Increasing revenue at a hotel these days can be somewhat tricky, especially since certain costs are going up due to what travelers now often expect wherever they decide to stay during a trip. If your business isn’t booming right now, we feel your pain.
In our last blog, we discussed several ways for you to improve the revenue stream at your hotel, and we know there’s a good chance that many of you have taken that to heart and already gotten the ball rolling on some of those tips. And now we’re back with the second half of our list, so it’s time once again to roll up your sleeves and get that revenue up by following these simple tips:
Encourage Guests to Sing Your Praises
Thanks to social media and online review sites, the idea of growing your revenue through word of mouth is bigger than it’s ever been. Saying to your guests “tell your friends about us” has amplified into something where one person can often reach hundreds or even thousands of people (and perhaps a lot more!) in just a few moments. This is exactly why providing exemplary service at all times is extremely important to your hotel’s success.
Use Software to Upsell to Guests
While you don’t want to inundate your guests with too many offers (which can be a real turn-off), giving them access to room add-ons and other services that are available at your hotel can definitely increase your revenue. The easiest way to accomplish this is by investing in upsell software, which is designed to analyze your guests’ data and provide them with special offers that are likely to interest them.
Make Your Employees Happy
Not only is it important that your guests sing your praises, as detailed above, your employees need to be doing the same. Investing time, money, and energy into ensuring the happiness of your employees will push them to relay that happiness to your guests. And if your guests can see that your hotel’s employees enjoy their jobs and are true spokesmen for your hotel, they will be more willing to spend their hard-earned cash with you.
Respond to Guest Complaints Immediately
Even when you do your very best, some things are likely to slip through the cracks from time to time. Due to the aforementioned “word of mouth” that can happen on social media and online review sites, it’s more important than ever before that complaints are tackled immediately. Instead of getting upset by a guest for going online and - as the kids say - “putting you on blast,” use this as an opportunity to respond to the guest’s complaint in a public way that will show onlookers how much you care.
Audit Your Hotel’s Costs
It gets difficult to increase your hotel’s revenue when your costs are out of control. By lowering costs associated with the operation of your hotel, your profits will automatically increase since not as much money will be going out. Just make sure that you don’t cut anything that could potentially hurt how your guests will view your hotel. For example, cutting staff members could make it difficult for your guests to receive proper attention.
Differentiate from Your Competitors
The trick to increasing revenue at your hotel often comes down to differentiating yourself from your competitors. Whether it’s the ease of booking a room or providing an amenity that stands out from the pack, the more you can do to make your hotel truly stand out by offering something special to guests, the more likely they are to stay at your hotel and spend money on extras.
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, provides robust communications for your hotel’s employees and guests. If you’d like to learn more, the professionals at Phonesuite can help evaluate your hotel’s needs and get you started.
