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If your hotels Property Management System (PMS) can help you to get these key six touchpoints right, then you will surely be rewarded with loyal guests! Customers who will value the High Return Hospitality that you can provide with repeat visits, more referrals, positive reviews and increased revenue.
So, what are these guest experiences that can turn a guest either into a champion for your hotel or a critic? How does one make frictionless, memorable experiences, beginning well before the guest’s arrival date and extending beyond the check-out? Let us find out!
1) Booking
The first key hospitality moment is booking, which begins well before travellers leave their homes. This moment sets the tone for the entire visit and gives the property a chance to create goodwill and increase profitability.
Convenience is a top consideration. More than anything else, consumers want the booking process to be streamlined and user-friendly. They are accustomed to technology experiences that present everything they need in a single view, so booking should mirror that ‘single pane’ experience.
Adopting a mobile-first approach will help, as travellers increasingly research properties and book reservations through their smartphones and other mobile devices. If response times are slow, consumers might become frustrated and go elsewhere. Additionally, since many people tend to shop around before deciding, offer an incentive to book. A free room upgrade, a restaurant discount, or extra loyalty points can make the difference in whether or not lookers become bookers. Consumers also look for clear cancellation and refund policies.
Robust Property Management Systems (PMS) enable hotels to retain guest history data and synchronize information from multiple sources so that prospective guests receive relevant offers and suggestions— such as golf outings, spa visits and show tickets—that make their trip unique.
2) Check-In
The next key hospitality moment is Arrival and Check-in. Although some guests prefer to check-in at the traditional front desk with a staff member, many others want to check in via a kiosk or mobile app and bypass the lobby altogether.
In fact, increasing numbers of guests choose ‘mobile everything’, from check-in and room keys to payments and check-out. At larger properties, where the front desk is busy and wait times can be long, queue-busting kiosks are also a must.
Here comes in the role of Property Management Systems (PMS) that offer technology, which is intuitive and easy to use, with interfaces that provide clear step-by-step instructions. During the check-in process—whether via front desk, kiosk or mobile app—present guests with upgrades and add-ons, such as larger rooms, spa appointments and restaurant reservations.
3) Service
Moments in which guests request and receive service are increasingly important in driving satisfaction, with travellers demanding access to services at any time, in any place and via any device. Today’s consumer expectations are hinged on an ‘always on’ mentality.
Property management Systems (PMS) should mirror these mobile first experiences, allowing guests and staff to communicate in real time via text message or chat. It’s both practical and convenient, as it enables staff to respond directly and quickly to guest needs, which elevates service and makes travellers feel valued. In service moments, personalization is especially important, and technology plays an enormous role.
With the right solutions, properties can track and store a multitude of customer information which can be used to provide highly curated guest stay experiences. The more skillful a business becomes in applying data to build customer intimacy, the greater the returns.
4) Food & Beverage
Guests crave convenience and immediacy in food and beverage service. Grab-and-go, food lockers, on-demand ordering and delivery, and self-service check-out all serve this expectation. Some guests want to use their own devices to view dynamic menus that show photos of food and beverage selections; others want the ability to order in non-traditional settings, such as poolside or from a beach cabana. When it comes to F&B payment options, it’s all about choice and the right Property Management System (PMS) offers this!
Contactless and cashless transactions are quickly becoming the norm, with many customers using mobile wallet payment services, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, in addition to contactless credit and debit cards and other digital payment options.
In international travel scenarios, travellers want multicurrency support and transparent conversion rates. Secure payment processes are also a must.
Additionally, guests enrolled in hotel loyalty programs want to earn and redeem rewards through the F&B payment process. Integration allows for a seamless experience where points and rewards are automatically applied or tracked during food and beverage transactions.
5) Check-out
All the perfect moments a property has created throughout a guest’s stay can be undone if departure and check-out moments are sub-par. Some guests prefer a traditional check-out experience while others want mobile or kiosk options with no front desk stop required. Either way, check-out should be quick and easy.
With the increasing reliance on smartphones, guests appreciate the convenience of mobile check-out, which enables them to complete the entire process through the property’s mobile app or a web-based interface. They can review charges, settle bills securely and receive an electronic receipt—all without standing in line.
Similarly, self-service kiosks provide an alternative to traditional front desk check-out service and can be deployed in high-traffic areas such as lobbies and elevator banks. Kiosks enable guests to view their folios, check out and receive an electronic receipt without staff interaction.
The right Property Management Systems (PMS) offer technology that can help properties achieve streamlined check-out experiences and more satisfied guests as a result.
6) Post stay experience
Just because guests have checked out doesn’t mean the interaction with them ends. In fact, now is the time to inform them of upcoming specials and promotions, send post-visit surveys, and ask them to refer friends and family.
Also, acknowledge special dates, such as anniversaries and birthdays, perhaps even the date the guest first stayed at the hotel. It’s also important to recognize returning guests with a flexible loyalty program that gives them choices for accumulating and redeeming points.
Properties that leverage Property Management Systems (PMS) post experience technology wisely will create goodwill, encourage repeat business and boost profitability.
Agilysys Hospitality Cloud
Agilysys offers the broadest integrated software portfolio with the deepest functionality in the hospitality industry, helping properties of all sizes deliver exceptional experiences across the entire guest journey.
The company also is committed to customer support, with a global 24/7 customer care program that connects properties with all the resources of the Agilysys team—from software updates to technical expertise.
The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud combines operational systems—property management, point-of-sale and inventory and procurement—with Experience Enhancers, applications that improve guest and staff experiences and include modules for activities, analytics, golf, spa, kiosk, mobile check-in/check-out, loyalty, retail, sales & catering and more. These solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios, which are tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs.
So if you are looking for the right key to streamline ‘Guest Experience’ touchpoints, go ahead and explore Agilysys Hospitality Solutions!
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