By John Smallwood
If you have 60 seconds, I have 300 words that might help at the NOI line.
A recent survey by Travelers United revealed that 80% of travelers want mandatory resort fees included in the advertised price. It’s hardly surprising.
A number of hotels do not include these fees in their room rates, and fail to make them sufficiently obvious in the booking process. This lack of transparency can be damaging when a customer realizes they have to pay extra for their room. At best, it can leave them feeling irritated and confused. At worst? Misled and overcharged.
So, how can you ensure that your guests are 100% certain about the rates you charge and the amenities you offer? To start, communicate with clarity on your website by carefully noting add-on fees and clearly explaining what they cover. This will protect your brand reputation, and help to improve and maintain customer trust.
Your website is an obvious first place to display the total price of a stay, but with the best intentions, booking conditions and small print can sometimes be misread. Often, customers just want to speak to a human being to quickly answer their questions.
Having a dedicated call center can really help with this issue. Foremost, any applicable resort fees can be carefully clarified – so everything is made crystal-clear to guests well before check-in.
But personally speaking with a guest offers the opportunity to explain why the fee is being charged in the first place, and why it’s a fair and reasonable. Rather than posting generic terms and conditions on your website, you can answer a customer’s specific query in a far more personal way. And of course, talking directly with a customer means you can try to overcome any potential objections they might have over additional fees.
Ultimately, when guests arrive at your property, it’s essential they understand what they’ve paid for. Answering every call and ensuring your pricing is made clear early in the booking process can play a crucial part in this process.
This is one in a series of short essays by John Smallwood, CEO of Travel Outlook Premium Reservations Call Center about voice reservations, the second most profitable revenue channel. Travel Outlook is a hospitality company that takes voice reservations calls for its clients.
