By Greg Black
Hotel businesses live and die by the satisfaction of their guests. As customer expectations rise, so does the complexity and cost of delivering an experience they’ll enjoy while looking to drive more business and increasing revenues.
Travel technology is growing increasingly complex and is forcing hoteliers to balance their business needs versus investment in new or updated technology. With savvier, more resourceful tech attitudes of travelers, there continues to be a natural increase in mobile travel-related technologies led by the traveler behavior and expectations. A hotel’s visibility is their cornerstone of booking success and they realize they need to be easily seen and accessed in as many places as possible in today’s world.
CCSI has partnered with TigerTMS to provide a cost effective and easy to use Suite of Hospitality Applications and Technology to assist hotels with their specific goals and requirements in this and other technology areas.
“Personalization” is the buzzword in today’s world of guest satisfaction. There is no reason not to make the guest interaction more focused on them. However, maximizing the guest experience and meeting guest expectations is no easy task. Travelers have a variety of options at their fingertips, which makes it more difficult for hotels to decide where to start, and how to differentiate themselves. By selecting the right technology, hotels have the opportunity to create memorable experiences for their guests. By gathering and reviewing a collection of customer data, this will allow hotels to understand and quickly adapt to improve their guest experiences.
Recent years have seen a growth in technology-savvy travelers, and they expect hotels to keep up. Even older generations are now well versed in how to use social media and mobile devices, both something hotels must take into account. Today’s hotel must have a mobile-friendly website, user friendly navigation, user-to-hotel communications and a quick and easy booking procedure. Additionally, people are using mobile technology to browse social media sites like Facebook or Instagram to gain inspiration to travel, so the hotel must be visible all the time.
It has become increasingly common for consumers to use mobile devices to resolve their own inquiries. One of the methods they use is to download apps. Guests expect the ability to access their details and interact with their hotel through an app rather than by email, phone, or web.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. traveler’s believe it is “very important” for hotels to continue investing in technology to improve the guest experience. Ninety-four percent of business travelers and 80% of leisure travelers like the convenience of being able to make requests via their smartphones.
It turns out that guests are quite comfortable sharing a considerable amount of information with hoteliers, perhaps more than previously imagined. For example, 71% readily disclose food preferences and allergies, while 64% readily confess their entertainment preferences.
A total of 62% of guests used non-hotel sources’ to make dinner reservations and get recommendations for activities, bypassing the concierge who guests said they would rather get help from if easier to communicate with.
Smart hotel technology can not only save hotels money but also can exceed guests’ expectations while increasing
CCSI & TigerTMS Innovation LLC have teamed up and taken the Hotel Guest Experience to a whole new technology level.
Utilizing the TigerTMS iPortal solution with its unique hotel QR Code generator provides countless points of guest entry from Kiosks, Computers, Laptops, iPads, Android Tablets and Cell Phones. iPortal offers limit-less cost effective marketing opportunities from Magazines, Newspapers, Airport Billboards, Web Advertising, etc. for hotels to easily and quickly engage with potential guests. All without the need to download an app – something guests are getting increasingly frustrated with. Numerous surveys confirm that guests do not like to download an app for a one off stay at a hotel.
The ease of pointing their mobile devices at QR codes (that link to the hotel website and PMS system) is a convenience that has been quickly embraced and appreciated by guests.
iPortal, by TigerTMS, comes with its own easy to use development tool eliminating the high costs of mobile app development and testing, whenever creating or making a change to an app.
Here is a sample of the benefits of a CCSI-TigerTMS mobile guest solution:
Hotel Benefits
- Enhanced Guest Experience
- At a fraction of the cost of an app
- Easy to use and ability to make changes on the fly
- Closer and increased engagements with guests
- Pre-Sales:
- Unique QR Code for Advertising to increase sales
- Guests can review availability, rates, facilities, location, etc.
- Reservations:
- Guests can make direct reservations on their mobile device
- Check-In
- Offer room upgrades to increase revenues
- Can be done on a Hotel Kiosk
- Eliminates need for a Front Desk visit
- Stay:
- Food & Beverage Ordering
- Room Service Menus and Orders
- Additional revenues from booking of hotel facilities such as Spa treatments
- Check-Out
- Receive, Review and Pay Bill on Mobile Device
- Eliminates need for Front Desk Check-Out
Guest Benefits
- Pre-Sales:
- Scan of a QR Code instead of downloading an app
- View Hotel Information, Accommodation, Restaurants, Facilities instantly
- Speed Dials to Connect with Hotel staff for any questions or concerns
- Local Events & Points of Interest
- Reservations:
- Look at Room Availability and Rates
- Easy access to Make and Confirm Reservations (Hotel, Dinner, Spa, etc.)
- Traffic & Hotel Directions
- Weather Forecast
- Check-In
- On Hotel Kiosk
- By-pass Front Desk
- Stay:
- Review Room Service Menus and Order
- Message with Hotel Staff (front desk, concierge, maids, etc.)
- Check-Out
- View Bill & Express Check Out
The guests’ expectations and demands for the best experience are increasingly changing, and it’s the hotel’s responsibility to be open to such change using technology to meet these demands.
Ultimately improved guest engagement will lead to great social media reviews and more positive social sharing, which in turn, relates to more bookings for your property.
In Conclusion:
Technology will continue to advance at a tremendous pace, and the hotel guest experience will need to have far more to offer worldwide travelers. Looking to the future, hotels will have much more control over making their spaces feel like a truly relaxing environment.
When it comes down to it, differentiated hotel guest experiences depend on personalization. With the CCSI & TigerTMS partnership, this has become much easier and cost effective for hotel operators.
Differentiate yourself and you’ll succeed.
Cloud Compliance Solutions & TigerTMS Innovation have partnered to provide the Hospitality Industry with the latest in mobile, telephony and computing technology. Call or email us today for more information or schedule a call.
