How Hotels Can Use Guest Messaging To Delight Guests (With Examples)

What's in it for me?

A one-of-a-kind guide on how to reap the maximum benefits of the guest messaging service at your hotel by deploying it strategically at all the vital touchpoints throughout the guest journey for communication and to personalize the overall guest experience. With actual examples from the day-to-day communication between the hotels and their guests, this guide aims to teach the properties a new way of "delighting" their guests with the kind of messages the latter would love to receive from the hotel operators, thereby connecting it all to the broader spectrum of providing a seamless, contactless experience.

Communication has been characterized as one of the most important skills in every industry and particularly in the tourism & hospitality sector which is one of the fastest-growing sectors. The importance of communication in the context of hospitality has further spawned a host of concepts that are meant to provide a better understanding of the customer/guest and serve them better. Some of such concepts are guest journey mapping and guest messaging. Did you know? Using Guest Messaging to delight guests has found its way into the mainstream functioning of the hotel, helping the guests to make the most of their stay and the property owners to engage with their guests better.

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What Is Guest Journey Mapping?

How to make guests happy in a hotel? One way of tackling this answer would be by using the words “seamless communication.” Hence before diving into how guest messaging can help rejuvenate your guests and win them over, it is crucial to touch upon the aspect of guest journey mapping. It is regarded as the process of creating a customer journey map, a visual story of your customers' interactions with your brand.

Well, this exercise is primarily aimed at helping your business step into the shoes of customers/guests and see your business from the perspective of the customers. It allows you to gain an in-depth insight into common customer issues and how to address them and improve upon them. In a hotel, the guest journey mapping aspect covers all the touchpoints based on which is gauged the users’ expectations and experience at each of these stages to provide a great experience overall.

Thus, it is a strategic approach to have a better understanding of customer expectations and is crucial for optimizing the customer experience. This is equally important for larger institutions/hotels as it is important for small and medium-sized properties.

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Guest Messaging To Delight Guests: How Does Guest Messaging Fit Into This Scenario?

“Nearly 80% of consumers prefer to communicate with a business via text, and 90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of receipt.

Contactless communication and guest messaging can both be regarded as the present and future of business and customer interaction. Deterring unnecessary physical contact helps build relationships and improve revenue flow without sacrificing peace of mind. With ‘social distancing’ on everyone’s minds and lips, it is important for the hotels to incorporate this much-emphasized concept into their modes of communication. That being said, the Hotel Guest Messaging for communication is the need of the hour.

As for the hotels, this form of communication has become paramount. As restrictions slowly lift and guests feel more at ease traveling, it’s important to connect in a way that makes them feel comfortable and confident. Guest messaging is a hassle-free method of communicating with your guests and providing them a safe and private way of communicating with you. In order to avoid time-consuming methods such as one-on-one messaging, you can utilize this time by reaching a maximum number of guests simultaneously with the implementation of tools such as the automated guest messaging software.

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That Is Okay! But What About the Delight Part?

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It’s all about the guests! Every technological innovation that a hotel introduces has only one motive behind it: the satisfaction of the guests. The future of hotel success relies heavily on delivering a personalized and memorable experience that keeps them coming back.

As the guest journey takes on a new form of narrowed in-person touchpoints and more digital options, contactless guest messaging channels such as text, email, and WhatsApp, become a new safety requirement for hotels. Providing convenience to the guests they ensure all contact is done with physical distancing standards – so the guest stays informed and satisfied. For hotels, contactless communication such as guest messaging to delight guests also benefits operations and overall efficiency. With guest messaging channels, you can have a centralized inbox of guest messages and requests to reference throughout their stay. This deters guests from visiting your physical concierge or searching for an employee – tactics that could compromise physical distancing standards and keep the guests waiting.

With guest messaging, you can personalize your guests’ experience in no time. From how do they like their coffee to what upgrade would be the best for them on an anniversary getaway, you can suggest it all! Leveraging messaging technology and system integration to deliver a quality guest experience can be greatly beneficial for both the guests and hotel staff. This is a win-win situation as guests get faster and more personalized service while hotels maximize operating efficiency and workflow to reduce resources and costs. For example, by leveraging guest information from a PMS or CRM system, personalized messages can be sent by hotel staff based on guest profiles and preferences and they can use that data to automate messages. This can help hotel staff better serve their guests through more personalized communication.

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How Guest Messaging To Delight Guests Can Be Optimally Utilized?

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At a hotel, there are a number of key touchpoints to engage with the guests. Whether it be at the concierge desk, in the guests' rooms, or on their way to a spa appointment, it’s critical to make sure you are connecting with guests on their preferred channel and building relationships. Here we highlight key moments within the guest’s unique journey, that can primarily delight guests. Therefore, the emphasis will be primarily on the element of “delightfulness” that can be achieved through guest messaging. Prior to discussing the above-stated object, we will highlight the element of the guest journey that can be broadly divided into the following stages:

→ Pre-arrival
→ Check-in & On-arrival
→ Mid-stay
→ Check-out
→ Post Check-out

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Guest Messaging To Delight Guests: Useful Stage-Wise Templates

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1. Text Messaging At Pre-Arrival Stage

Messaging a guest before they arrive at your hotel is a great way to build a solid first impression. It can start the conversation off on a positive note and make your guest feel more comfortable about continuing the dialogue or making a request later on.

