April 25, 2024

Guests Demand Communication: The Dos and Don’ts of Guest Messaging

Were in an era where information is actually at our fingertips whenever we require it.

NB: This is a short article from WebRezPro

Visitors prefer the same immediacy when it pertains to hotel interaction, too. However if that interaction does not satisfy their requirements, then you might too have actually not sent anything at all. Whats a hotelier to do? By sending out the right details at the ideal time, youll delight your guests, gain their commitment and foster repeat bookings.

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Here, youll discover about the type of messages your hotel must be sending to guests, and the dos and do nts for visitor interactions. Do not fret! Guest interaction doesnt need to be complicated or a great deal of work!

Messages to Send to Hotel Guests

There are 6 primary types of messages hotels must send throughout the visitor relationship lifecycle, from pre-arrival emails to post-stay emails and everything in between. Its useful to take a look at each type of message and its purpose before diving into the dos and do nts. Visitor messaging may be in the kind of email, which is the most popular, or SMS, which is growing in appeal, or both.

Kind of MessageTimingContentBooking confirmationImmediately upon bookingContains all relevant scheduling details, such as check-in and check-out times. Consist of essential information like cancellation policies and COVID-19 protocols. Think about consisting of an upsell offer, for example, a space upgrade, activity plan, or in-room offering (such as chocolates and white wine on arrival). Pre-arrival1-2 days prior to check-in dateRemind visitors about their approaching stay, policies, and procedures. Utilize the opportunity to upsell, include helpful links for more details (such as specific post), and, if relevant, invite the guest to sign up online prior to their arrival to conserve time at the front desk.Check-inCheck-in daySend a friendly welcome to guests, advise them of their check-in time, and if your hotel uses self check-in, consist of check-in instructions.During stayOnce everyday maxEmail or text to ensure visitors are comfy. Marketing messages are usually not welcome.Post-stay-Upon check-out (paperless billing)- Thank you/feedback demand, within 3 daysSend a paperless invoice immediately upon check-out with a proactive thank-you message from management, welcoming the guest to email if they have any problems. After three to 7 days, send an evaluation request.Retention-Newsletter, monthly to quarterly-Special deals moderately, such as seasonal deals or reserving anniversary, or individualized relevant datesFoster commitment and repeat bookings with newsletters and unique offers.

The Dos of Guest Messaging

Digital interaction has made it simpler than ever to remain in touch with your hotel visitors. Weve detailed the main crucial indicate remember when it concerns interacting with your visitors, whether thats through e-mail or SMS.

DO:

For e-mails, use a standard font, short sentences and paragraphs, and break up text with headings.Personalize: Address guests by name and send appropriate information and offers in order to include personalization to your guest messaging. As soon as guests have remained, keep the lead “warm” and stay in touch with marketing emails. As visitors are more comfortable than ever with texting, make this a mode of contact if visitors prefer.

The Do nts of Guest Messaging

The do nts of visitor messaging are uncomplicated and do not require too much describing, considering that theyre rather typical sense if you refer back to your supreme goal of providing pleasure for your visitors.

DONT:

Focus on thrilling your visitors in your guest messaging, and simplify your communication through automation. Automation is a terrific method to increase your guest communication while improving your operations at the same time– thats probably the greatest do of them all!

Do absolutely nothing: Worst case situation, you do not send out any emails. Since communication is anticipated, no news is bad news– causing confusion and bad impressions.Be unclear: In the spirit of being helpful, be concise and particular however never unclear in your e-mail communication. Doing so will just create more operate in the long run when you need to field more inquiries in action. If you are getting a great deal of questions, its time to reassess your emails.Give TMI: Information gets lost in long blocks of text and overwhelms visitors. A basic rule of thumb is to reduce whatever you write by 30%! Be generic/ be impersonal: Messaging that doesnt discuss your guests by name or describe particular dates of stay not only comes across as suspicious but impersonal. Its not exactly a way to build trust and commitment! Unimportant messages, particularly marketing ones, are likewise a turnoff. Avoid this by providing specific offers and details that pertain to your visitor segments.Spam: Irrelevant e-mails are considered spam, as are a lot of emails! Find the best balance, particularly when it comes to post-stay e-mails, by carefully keeping track of email open rates and click rates. If youre not satisfying market criteria, think about the dos on this list and scale back your frequency.

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Here, youll find out about the kinds of messages your hotel should be sending out to visitors, and the dos and do nts for visitor communications. Utilize the chance to upsell, include practical links for more information (such as specific blog site posts), and, if suitable, welcome the visitor to sign up online prior to their arrival to save time at the front desk.Check-inCheck-in daySend a friendly welcome to guests, advise them of their check-in time, and if your hotel uses self check-in, consist of check-in instructions.During stayOnce everyday maxEmail or text to make sure guests are comfortable. For e-mails, utilize a standard typeface, short sentences and paragraphs, and break up text with headings.Personalize: Address visitors by name and send out pertinent information and provides in order to include personalization to your visitor messaging. As visitors are more comfy than ever with texting, make this a mode of contact if guests prefer. Focus on thrilling your guests in your visitor messaging, and simplify your communication through automation.