Just over a week ago, TripAdvisor® announced their 2016 Travellers’ Choice award winners, recognizing hotels for exceptional service, quality and value based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews. Some of our WebRezPro customers made the cut and we want to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to each and every one! (We’ve included a list of the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award winners that we are proud to call WebRezPro customers at the end of this post for inspiration.)
We think the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards are a pretty big deal because they celebrate properties that have been recognized as outstanding by a large community of real travelers — the guests themselves. Guest satisfaction is the ultimate proof that hotels are doing things right.
Guest satisfaction depends on a number of factors, including cleanliness, amenities and value for money, but stand-out service is the key to truly wowing customers and earning glowing reviews.
Service excellence expert Dr. Bryan K. Williams recently published a great article about what makes exceptional service. He points out that service is not about the giver, it’s about the recipient. Every guest has their own perception of what good service is, and so to deliver service that meets and exceeds each guest’s expectations it’s important to learn as much as possible about your guests.
Great service not only depends on hotel staff who truly value their customers and are committed to delivering memorable service, but also on hotel technology that provides hoteliers with the tools for knowing their guests, anticipating their needs and assisting them in the moment.
Here’s how a cloud property management system (PMS) like WebRezPro supports exceptional service:
Knowing Your Guests
Comprehensive guest profiles allow you to store everything you need to know about each guest — including room preferences, special requests, allergies, birthdays and anniversaries, how often they stay, etc. — and are the foundation of personalized service.
As a centralized, fully integrated system, a cloud PMS helps to build robust guest profiles by automatically accumulating data like stay frequency, on-property purchases and loyalty program rewards.
Notes can be added to profiles manually too; does the guest like to have extra pillows? Are they allergic to feathers? Do they have an ideal room temperature? The more you know about your guests, the better!
Anticipating Guests’ Needs
A PMS that offers guest management features — like reservation alarms and pop-up reminders for hotel staff, VIP flagging, a rewards program and automated guest emails — helps to ensure that valuable guest data is put to good use through the practical delivery of personalized service.
Reservation alarms and pop-up reminders can be set by hotel staff to remind themselves to do such important things as wish Mr. and Mrs. Valentino a happy anniversary upon check-in, or to replace the feather pillows in Ms. Smith’s room before her arrival.
Features like VIP flagging and reward programs ensure a property’s most valuable customers are always recognized and can help maintain guest loyalty.
Pre- and post-stay emails also help demonstrate to guests that a hotel is anticipating their needs while opening a direct channel of communication through which the guest can ask questions and make special requests. Pre-arrival emails can remind guests of the details of their reservation and include helpful information about local attractions. Post-stay emails can offer discounts on a future stay or inform customers about current promotions or new services they may be interested in.
Assisting Guests in the Moment
From reservations to housekeeping, cloud PMS streamline daily operations through automation, supporting fast, efficient processes — and giving hotel staff more time to focus on hospitality.
In our Internet era, being there for your guests starts with providing them with an easy online booking process. Including a user-friendly online booking engine on your property’s website is convenient not only for customers, but for hoteliers too when it is integrated with the property management system.
A new guest’s first face-to-face impression of a property is formed during check-in, so it’s very important that the check-in process goes smoothly. A cloud PMS helps to check guests in efficiently through features like paperless check-in with electronic signature, and direct integrations with payment processing and key card locking systems.
Mobile housekeeping and maintenance reports ensure that any housekeeping requests and maintenance issues are logged instantly and dealt with promptly. In fact, a mobile-optimized cloud PMS like WebRezPro essentially enables hotel staff to take the “front desk” with them wherever they go, so they can attend to guests and operational issues in the moment.
Finally, cloud PMS take the technical responsibility out of a hotelier’s hands. System upgrades, data protection and back-up, and software maintenance are all taken care of by the cloud PMS vendor. With technical concerns off your plate, there’s more time to take care of your guests.
Congratulations to the following 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award-winning properties that we are very proud to call WebRezPro customers!
- Ponte Vineyard Inn (Top 25 Hotels – United States)
- Sagewater Spa (Top 25 Small Hotels – United States)
- The Sewanee Inn (Top 25 Hotels for Service – United States)
- French Quarter Inn (Top 25 Hotels – United States; Top 25 Hotels for Service – United States)
- Olea Hotel (Top 25 Hotels for Romance – United States)
- Abigail’s Hotel (Top 25 Small Hotels – Canada; Top 25 Hotels for Service – Canada; Top 25 Hotels for Romance – Canada)
- Grant Hall Hotel (Top 25 Small Hotels – Canada)
- Tweedsmuir Park Lodge (Top 25 Small Hotels – Canada)
- Parkway Motel (Top 25 Bargain Hotels – Canada)
- Quinta Maria Cortez (Top 25 B&Bs and Inns – Mexico)
- Secret Bay (Top 25 Small Hotels – Caribbean; Top 25 Hotels for Romance – Caribbean)
- The Resort at Isla Palenque (Top 10 Small Hotels – Panama; Top 10 Hotels for Service – Panama; Top 10 Hotels for Romance – Panama)
- Sansara Surf & Yoga Resort (Top 10 B&Bs and Inns – Panama)
- Barefoot Cay (Top 10 Small Hotels – Honduras; Top 10 Hotels for Romance – Honduras)
- Witt Istanbul Suites (Top 25 Small Hotels – Turkey; Top 25 Luxury Hotels – Turkey; Top 25 Hotels for Romance – Turkey)
- Apartments Kaikoura (Top 25 Small Hotels – New Zealand)
- 9 Boutique Hotel (Top 25 Small Hotels – China)
Check out the complete list of the 2016 Travellers’ Choice award winners on the TripAdvisor website.
