Customers find hotels in a variety of ways. They may come to you directly, through a travel agency or through an online booking company. There are no real rules as to who owns the data customers provide, so it is generally controlled by the point of entry.
Online travel agency (OTA) Booking.com has recently stated that they will no longer provide hotels with customer emails. There’s no telling whether other OTAs and traditional agencies will follow in the practice, but it pays to be prepared.
What’s the Risk in not Having the Customer Data?
The best customer relationships come when you are able to engage with them sooner rather than later. Hotels can begin to build those relationships by reaching out to guests as soon as they are registered and begin to lay the groundwork for a memorable guest experience. When travel agencies withhold customer data, they control the relationship. Since the agency is paid no matter where guests stay, they have no interest in building customer loyalty to an individual hotel, only to their service.
What Can Hotels Do to Ensure They Have the Data?
It’s not possible to withdraw from OTAs because you’ll lose the business they contribute, but there are steps you can take to work around this development.
- Require front desks to request email addresses from guests upon check-in. It’s not as good as getting their information before the visit, but it’s still pretty early in the guest relationship. Your hotel can utilize that information for follow-up emails about that visit, future offers or even just to stay top of mind with a monthly newsletter.
- Consider online advertising on the sites travel planners are visiting to attract their attention and encourage them to book directly.
- Focus more attention on corporate clients. They are less likely to be attracted to the potentially risky OTA sites.
- Market to previous clients encouraging them to return or to share their experience with friends. The value of a personal testimonial or recommendation can make an enormous impact on purchasing decisions.
- Make sure you really use the data you have previously collected on guest visits, not just to compile an email list, but to gain a deep understanding of who your customers are and how you can best service them. Are they coming from a specific location? Are they business travelers? Are they coming with their families? How much money is each of those groups spending?
The hotel recruitment experts at Horizon Hospitality can help you find and attract top hospitality talent that allow you to provide your guests with the memorable experiences. Start your hotel executive search today.
