guest behavior
Societal Factors Can Shape How Companies Best Respond After Customers Misbehave
Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management | September 11, 2024
Apologizing to customers who witness other patrons misbehave may not always be the best response for hospitality businesses, researchers find UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From rule breaking and theft to verbal abuse and foul language, one customer’s behavior can negatively affect another customer’s experience. How hospitality businesses can best respond to instances of customer misbehavior can depend on the strictness of societal norms, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. The study, published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, found that customers who observe m...
A Breath of Fresh Air for Luxury Hotels
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | January 18, 2023
Trees, potted plants and “green walls” may not be conventional forms of interior design, but with growing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly hospitality, hotels are upping their efforts to incorporate “green atmospherics” into their indoor spaces. Whilst people’s behaviour is known to be shaped by their physical surroundings, the specific effects of living plants, scent, air quality, natural light and green spaces are not yet known. Focusing on the luxury hotel sector, Professor Jin-Soo Lee of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-researchers explored the influence of vari...
Traveler Trends and Hotel Guest Behavior – What’s Changed, What’s New, What’s Next?
Preetham Shetty | April 26, 2022
By Preetam Shetty There is no denying it – the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a global shift that very few of us saw coming, ushering in a period that was affectionately (and later, tirelessly) referred to as the new normal. For the better part of two years, the public stayed home, donned masks, limited social contact, traded in-person meetings for Zoom meetings, postponed events and celebrations, and, en masse, canceled travel plans for the foreseeable future. While the global economy was under immense pressure with each passing lockdown and new restrictions, few industries were more gravely impacted than travel and tourism. Seemingly ...
Smartphones and Their Effect on Guest Behavior
Binu Mathews | February 4, 2020
By Binu Mathews Smartphones are everywhere. Walk into any coffee shop, restaurant, or hotel lobby, and a high percentage of people engaged with their smartphone will be directly affected by the application they are reviewing. As consumers, we now look to our smartphones to converse with friends, purchase items online, look at a myriad of pictures, and yes, sometimes, to talk to another person. The impact of smartphones on our everyday life is undisputed, but how has the smartphone impacted the hotel guest? When it comes to searching for a hotel, regardless of whether it is for a business or leisure trip, the bulk of the search process is ...
On-Demand Service and the Culture of Convenience: What Are Guests Really Looking For?
Jos Schaap, CEO -Founder and CEO | November 8, 2018
By Jos Schaap CEO and Founder – StayNTouch We aren't just living in a mobile age — we are living in an 'on-demand' economy, and it is revolutionizing business models and the corresponding consumer experience across every industry. With digital platforms and apps empowering instant gratification, paired with efficient and intuitive technological properties to cater to a personalized and data-driven experience, the supply which meets the demand of customers is readily available, 24/7. The modern consumer has become accustomed to the ease of uninhibited access to messaging, e-mail, social media, e-commerce, and general online f...
Overview: The Increasing Costs of Hotel Customer Acquisition
Allison Handy | July 9, 2018
By Allison Handy When we talk about red flags and concerns about increasing acquisition costs, some might be inclined to dismiss any worries and point to continued growth and prosperity—both in the industry and across the larger economy. And it is certainly true that we are in the midst of a sustained period of strong performance. The Prosperity Trap: Consider the following recently released data from TravelClick. As of this May, committed occupancy for the second quarter of 2018 through the first quarter of 2019 is up at 1.6% compared to a year ago. The pace of new commitments is continuing to edge upward, increasing by 0.1% over...
The Hidden Costs of Sold-Outs
Max Chertkov | May 31, 2018
By Max Chertkov Did you know that securing a new customer costs between 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing client? Although several factors can lead to losing a customer, booking failures and sold-outs have a major impact on customer loyalty. Strong businesses are built on the fundamental understanding of customer lifetime value - a customer once won can become a customer for life. Today's highly competitive travel market, especially online, bears numerous challenges when it comes to winning a customer. In fact, the revenue from the first customer booking often barely covers the acquisition cost. For this reason, customer...
5 Things the Hotel Industry Can Learn from Cruise Lines
Kacey Bradley | October 12, 2017
By Kacey Bradley As an industry, finding useful lessons from other industries that seem completely different may feel impossible. But sometimes that extra effort pays off, because you can make improvements to your own industry that you may not have thought about otherwise. Especially when it comes to customer service that can make or break a business. That's why it's so important to study what cruise lines do to make their customers keep coming back for more to help the hotel industry find the same results. Sometimes brands hit a dead end and customers can sense it, leading to major losses. Fix this problem by focusing on five things th...
