In a competitive hospitality market, hotels may have to go beyond simply having high-quality service to meet the needs of guests. The visitors of the near future will likely want something more, according to The New York Times.
That elusive new service want is the desire of being immersed in a location of the hotel and getting to know the area around it, as opposed to simply going to pre-packaged events. Text messaging via SMS API tools can help fulfill the desire to have a local connection to a vacation area, promoting daily specials and other items of interest that can really immerse the guest in their surroundings.
The Times spoke to Mintel research director Fiona O'Donnell, who described exactly what it is the modern guest is often looking for.
"Text Alerts can encourage guests to engage in local experiences."
"Guests want to feel like they are experiencing something in the design or the local flavor," she said. "They want it to be memorable and part of the local scene, not like they are tourists."
Though this could seem obvious to anyone who's ever taken a trip, it's a worthy goal for a hotel or other hospitality business that's grown too complacent. It's also not too removed from some of Starfleet Research's suggestions for "guest experience management."
These include suggestions like measuring guest experiences throughout and personalizing service. Applying this idea throughout all processes means; looking more closely at confirmations, doing maintenance updates and messaging important events and details.
Every point of contact is a way to connect with the guest further and leave them feeling like they're getting the most out of their visit. You stand to gain some distinct benefits, such as higher satisfaction and a strong customer relationship.
The simplicity of text messaging is a great way to connect to guests in an immediate and personal way and take concierge and front desk services to the next level in your hospitality property management software. Texting is easy with a simple SMS API via a good SMS Gateway.
