What innovative strategies can you use to improve customer experience in hospitality?

Often the best solution is a simple one. Back to basics, greeting with a warm welcome, prompt and efficient service and actively listening to the customer. Delivering a warm and knowledgeable service that makes a client feel welcome and cared for is easy to implement with instantly noticeable results that will improve brand loyalty.

Scaling up in a multicultural setting presents a unique challenge as interpretations can vary significantly across different regions or phases of a journey. A case in point is the varying preferences of business or leisure customers. For instance, there are leisure customers who, depending on the situation, may prefer a quick service with minimal human interaction, while at other times, they may favour a more leisurely pace with increased human engagement. The key to navigating these diverse expectations lies in offering a consistently high level of service, infused with a touch of personalisation and active listening to ensure every interaction meets the distinct needs of the customer.

1. Pеrsonalizеd Sеrvicе: Utilizе guеst data to tailor еxpеriеncеs, offеring custom rеcommеndations, and pеrsonalizеd sеrvicеs. 2. Contactlеss Tеchnology: Implеmеnt touchlеss chеck-ins, mobilе kеys, and QR codе mеnus to еnhancе safеty and convеniеncе. 3. Virtual Conciеrgе: Dеvеlop chatbots or virtual conciеrgе sеrvicеs for quick rеsponsеs to guеst quеriеs. 4. Sustainablе Practicеs: Showcasе еco-friеndly initiativеs, such as rеcycling programs and еnеrgy-еfficiеnt amеnitiеs, to align with еnvironmеntally conscious guеsts. 5. Rеal-timе Fееdback: Collеct guеst fееdback in rеal timе and addrеss concеrns promptly for immеdiatе improvеmеnts.

Based on my experience I have seen a great and positive interaction between patients and personnel while conducting personalization of service. Resulting in better patient outcomes experience and satisfaction, fomenting patients retention and continuity of care.

Think about it. When you call someone by their name, remember their last order, or send them a deal that screams 'I thought of you!', you're not just providing a service; you're creating an experience. And experiences? They're what stick with people.

In my experience in dealing with customers, I have realized that every customer is different in sense that everyone have different choices, different preferences, or in different situation etc. As with any other industry first we have to understand their needs and requirements in order to serve them. You have to understand and empathize with them before you can provide any solutions. Everyone loves discounts in any form so it will get their attention. Having this discount in a way that a member with more number of years are eligible for more and better deals and discounts, which will give customers a sense of surety that it is always going to be better if they keep being a member and they will feel valued.

Social media warrants a cautious approach, as it can swiftly generate expectations that may not align with actual capabilities, necessitating significant resources to manage ensuing reactions.

Social media enhances experience for real-time responses, personalized recommendations, and showcasing user-generated content.

One thing i have learnt and still learning, is that , Social media requires end to end planning on what to showcase or share etc . The achilles heel with Social media is response rate . An organisation must ensure all queries, complaints and sentiments are responded to . Never leave a comment unattended you will need these customers for NPS and CES.

Social media will help getting more and more customers attention with proper promotions and advertisements about your services and products. It can also help you to create a platform to manage your customers based on their preferences and choices. It will help you to manage and improve your interactions and services by getting customer reviews as it plays an important role to improve your quality of service. Handling social media effectively will play an important role in the growth of the company.

A scenario I’ve encountered is with self-service car rentals, where the technology was purportedly in place, yet the fleet was never available. The underlying issue stemmed from the apprehension among employees, who feared job loss. It’s vital to maintain a human presence and involvement in any self-service solution to alleviate such concerns and ensure smooth operations.

Enhance guest experience in hospitality by implementing self-service kiosks, mobile check-in, and automated in-room controls. Streamlined, efficient, and tailored services create memorable stays.

Having self service option is a plus point for the companies as it will allow customers to save time and get things done at their convenient. With implementation of AI self serve options its going to take over the traditional way of human interaction and will reduce human error and will be much more reliable. Again it is something customer should decide as it is something that depends on people and their preference. Again its going to be challenging to keeps the systems at 100% for self serve and will be an important tool for any company. So I think its important to have an environment where both self serve options and human interactions can co-exist complementing each other with one goal made by customer's choice.

One intriguing observation I’ve made is the occasional contrast between desires for luxury and sustainability. For instance, an individual who opts to fly first class might express dissatisfaction with water served in plastic bottles, preferring a more eco-friendly presentation without individual bottles.

Sustainability in customer experiences involves prioritizing eco-friendly practices, reducing waste, and promoting responsible consumption. It means offering products and services that are not only high-quality but also environmentally conscious. Customers today appreciate businesses that minimize their carbon footprint, conserve resources, and contribute to a healthier planet. Sustainable initiatives can include energy-efficient operations, waste reduction, sustainable sourcing, and responsible disposal, all of which resonate with eco-conscious consumers, strengthen brand loyalty, and contribute to a better future for all.

Sustainability is a responsibility not just of the company or of the customer but of everyone in this world. Educating customers about proper waste management and the usage of energy and water in an efficient way should be mandatory and if not then their score with the company will be effected and eventually their offers and discounts. This will make them responsible and educate them to sustainable use of resources.

I wholeheartedly concur with this perspective. One valuable approach I’ve discovered is to moderate the expectations set through marketing and sales endeavours, ensuring they are pegged slightly below what you can genuinely deliver, yet above what your competitors offer. This strategy is likely to not only win over the customer but also provide an avenue to exceed their expectations upon service delivery.

Creating memorable customer experiences is about going beyond expectations. It's personalization, exceptional service, and emotional connections. It's leaving a lasting impression that makes customers return, recommend, and become advocates for your brand. In less than 750 characters, it's turning each interaction into a cherished memory.

It's like, come for the bed, stay for the experience. You walk into a lobby and it's got that vibe, that energy – you just know it's gonna be good. Everyone remembers this kind of vacations ... and tells years after it: Go to THAT PLACE. *micdrop

Most of the time when a customer is making a booking whether for a business or pleasure trip, everything is planned before hand or at least they know what are they looking for or what to expect. It will become memorable when they have some unexpected events or activities which they did not plan ahead. Suppose organizing a open theatre or patio like sitting for an sports event or live concerts. And overall if you value the time the customer is spending whether with faster service and by organizing events or by providing guidance about their trip and help them with offers, its going to be memorable and would reflect in the energy when they are leaving so do not forget to get reviews of their experience.

Always think of one rule, in every place of your company: Is the customer happy with it? Then print money. Oh, I need more words. Not happy with that, all is said ;P