Guest experience: what are your guests really looking for?

In the hospitality industry, experience is the product. Nowadays, the ability of a hotel to offer its guests an excellent customer experience is the only way to remain impressed in the memory of the consumer and ensure that he will repeat the experience becoming a loyal customer.

In the era of online sharing, offering a "wow effect" to guests means amplifying the positive experience in the network to which each individual belongs, both online via social media and offline through word of mouth which has always been the most profitable strategy for every company.

The fact that the hospitality industry must provide memorable and enjoyable experiences is therefore at the basis of every hotel's mission, but this is not an easy goal to achieve. The aspect that makes life difficult for hospitality players is that guests’ needs constantly evolve: the concept of "excellent customer experience" continuously changes according to new standards acquired by consumers, often dictated by new social media trends or by what other brands offer to the market, even those belonging to different sectors. In short: the experience offered by the hotel has to change and evolve according to guests' wishes and wants that change with technology, trends and experiences customers have with brands they interact with.

The digital world and the "physical" offline world, are increasingly connected. Every year online experiences become more and more prevalent in purchasing decisions and also influence what people expect from brands to influence the perception of their stay.

What are guests really looking for?

Nowadays sectoral boundaries in markets have fallen and to satisfy guests, hospitality professionals must not only consider what their direct competitors offer, but it is necessary to study the experiences provided by brands belonging to diverse sectors. On a daily basis, customers enter in contact with multiple brand experiences created by companies such as Amazon, Google and Facebook, that with their powerful tools are able to offer more and more engaging and personalized experiences: as a consequence, this raises the bar on customers’ expectations in all sectors, including the hospitality one.

Here are some aspects that influence consumer expectations nowadays:

Self service

Automatic chats, self-service stations, virtual agents are increasingly the first contact with companies. Phone calls, as a first contact, have fallen by 12%. This explains self-service kiosks used by hotels, airlines and other similar developments in the industry.

Fast service

No customer wants to wait. The digital has introduced a sense of permanent urgency and immediacy, to the extent that if a mobile site does not open within 3 seconds, it is very likely that the user will abandon the page without even viewing it.

Intelligent service

A good service is at the basis of every company and being served with kindness and professionalism in the hospitality industry is now being given for granted. What customers want is a sophisticated and intelligent service, increasing the level up to complete customization, as in the case of Walt Disney, which offers guests a personalized bracelet with the choices made during the reservation process. The bracelet can be used to open the room, access the theme park and to charge restaurant bills to the room. Offering smart devices to guests improves both the customer experience and the relationship between hotel staff and guests.

Consistent service

Consumers expect reliable and consistent communications at every contact. During each stay the same service level and usual procedures are expected, when a customer relates to Starbucks and then goes to the hotel, he expects the same service and expects the brand to be aware of his preference history (in the case in which the guest has already stayed at the property).

Summing up

Guests always expect a better service. It is clear that practicing the same strategy over time does not help to remain competitive if guests' expectations evolve with market trends and the available technology. What hospitality professionals should do is open their horizons and compare the customer experiences offered by other brands by constantly monitoring trends that change the behavior and expectations of new guests.

Without any doubt, hotels must equip themselves with technological tools capable of increasing the efficiency in managing internal processes and improving the interaction between guests, staff and the property. A centralized PMS consisting of a single database in which all preferences and communications with guests are stored is certainly an excellent tool for hotels that want to guarantee an outstanding customer experience.

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