"Hi Maria, thank you for choosing us as your vacation destination. We are looking forward to your upcoming reservation from May 15th to May 20th. Given the current crisis, we have also implemented a few measures by revising our policies and operations. For more details, please visit us on our website. We hope you enjoy your stay with us and we look forward to welcoming you."
 🎉🎉🎉

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2. On-Arrival Messaging

This is one of the most important steps in the entire process. With a wonderful first impression, you can begin with your sojourn of providing the guests a delightful experience throughout their journey at your property.

"Welcome to Hotel Lex, Dev. Hope the check-in process was great and hassle-free. Your Wifi is Guestisbest. Breakfast is served from 6am to 10am🥞 Our happy hours start from 5pm to 11pm🍹You can now access our digital concierge with just a tap on *the URL.* Please feel free to contact us regarding any queries. Enjoy your stay!"🪅
🎉🎉🎉

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3. Mid-Stay Messaging

You need to ensure that the guest is served to the best of your abilities. However, it can be further enhanced with the implementation of the following example:

"Hey Alice! We hope you are enjoying your time with us and everything has been in order. Please feel free to text us if you need anything 💬 This will help us serve you better!
"

4. Text Messaging At Check-Out Stage

Your role of providing the best guest experience doesn’t end on departure. However, it can be further enhanced with the implementation of the following example:

"Dear Adam, thank you for trusting us with your stay during such difficult times. We hope you felt safe! We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to share your experience with us by filling out the following survey on *the URL* 😇     If you have any suggestions or questions regarding your experience with us,    please feel free to reach out. We hope to see you soon!" ✈️✈️

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Specific Scenarios

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The section above covers the basic stages that are usually involved in the entire framework of using guest messaging to delight guests and are looked upon as some of the obvious ways to delight your guests. 

As you must know, vacations and holidays are a great time for travelers all over the world and people usually seek memorable experiences that they can treasure throughout their lives. The present scenario of the worldwide pandemic situation has elevated the usefulness and importance of guest messaging. Therefore, as a hotelier or someone who is associated or interested in the hospitality sector, you could enhance the experience of the guests by optimally utilizing guest messaging to make every possible stay delightful and memorable. The following are the triggered messages your hotel should be sending to your guests to enhance the overall guest experience:

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Guest Messaging To Delight Guests: Specific Incidents/Scenarios

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A. Birthday Message

You can keep a track of your valued guests who have opted-in for promotional and give out special offers or discounts to them on their special day via the text message:

"Hi George, on your birthday, we want to let you know how grateful we are to you for bringing so much business our way over the years🎂🎂We hope to enjoy more productive collaboration with you for many more years to come. On this special occasion, you can avail of a discount of 25% on your next stay with us." 💳🥳

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B. Extended Stay Or Late Check-Out Message

You can also make additional income out of extended stays or late check-outs. For example, you can check the rooms that are supposed to remain vacant for a particular day on the basis of which your staff will be able to provide late check-out or extended stay facility to the guests desiring it the most. This provides you the opportunity to gain an additional income.

"Dear Martin, thank you for your stay, our standard check-in time is 2 pm and check-out time is 12 pm. If you wish to request a complimentary late check-out, please kindly contact us through the text directly. However, complimentary late check-out is subject to availability, and we are more than happy to store your bags until your departure time if this is not available🧳🧳 Alternatively, you could guarantee your late check-out by making an extra payment and you can text us directly in case you need this. Thank you and have a pleasant day!" 🌞

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C. Thank You Message To The Customer Opting For A Particular Service

If your guests have opted for a service, it is advisable to thank them for using it and also use this as an opportunity to gain quick feedback. However, you should be wary of the message tone and make sure it does not come across as clingy and annoying.

"Dear Isabella, hope you are enjoying your stay with us. We have received your message regarding the confirmation of your appointment regarding the spa services🧖‍♀️🧖‍♀️ We hope you enjoyed our service! Please feel free to drop us a text in case you feel the need to make use of any other service in particular."📱

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D. Special Discount Message

Text messaging provides you the opportunity to make your guests aware of the ongoing offers and special deals, even during the stay.

"Hi John, hope you are doing well. Luckily, we have some ongoing offers and special deals for special guests like you. You can check these out on “the URL.* Have a great day!"🎉🎉

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E. Spoke Your Mind Message

There’s nothing that can delight your guests more than a prompt service as the latter is always seen appreciating this aspect in most of their online reviews.

