fifty-six percent of consumers said […]
PMS and POS Integration for Smoother Sales & Happier Guests
Integration of core hotel systems is key to streamlining daily operations and enhancing the guest experience. Thanks to cloud technology, system integration is easier, faster and more effective than ever, empowering hotels to automate processes for improved efficiency, better customer service, and a deeper understanding of guests. Two important hotel systems that work better together […]
Be a Star Online: A 5 Step Guide to Reputation Management
Building a good reputation has always been important for business. Like almost everything else, the internet hasn’t changed that fact; it’s just adjusted how the game is played. Consumers are more empowered to voice their opinion than ever before, and they use it. Depending on how you respond to and manage the online dialogue surrounding your […]
Hoping For Happy Customers? Start With Happy Employees
For anyone in the hospitality industry, customer satisfaction is priority number one. Happy guests become loyal guests whose engagement and advocacy help spread your marketing reach. So how do you ensure customer satisfaction? Of course, quality facilities and amenities are a must, but a quick scan of Trip Advisor proves that exceptional staff play a critical […]
Summer is Coming! How Hoteliers Can Start Preparing Now
The temperature is rising here in the Northern Hemisphere, and summertime is finally in our sights. Hoteliers far and wide are heading into their busiest season as people look forward to enjoying the great weather, longer days, and their children’s time off school. It’s an exciting time for any business, but there are also greater pressures […]
Be the Jazz Musician: Improvise Your Way to a Higher ADR
The Average Daily Rate (ADR) is one of the key metrics to measure the performance of a hotel. Because rooms are priced differently depending on their size, location, and amenities, the ADR (room revenue divided by the rooms sold) helps you understand how much rent is generated by each room on average. Your ADR will fluctuate […]
It’s Time to Get Personal: Delighting Guests with Individualized Experiences
Ever since the introduction of Big Data, individualized experiences have become the new status quo. Advertisements online highlight products we’ve previously shown interest in, video streaming services suggest content catered to our tastes and preferences, and google searches return results that reflect our location and online history. Personalization is no longer a perk; It’s a convenience […]
Start the New Year Right: Hospitality Trends for 2018
And just like that, 2017 has passed! We hope you had a wonderful (and profitable!) holiday season, and are excited about the year to come. January is a month for resolutions—an opportunity to reflect on the past year and think of ways to improve in the next. This is just as true for businesses as […]
Choosing a Loyalty Program that Works for Independent Hotels
In an effort to land repeat customers (and increase direct bookings), loyalty programs are one of the most effective strategies out there. A study by Cornell University found that guests book 50% more rooms each year when they are involved in a loyalty program. That’s a lot of extra revenue! Traditionally, these programs were the […]
A Hoteliers Guide to Targeting Millennials
People have a lot to say about Millennials—some of it flattering, some of it less so. But whatever your opinion about Generation Y (born in the ’80s and ’90s) they’re one that cannot be ignored by marketers in any industry. Now outnumbering baby boomers, and aging into financial independence, Millennials have become a powerful cohort […]
Improve Guest Experience with Automated Emails
With new online platforms popping up all the time, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of new marketing and communications opportunities. While it’s important to keep up with current trends like Instagram and Twitter, don’t forget to give a little TLC to a tried and true strategy in your communication toolbox: email. […]
Ancillary Sales: Maximizing Total Hotel Revenue
While the rooms department is the dominant revenue driver in most hotels, and selling more rooms is central to growing hotel revenue, many lodging operators are now taking a more holistic approach to revenue management. Today, a hotel stay is much more than a clean room and a comfortable bed. In such a competitive space […]
It Only Takes One Bad Experience: Don’t Send Your Guests Packing!
As consumers, customer service is important to most of us across the board, from retail to utilities. How many bad experiences are we prepared to put up with before switching brands? Our tolerance of bad service tends to depend on the availability or quality of the actual product. In the case of hotels, where customer […]
Travelers’ Choice Winners Highlight Importance of the Human Connection
Based on millions of traveler reviews collected from TripAdvisor® users worldwide over the past year, TripAdvisor announced the winners of its 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards last week. Among the approximately 7,600 winners across various categories, we are thrilled to congratulate WebRezPro customers who made the esteemed list! Painted Boat Resort (Top 25 Hotels – Canada) […]
Positive Outlook for Group Bookings in the New Year — Be Ready!
The New Year is just around the corner and it brings good news for North American hoteliers! TravelClick’s November 2016 North American Hospitality Review revealed that committed occupancy and ADR are showing major signs of growth in the first quarter of 2017, particularly for the group segment for which occupancy is up 6.8 percent. Looking […]
How Ordinary Hotels Can Offer Extraordinary Experiences
As an hotelier you’ve probably noticed the growing emphasis on hotels providing unique experiences in order to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. While some properties are extraordinary experiences in themselves — like Bolivia’s Palacio de Sal, which is made of salt, and Free Spirit Spheres, which accommodates guests in orbs suspended high in […]
Streamlining and Humanizing the Check-in Process
Guest check-in is an important touchpoint between a hotel and guest. Usually the first time a guest comes face to face with a property, check-in is the moment where the guest’s initial impressions are formed — and, as we all know, first impressions count. As a guest you’ve probably experienced a cold, indifferent check-in process […]
