The second you enter the business world, you’ll realize that retention rates are a huge deal. Companies value keeping their current customers just as much as they value acquiring new ones.
The hotel industry is no different.
Fact is, repeat guests are the backbone of the hotel industry. That’s where big money comes from.
While getting new customers is equally important to keep the business growing, experts insist you pay special attention to customer relationships.
Here are a few insane reasons you should always strive to retain your hotel guests:
- They can be super loyal for years, even ignoring better alternatives
- They tend to spread the word about how much they love your business
- They are way more likely to pay more or upgrade to premium services
- They cost five times less than new customers as you won’t spend much on convincing and marketing your business to them
However, you still need to keep growing the number of your repeat guests. It’s a continuous cycle that starts with acquiring a new customer, wooing them with your services, and keeping them coming for more.
Check out these five practical methods to increase repeat guests at your hotel:
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Personalized Services
This is basically a no-brainer.
But really, if you want to maintain positive hotel performance metrics and high guest retention rates, you have to personalize your services.
Tech advancements have made it easy for any business to offer personalized services. Smart CRMs, for instance, allow you and your team not just to manage customers but also to track their habits.
Just being able to figure out a guest’s pattern is a big deal because it allows you to accommodate them in a way that lets them know you’re aware of their likes and dislikes.
Customers love knowing your business knows their habits. It shows them you care enough to make that effort.
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Active Support
Customer support is vital in every industry. For customers, the decision to come back or not often depends on how they felt treated.
How do you handle the requests of your guests?
Do they go through a tedious process just to get someone to listen to their requests?
If your customer service is not active enough, you may want to improve it, starting with communication channels.
Make sure you have the latest and reliable communication channels offering instant responses. Take advantage of social media, instant chats, and phone calls to ensure your guests always have someone at their service with little effort.
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Special Offers
The reward system works; businesses have been using it to build brand loyalty for years.
Create a system of your own that rewards your guests for various activities.
One of the most popular strategies that work to retain guests is the loyal points system. Repeat guests get to accumulate points that they can redeem for gift packages and better services.
You may also use discount systems and free offers on specific deals for new and repeat guests.
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Guaranteed Security
Security is a vital part of the hospitality industry. You get visitors coming from different parts of the world, going to places they aren’t familiar with. For these people, hotels offer that sense of security.
No one would ever want to stay again at a hotel where they felt their safety, and that of their belongings was in question.
Maintain an updated security system that can guarantee your guests’ safety, and they’re likely to come again.
Here’s more info on property security you may want to look into.
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Continuous Improvement
Guests in the hospitality industry tend to leave feedback about your business and the kind of experience they got from it.
What you do with this valuable info can help you maintain repeat guests.
Go through customer reviews and suggestions and maintain constant improvements in response to these suggestions.
Remember, customers like being heard. If you can show them that input matters, you’re most likely to keep them long-term.
Conclusion
The key to customer retention is appreciation, even more so in the hotel business.
According to one survey, the biggest reason hotels lose guests is the feeling they are not appreciated.
All of the points we’ve mentioned come down to this one thing and that’s appreciating your guests and maintaining a great relationship with them.
