Attention: Hospitality Owners and Operators
Are you taking full advantage of the every-day opportunities for creating long-term loyalty and success for your business?
It is already November and being a hotel consultant, this year I have already visited 23 different cities, some of which, multiple times. When I think about it, probably half of my life this year has been spent sleeping in a hotel bedroom and eating meals at restaurants and hotels.
So many opportunities for others to leave a lasting impression on me – so many opportunities for others to create memories for me – so many opportunities for others to create the opportunity for me to promote their business to my family and friends.
Nonetheless, when I think back there are few memories that have stuck with me and when I consider how many of these establishments I have taken the time to recommend to friends and family, it is in fact quite disappointing.
Companies spend so much time and money advertising their business through the multiple media channels available today – they spend so much time planning new products and services that they want to launch in the hope that they will generate new customers and business opportunities. So many sales people out there on the road – sell, sell, sell.
And yet how many opportunities for growing our business do we let slip through our fingers when we consider the mediocre customer experiences we seem to be ok with. I am under the impression that it must be that the owners are ok with providing mediocre experiences as otherwise they would be doing everything they can to make every impression count to ensure their customers will recommend their establishment and generate repeat business.
Do you discuss the impressions which your team is creating for your company/brand image at any point in time?
Do you call your customers to ask what they thought of the hotel and the service provided and how can you improve?
Do you ask for testimonials?
All so powerful and yet so often forgotten when it comes to how we market and grow our business.
As a Hospitality Consultant, over the past few months I have been working on a number of projects about internalising a company’s vision and values through the customer experience delivered at each touch point both internal and external. It has been rewarding to hear the rich discussions being held by employees from all levels of the organisation when asked what actions could be taken to improve particular pain points. The people in your business who are personally interacting with your esteemed hotel guests every day have a lot of valuable information for you and we forget to include their input when we are putting together the “big” ideas for growing our hospitality business.
It is that time of year when companies are making plans for growth and looking for ideas as to how to grow the revenue in the coming years. Take some time to consider how much you can do with the customer experience you are currently delivering and the potential of turning your hotel guests into passionate sales person who recommend your establishment because of their memorable experience. Creating a customer experience which people will talk about long after they are gone is not easy but it can be done and speaking from experience it can be extremely rewarding to get “everyone” in the company on board and headed in the same direction, striving to reach the same goals.
The impressions we create at all points of the customer journey are what will create your future success – think about the impressions you are creating today – are they mediocre or are they ones that will create new fans of your product or service?
I for one would love to have more great memories of the time I spend away from my home and look forward to coming home and sharing my stories with friends and family. Creating great impressions doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money on a product however, it does mean providing a service experience which reinforces the values and promises you have made as a company through your brand building and marketing efforts. Take a moment to reflect and consider honestly “is there a gap” and if there is, what can you do to close it?
If you would like to deliver a consistent and high quality customer experience at every touch point, we can help.
Drop us a line on robyn.pratt@impact-consult.org if you would like to enquire about our Hotel Consulting services.