"Hi Maya, hope your stay is going great so far.Our pool service is open again to all our guests🏊🏊 and if you happen to make the most of it, feel free to drop us a text in case you need a beverage to sip on while you relax and unwind during the splash! 🍹🍹 Have a great day!" 🌞

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F. Special Facilities / Spa Reservation Message

"Dear Catherine, on the special occasion of Valentine’s day💞, we are offering a 25% discount on the spa facilities for couples. You can check out other ongoing offers on *the URL* and to avail of this particular one, just drop us a text. Have a great day!"💞

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G. Discount And Best Deal Message

"Dear Jennifer, Happy anniversary!🥰 We are offering a discount of 30% on your next stay with us on the occasion of this auspicious day. 🥰 Plus the birthday drinks are on the house! 🥂 To know more about this, get in touch with us through a simple text message!"

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H. Complimentary Drinks On Arrival

Some say it’s the journey that counts, but most of the time, the best part of vacation is the arrival. And what better way to mark the start of a holiday than with a complimentary drink on arrival? You can welcome a guest—with cool drinks and gratis of course. From punches to Daiquiris to Margaritas, complimentary beverages are excellent ways to kick off that (much-needed) getaway.

"Hola Natasha, welcome to our hotel. We hope your check-in process was smooth and hassle-free. Once you feel settled in, please head over to the bar to enjoy your complimentary drink!"🍷🍷

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Guest Messaging To Delight Guests: Specific Incidents/Scenarios

I. Mid-Stay Service Recovery Message

Mishaps are inevitable in the hospitality industry. No matter how much you plan and prepare, at the end of the day, mistakes can and will happen. But these mistakes don’t have to be fatal. In fact, the strategies you put in place to respond to service issues can prove to be your strongest tools for winning over customers and driving revenue. Mid-stay service through guest messaging can go a long way into having a stellar impression. The following message can be crafted by you in case one of your guests complains of any anomaly in your service such as a broken TV remote:

"Hello Louis, we hope you are doing well. We did pay heed to your request by changing the broken TV remote. Hope it is working now. Please feel free to get back to us in case of any such incidents. Have a great day!"

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J. ‘Miss You’ Message

For the lost clients, the text message will be an effective way to re-establish the connection:

"Hi Cecilia, we already miss you💔 We are offering a 30% discount on the second night of your stay. You can call us on our official number to book with us."

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K. Food Delivery To The Room Message

In a world where COVID looms large and with your buffet and dining halls being closed to the guests for now, it’s time to reap the maximum benefits of guest messaging. Yes, you can quite effectively use this service to render a touchless experience to your guests. You can allow them the option of ordering the food to their rooms.

"Hello Erin, Hope you are having a cozy stay in your premium suite. Since our on-site restaurant is closed due to COVID for now, the good news is that you can now order food and relish it in your room through our extensive digital a-la-carte menu🍜 📲 Check out *the URL* to place your order and have it delivered at your doorstep. Yes, yummy food is just one tap away!"

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K. Handy Digital Concierge Page Message

Guests will appreciate a handy digital concierge page explaining the house rules and timings for the use of certain facilities like gym, pool, spa, thereby providing them an overall highlight of your amenities. With Guest Messaging, you can provide them the leeway of minimizing the dependence on the front desk.

"Greetings Selena! Thank you for reaching out to us. Here is your personalized, digital concierge 💁 explaining it all, right from the timings to use gym, spa and pool 🏊 to other special services, weather details, what’s nearby. etc. For further assistance, please get in touch with us, anytime!"

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Conclusion

The significance of communication and the guest journey mapping is interlinked and the element of personalization has been heavily emphasized in recent years by hoteliers and guests alike. Personalized guest messages can be sent across by hotels to keep in touch with the guests during the various stages of the guest journey mapping by using guest messaging to delight guests. Special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s day can be optimally utilized to reach your guests at a more intimate level and make their special day even more memorable by offering them discounts or other complimentary offers. This is bound to make them happy and remember the time spent at your hotel with great fondness. The purpose is to keep in touch while gradually building a long-lasting relationship and constantly reminding them of your presence.

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With GuestTouch, Delight Your Hotel Guests At Every Step Of The Journey

https://guesttouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/guest-messaging-to-delight-guests-1.mp4

Our refreshingly simple hotel guest messaging will help you connect seamlessly with your guests at every stage, right from pre-arrival to check-out, aka your overall hotel guest journey mapping. Connect with your potential customers and guests at every stage of the guest journey to boost revenue, and provide a convenient and delightful guest experience. Send messages that are bound to delight your guests, right from the experience-based to promotional and value-added to make them feel heard and welcomed. 

Included Benefits:

• Increase your website conversions with website chat bot designed for
hotels.
• Speak directly with potential guests or assist them automatically with an AI chatbot, 24/7.
• Welcome each guest with a personalized message and micro page at the check-in which gives your guests highlights of amenities, special events and upsell possibilities like spa packages, bar hours and more.
• Proactively check-in with guests to assess sentiment mid-stay, promote positive reviews, and correct service failures before departure.
• Easily respond to incoming messages faster, right from desk computer.
• Alerts and notifications ensure that your staff will never miss a message.
• Automated messages and saved templates help you save time.
• Go global and speak to all your customers in their own language.

Try it out for free by booking a free demo today!