ALICE Consumer Research Says Guests Expect Staff Responses to Text Messages in About 12 Minutes, 26 Minutes for Email
NEW YORK, October 13, 2016 – Guests have a right to complain if hotel staff does not respond to their text requests in about 12 minutes, to emails in 26 minutes, and via social media in 27 minutes or less, according to research compiled by hotel service innovator ALICE, info.aliceapp.com.
ALICE commissioned the research to help hotels understand how to serve guests better at a time when text, email and social media are quickly becoming the communication channels of choice for guests at upscale hotels and resorts. Excerpted for trend insights at the hotel industry’s Lodging Conference in Phoenix last week, (www.thelodgingconference.com), the results were obtained in an online survey of more than 400 frequent travelers from across the U.S.
“Forbes Travel Guide (www.forbestravelguide.com) and others routinely grade hotels according to their response times picking up the phone to answer a guest request, so isn’t it time we understand what online response times should be like as well?,” said Alex Shashou, Co-founder and President of ALICE. “At a time when preferred modes of communication have shifted to online channels – and not just among millenials -, hotels would do well to consider how well their operations teams are receiving guest requests, processing them, and responding. At the end of the day, it is the same guest making the same request, just through a different channel”.
The survey also found that guests who use mobile devices for other purchases, are 42.5% more likely to prefer using mobile communications when ordering food and beverage and prestay services, at hotels.
To help hoteliers navigate the new world of mobile communications and serve guests better, ALICE offers a multi-tiered suite of solutions including:
- ALICE SUITE – an end-to-end system that allows hotels to run on one platform, connecting guests with the hotel, and all service departments within the hotel to one another – fully incorporating all of the individual ALICE solutions listed below.
- ALICE STAFF – a complete, easy to use request management software that connects front-desk, housekeeping, maintenance and F&B teams in real-time, providing quick and simple ticket management, monitoring for completion time, and real-time mobile app for service staff on the move.
- ALICE CONCIERGE – a tool to keep the concierge team organized and to connect the concierge and the guest instantly and seamlessly, providing guests with instant responses to requests – and saving the concierge time and effort in meeting those requests.
- ALICE GUEST – innovative guest facing Mobile, Web and SMS tools, integrated to allow a full range of guest communication and functionality, pre-arrival and on property – including ordering services, real-time chat, and upselling.
ALICE’s solutions are in place in dozens of distinctive hotels across the U.S., and have been recognized for innovation in enabling multiple departments in a hotel to respond to guests’ requests quickly and easily.
