In the hotel industry, customer loyalty plays a significant role in boosting reputation and retaining customers. It’s obvious that due to fierce competition, customers have umpteen options to explore and pick the best hotel of their choice and budget without compromising on facilities and services. Providing the best services and ultimate experience to the customers marks a huge impression and they try to make often visits whenever they need a break from their busy lives.
If we say this, hotel industry and loyalty programs walk hand in hand then it would not be wrong. According to the study of 50,000 hotels over two years published by Center of Hospitality Research discovered that customers who signed up for hotel loyalty programs, the frequency of their stay increased by an average of 49%. This clearly indicates that to increase the customer base, you have to be innovative in executing the strategies.
Top Marketing Hacks to Improve Loyalty Program of your Hotel:
1. Offer Valuable Perks:
For your hotel business what matters the most is customers. How would you make them feel special? Offering 1st-day free stay at hotel, or one-day complimentary lunch with special cuisine of their choice, or something exclusive that delight customers and marks a huge impression resulting in increase in word-of-mouth marketing and frequency of stay.
2. Add a Personal Touch:
You would also be agree to this, personalization is not a trend anymore, it has become a lifestyle. When you offer something of their interest during their visit, you win 80% of the battle rest 20% depends on the quality service you provide. For instance; knowing your customers interest at the time of booking assist you in providing exceptional services to your guest making them overwhelmed with your awe-inspiring welcoming. Hence, it would add value to your hotel business if you use cutting-edge technology to stay connected with your new and loyal customers.
3. Integrate Reward System:
Execution of valuable reward and incentive is a perfect strategy to increase the frequency of the customer visits. According to the statistics, 41% of the customers joined the loyalty programs to earn rewards.
Below image lists the reasons of joining hotel loyalty programs;
Studying the statistical graph, good reward programs earn the trust of customers especially the millennials. Such initiatives gives them the privilege to use the rewards and explore the luxurious areas of the hotel. But still, it depends from person to person how they would like to use the rewards they have earned.
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4. Provide Unique Experience:
That’s said, in order to build a good reputation and spread the hotel’s name across, a soothing and astonishing experience matters the most. Hence, your focus should be on how to provide exceeding expectations that make customers loyal to your hotel. Execute creative ideas to make the stay special. For instance; a movie night with coffee and movie of their choice, Complimentary cocktail once during their stay, providing a free guide to learn the uniqueness of the place. There are ample of other options you can include. Last but not the least, ensure the staff remains polite with the customers. These minute things can simply make or break the reputation. So, ensure that you avoid such situations.
5. Creative Promotion of Your Services:
Nowadays, users are so active on social media that 80% of the business comes from these networks. Execute innovative and catchy ideas leveraging the digital technology and shout loudly about the services you provide and how you can make the stay better for your customers. For instance; you can promote the benefits customers can get if they enroll in the hotel loyalty programs like evening activities for kids, complimentary one-time spa, Use of gym area once a day, etc. While doing promotions make sure that you be real with what you provide and post real pictures of your hotel. Doing so, you develop the trust factor amongst the users which ultimately influences them to make a visit.
6. Listen to Your Customers:
Don’t create a negative impression on your customers. You know to improve 1 negative impression you need 12 positive impressions. Seek constant feedbacks, don’t wait for customers to bring a list of complaints during their checkout and fill the feedback form with it. Listen to what your guest says and try to improve the quality of your services so that while leaving they should be grateful to your services and the hospitality you offered. This increases number of recommendations and frequent visits of the loyal customers.
7. Make Effective Use Of New Technology:
The era in which we are living talks and works using the latest technology. Therefore, if the loyalty program is designed using the latest technology then chances of users inclined to leverage the loyalty programs increases. For instance; Mocha, the popular Cafe across the metropolitan cities of India is making the best use of the technology and attracting its customers to make use of the loyalty programs to enjoy the benefits. Now, it has designed a loyalty app for customers comprising the menu, membership, coupons, social, etc. wherein users can check and redeem points using a QR code, view social posts, and menu to order. The effective step of this refreshing Cafe has increased its user base and level of trust amongst the existing customers.
Conclusion
That winds up the top 7 marketing hacks to improve hotel loyalty program. In this industry you have to be proactive and at the same time careful in satisfying customer’s needs. If you fail in doing so, the chances of losing a valuable customer increases.
Over to you…
These were just 7 marketing hacks. What marketing hacks you have used to boost your hotel performance? Do share it in the comments section below. Would love to hear from you.
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