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In today's competitive landscape, hotels need to create a guest experience that stands out. The modern traveller has a predilection for mobile tech as well as personalised services that deliver the experience they want at the moment they want it. This desire offers hotels excellent opportunities for effective upselling, but in order to get this right, hotels need to get to know their guests.
By engaging with guests throughout their journey, from booking to post-departure, hotels can keep records of guest purchases and preferences to inform future stays. With a data-driven, customer-centric approach, opportunities will be created for upselling and loyalty-building.
Identifying patterns in guest activity can divulge patterns which could provide meaningful insight. Consider how the guest booked their stay; with whom they are travelling; what time they prefer to check-in; whether they make food, beverage or reservation requests – the data points to consider are vast and varied. Yet, they provide the insights required to tailor a guest experience and take advantage of those upselling opportunities which are naturally designed to enhance a guest's stay.
In addition, front-of-house staff must be trained to listen to guests and be intuitive to their needs, suggesting products or services that offer value to your guests and demonstrate that yours is a business that takes note of their needs.
For example, if a guest purchased a specific bottle of wine during a stay, offering for this to be brought up to their room on arrival when they return makes for an impressive, personal touch. Proposing relevant offers throughout the guest's journey with additional products and services at the appropriate time – from early check-in/late check-out to tailored family or romance packages that come with a host of extras – strengthens relationships with guests. And stronger relationships lead to increased revenue.
Of course, upselling doesn't just offer a means of boosting revenue. It offers an effective way of increasing guest satisfaction, and consequently loyalty. Which is the bread and butter of every successful hospitality business.
