Something exciting is permeating hotel industry marketing strategy – text marketing. Texting is a direct line of communication and a time saver for the hotel industry, service industry, and hospitality businesses. With the growth of smartphone use and the fact that 98% of texts are opened and read with a response rate of over 80%, it is becoming more important than ever to incorporate at least one of the SMS texting services for your business to use as an effective marketing and customer service strategy.
The idea of using text marketing for food and hospitality promotion is expanding the capability of hotels to communicate with their guests and vice versa. With hotel and resort chains such as Marriott and Four Seasons leading the way, the path forward is blazed for any enterprising hotel management team to excel while using texting solutions to enhance the bottom line.
You don’t need a text manager or guru in your management team to establish text marketing in the hospitality industry, there are many text message marketing platforms that make building a list and engaging guests simple.
Grow Communications Lists
The first step in fully utilizing your hotel text messaging service is to attract your clients into agreeing to set up text communication coordination with your hotel and suggest they sign up to your email list as well. You may experience some resistance as some clients view the notion of receiving texts as more of an annoyance than a convenience, but train your staff to explain the advantages of having a text connection with your business and then follow through with one or more of the suggestions below.
Update Guests Prior to Arrival
When guests are booked, but not yet in the hotel or resort, text them to advise of any upgrades, events, or price deals that may come up. Taking this approach to a guest that has not yet arrived develops a sense of familiarity and trust between the guest and the establishment. By utilizing this step whenever possible, you incentivize your guest to open and reply to any following texts your concern may send.
More Efficient & Welcoming Check In
The day before arrival, text the guests and ask for possible arrival times. When texting the day before arrival to a guest that has received an upgraded room through your text service, take the time to note the upgrade and to thank the guest for their acceptance. Note in the text the particulars of the upgrade. This whets the appetite of the guest as they look forward to the new amenities. End the text with a question about their needs at the time of arrival. Do they need transport from the airport, bus, train? Are there any special considerations of which the hotel needs to be aware? Note that you are an ADA facility.
Check In Follow Up
During check-in, thank the guest for using your optional text service. Text the guest fifteen-minutes later to acknowledge their check-in and advise of any special menu items the hotel’s restaurant has for that evening. Offer a discount for new arrivals only good for the first evening. Ensure patrons are happy, extend discounts and other perks.
Service Evaluation
In the evening, text the client for an evaluation of their check-in experience. If the response is highly positive, link the response to your advertising department, send any neutral or low responses to higher management.
Quick Communication with Guests
During the guests stay, always respond quickly to any guest-initiated texts. Whether the text indicates a problem, or if the text is asking for community details, answer the question quickly and professionally. A four-minute turnaround on guest-initiated texts is acceptable to the guest. A five-minute turnaround ignites a guest’s concern and any more time than that is completely unacceptable. Response time to guest texts is where your business shines, or your sun sets. Training your staff regarding text response time is an essential part of the text procedure. Some questions are generic for which your text service can develop auto-responses. However, this key component must be the number one concern for your staff.
Special Events Updates
During a stay, text guests about special events happening nearby or shows sponsored by your hotel. Take advantage of the text platform to offer reduced prices for specific meal items when your restaurant is empty. Make the offer a four-hour limit. When your restaurant seats are empty, you are losing revenue. Fill the seats by texting your captive audience with offers they cannot refuse.
Extended Stay Invites
If you have open rooms available, text the guests on their last day and ask if they wish to extend their stay. If the response is negative, then text the guest to thank them for their stay and wish them a good journey. Offer any help with directions to their next location and points of interest between the two locations. Noting parks, sights, and pitfalls along the road will earn you the eternal thinks of your guests. Offer to contact transport firms for those shuttling to the airport or other transportation hubs.
Like any other aspect of your hotel, the text messaging portion needs to run smoothly and efficiently to realize its full potential. A massive opportunity awaits those managers and marketing professionals who dare to explore the possibilities inherent in the texting process.