4 tips to Improve Customer Loyalty for Hotels
It’s estimated that it almost costs five times to acquire a new customer than to retain a existing one. This becomes obvious — when we consider all the costs involved with acquiring a new customer such as marketing, sales and advertising.
Whether you are a hotel, B&B or restaurant or any other business, it is extremely important to understand the significance of retaining an existing customer as much as you are into acquiring new customers.
In this digital age, travellers have a lot of choices , be it travel options or accommodation, and if you don’t place your emphasis on improving customer loyalty, it can prove costly for your business.
There is a popular saying on the importance of Customer Satisfaction which says,
“If you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will”
There are always numerous innovative ways to build and retain your customer loyalty, here we list down the top and the most basic yet important tips to build customer loyalty.
1. Make a lasting impression
What does your guest might most likely remember about their stay at your hotel? How will you make a lasting impression on your guests? First things first, make the check-in process as smooth as possible.
Give or offer them something to remember you, be it a small memento with your corporate branding or your exclusive toiletries kit. Always keep track of your guest’s preferences even before the check-in starts.
With social media channels in hand, understanding a guest’s preference becomes easy.
2. Make sure to keep in touch
Whether your guest comes to your hotel once a year or many times a year, it is important for you to be in their eyes, consistently.
Keep them informed about the local activities and festivals that are happening in your location through email as well as social media.
Based on the guest data that you already have, you can even remind them of the events that they missed in their last visit, not necessarily an event at your hotel, but can be an authentic local event as well.
Social platforms such as Instagram can play a significant role here as it is rich media (picture, short video) driven.
3. Offer exclusive deals
Reward your loyal customers by offering them exclusive packages and deals. This will make them realise that you value them and result in additional bookings. You can also offer your loyal customers more than just a complimentary breakfast, it can be an exclusive discount or deal to a nearby local attraction or an event.
Making guests feel special strikes a chord with the hotel brand.
4. Ask for immediate guest feedback
Check with your guests for feedback immediately and resolve the issues as fast as possible to avoid negative reviews online. Guests who are unhappy with your service won’t be always vocal when they are at your place. Always ask the right questions to know their pulse and resolve their issues at the right time.
Implement these tips if you haven’t already and share your experience of how it helped to increase your customer’s loyalty.
