How to increase guest satisfaction in hotels using technology
Guest satisfaction: It’s the most consequential initiative for a hotelier and their team. When a guest leaves your property satisfied, they’re more likely to become a repeat customer, while offering free marketing for your hotel via positive word-of-mouth.
But, according to a Skift survey from February 2023, North American hotels saw the biggest decline in guest satisfaction in 2022 compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers. According to the survey, the Global Review Index for hotels in the Shiji ReviewPro data set was 83.3%, a drop of 3.5 points from 2019. Most interesting, three-star hotels showed the steepest decline, losing four points.
What is guest satisfaction and how can you improve it?
Simply put, guest satisfaction is the measurement of how happy your guests are with your hotel’s service, amenities, and property. Luckily, hotel technology can easily help you elevate your guest satisfaction in three key ways. Here’s how:
Utilize Guest Data
Deploying a staff operations hub that tracks guest behaviors and data is an easy way to predict your guest needs before they even have the chance to voice them. With comprehensive data on everything from service request frequency to average dining check size, hoteliers can easily gain insight into their guests’ and their guests’ digital activities during their stay. Notice a guest has ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with their meal the last three nights? Next time they dine at your onsite restaurant, have your staff automatically suggest a glass. Observe a guest requesting a high-floor during every stay? Automatically place them on a high-floor at check-in. By providing your guests with a stay tailored to them, you’re more likely to create a customer for life, ensure a return visit and earn a five-star review online.
Improve Recovery Time
As hard as you might try, not everything will go right 100% of the time. But that’s OK — because, by using a staff operations hub that features ticketing functionality, hoteliers are able to resolve guest complaints in real-time. Team members can log guest complaints and track the steps taken to resolve issues before they escalate. Hotel managers and their staff can even monitor escalation and common guest complaints to effectively prevent them from happening again in the future.
Offer a Digital Comment Card
Speaking of preventative measures, by offering guests a digital comment card before or during digital check-out, hoteliers and hotel managers are able to review guest feedback to continually improve guest satisfaction. By deploying a branded mobile app or bedside smart-room tablet, hotels can give guests the opportunity to praise team members who went the extra mile during their stay or point out areas that require attention or improvement. This also allows the hotelier and their manager to track the performance of each department, making it a great way to elevate guest satisfaction in the future.
Want to find out more about how to increase guest satisfaction in hotels? Interested in learning how hotel technology like a staff operations hub, branded mobile app, or smart-room tablet can elevate your guest satisfaction? Request a demo today.
