SALES & MARKETING their hotels , resorts , golf courses , spas and wellbeing offerings , amongst others , to deliver a holistic digital brand experience .
CRM AS A MARKETING TOOL REINFORCES TO OUR GUESTS THAT WE DO ‘ KNOW ’ THEM AND THEIR CONCERNS , AND THAT THEY AREN ’ T JUST A CONFIRMATION NUMBER .
– PATRICK PAHLKE
Another priority for The Banyan Tree Group is to develop meaningful relationships with customers within a digital landscape , says Renyung , noting that over 60 % of customer service touchpoints were online in 2020 .
“ Our view has shifted from transactional loyalty to experiential loyalty , and customer lifetime value is a metric we are starting to internally track and build ,” she says . The Banyan Tree Group is working on branded programs that will build on direct channels featuring
KEEPING IT SECURE As hotels find new ways to reach customers , concerns about data privacy are growing . A KPMG report released in August 2021 found that 78 % of the consumers surveyed were worried about the amount of personal data being collected by companies , and 40 % didn ’ t trust companies to use the data ethically . While this concern hasn ’ t affected CRM strategies just yet , hotels are triple-checking their security .
For Sage Hotel Management , guests actively control the information they give out and are assured that their details are secure .
“ Every data point that is collected has to be authenticated by the guest ,” Pahlke says . “ Whether it ’ s a phone number to confirm a dining reservation or a twopoint privacy screen for Wi-Fi usage , the guest is aware of what information they are providing at all times .”
Additionally , all of Sage ’ s websites are hosted on secure servers with extra security measures on the credit card authorization pages .
Hilton , which uses multiple proprietary CRM systems , is strengthening its customer privacy protection through “ rigorous testing and validation ,” Chick says . Before any new technology is deployed to a Hilton hotel , she adds that it undergoes further internal testing and scrutiny from external security experts . All systems also undergo regular review to make sure they are following the newest applicable laws and privacy regulations .
MAKING IT EASY With more people utilizing online services beyond travel booking , ease of use is a necessity for digital services .
“ Convenience is key ,” Renyung says . “ Which means speed , integration and user-friendliness .” And ease of use doesn ’ t just apply to the booking process . Renyung says the company is seeing more pre-arrival inquiries than before and are seeking to make these interactions easier as well , similar to a concierge .
But as with everything else since the pandemic entered our lives , customer expectations are still changing .
“ Given the uncertainty around travel in the next few months and possibly years , what represents ‘ ease ’ while booking is evolving ,” Renyung adds .
90 hotelsmag . com January / February 2022