2. START A LOYALTY PROGRAM
According to research by
Virtual Incentives, 56 percent of
customers would be more likely to
consider a brand if they received
a personalized incentive. A loyalty
program would solve that problem
— with more stays, customers
would receive discounts and gifts
for coming back and lodging with
you. And, of course, with these
types of incentives to entice them
to return, you’ll have clients happy
to remain loyal to your brand.
3. MAKE BOOKING SIMPLE
Today’s customer expects
convenience when it comes to
just about every industry. We
can use our smartphones to
order food, shop for clothes,
hire a dog walker... it should be
just as easy to find a room at
your hotel. If your hotel doesn’t
already have its own app for
browsing and reserving rooms,
try finding a booking app to
partner with and make the task
simpler for you and your clients.
With Hotel Tonight, for instance,
you can entice guests to stay
when you have last-minute
vacancies — and that gives you a
chance to delight repeat clients
or rope in potentially brand-loyal
customers.
4. KEEP IN TOUCH
You don’t want your former guests
forgetting about your hotel, nor
do you want them missing out on
updates, promotions or discounts
you’re running. So, find the right
way to stay in touch with them
when they’re not checked into
your accommodation. You could go
the traditional route and share such
news via email. Or, you could bulk
up your social media presence to
connect with clients via Instagram,
Facebook and other platforms
through which they can share, and
you can, too.
16 ILHA
5. PERSONALIZE THEIR STAYS
A client who returns to your
hotel often deserves a warm
welcome. It’s up to you to
decide how to make them feel
special upon check-in — perhaps
you place a handwritten note in
their room or have the manager
call up to welcome them back
personally. Some hotels have
taken this step even further with
the help of technology. With
it, they can keep guests’ special
requests on file. If a person always
asks for extra towels upon check-
in or regularly cleans out the
minibar’s stock of sparkling water,
the hotel will have the towels in
the room pre-arrival and remove
unwanted goods from the fridge in
favor of extra H2O.
6. TRAIN AND PREPARE YOUR
STAFF
Happy and helpful faces at
the front desk. Knowledgeable
concierge staff. Skilled chefs and
creative bartenders. Your hotel
won’t retain clientele without
the right staff — the people
make the experience what it is,
after all. So, be sure to hire a
team willing to go the extra mile,
especially for repeat customers.
Along with that, ensure they
have the tools to make their jobs
simple and seamless for both them
and the guests they’re helping
— upgraded technology can help
greatly in this department, too.
7. EVALUATE THE
COMPETITION
Where else might a potentially
loyal customer stay? Why? Once
you figure out the answers to
those questions, figure out how
your hotel stands up. Once you
pinpoint the business’s weak
areas — say, you charge 15
percent more for spa services
than your neighbor, or they run
more regular discounts — figure
out how you can supersede their
offerings with your own. Guests
will start choosing your property
over their other options once they
see such boosted benefits.
8. GIVE THEM A GOODBYE
GIFT
Finally, check-out is the last
chance you must impress a guest.
You can make it count simply by
extending a sincere thank you
to a customer who has returned
after a previous visit. Some hotels
will take this a step further, though
— they hand over parting gifts,
such as a local snack or gift bag,
that the client will surely enjoy.
Then, they send a follow-up email
or handwritten note through snail
mail to thank guests for staying yet
again. It’s the little touches that go
the longest way.
ENJOY THE LOYALTY
A happy guest is one who’s more likely
to come back to your hotel. With the
above eight steps, you can make the
lodging experience at your hotel more
personal and memorable so that you’re
flooded with repeat customers who
feel welcomed and appreciated every
time they check in — and, as a hotel
professional, that’s all you could ever
want to achieve.
About the author
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The
Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle
blog that expresses various forms of style
through the influence of culture and the
world around us. Along with writing for
her blog, she has written for sites like U.S.
News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel
Online and more!
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to
her blog to keep up with her travels and
inspiring posts!