Brad Harding | December 27, 2016

By Brad Harding, Crucial Tech Guru

As 2016 draws to a close, many in the hotel industry are looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs in the new year — all focused on improving the bottom line. There are many different approaches that hotels can take from reducing energy use, to improving technology offerings to achieve their goals in 2017. Here are several challenges for hotels and tips on how to overcome them:

  • Missed opportunities: These come from not knowing your customer well enough to offer them the customized experience they desire. The front desk is often the first formal touchpoint that a hotel has with its guests – it is also the guests’ first impression of your property and their overall experience. The front desk is a prime opportunity to deliver a customized guest experience based on the guest’s preferences. In order to avoid these missed opportunities, hotels need to consider deploying advanced analytics solutions that help deliver customized experiences in real-time before the opportunity to please and retain the guest is lost.
  • Slow check-ins and other transactions: Often the crux of the “painfully slow”computer problem is hardware-based and not user error. IT managers should consider upgrading aging computer systems instead of replacing them; for example, if hotel staff primarily stores data on the business network, uses a hard drive and/or has room for more RAM it’s best to consider a computer upgrade before a replacement.
  • Engaging potential customers: This is likely a result of not having a defined social media strategy that delivers effective communications. As social media becomes more crowded, consumers are becoming skeptical of new offers and may even tune them out completely. You can avoid this by making sure that your strategy includes a way to connect with customers in a meaningful way that humanizes your brand and builds relationships.

While these tips might seem a bit overwhelming, the alternative of decreasing revenue due to slow processing or missed opportunities is worse. By deploying new technologies and adopting a social media plan, your hotel will be on its way to a success 2017.