Working with people might not be always an easy task. Communication with guests can be a very positive experience. However, if you are not really a "people person", a full day of conversations can be a challenge. Guests communication should be a continuous process. It should start from the moment when someone lands on your website and last till... forever. Or at least as long as you can keep the conversation. It is a long process, requiring to know your guests. In this blog post, you will find a few tips, that will help you deal with the best practices of guests communication.
How to ensure smooth guests communication process?
💬 As mentioned before, start communicating already with your website visitors. They might not be your guest yet, but why to let them go? If you have chat-bot or general chat feature on your website, make sure to use it and engage in the conversation with potential guests. Once the reservation is made, you should send your guests a welcome e-mail. You can send one more e-mail right before their visit, include best tips, information about how to reach you or add a pre-stay survey. Some people might forget to mention their needs or special requests, so if they get a chance to express their last minute requests, they will feel more comfortable about the trip. E-mail reminders about the stay at your place will keep them excited and will give a feeling that they already know you.
💬 Keep the tone and level of communication the same. If you will send cheerful e-mails before guests' arrival but then will greet them just in order to hand the key, it will be a disappointment for your guest. They will expect the same happy and helpful people at the reception. So you must contain the same communication level throughout the whole stay. Don't create an illusion that you care. Don't let your e-mails to be friendlier than the actual person.
💬 Be there when you're needed. You might not have a 24-hour reception. And that's absolutely normal. But then be prepared with chat-bots or FAQs that your guests could read whenever they have a question. For the majority of your guests, it will be the first time visiting your place. It's natural that they will have questions. Prepare useful material in advance and encourage them to use the chat-bot feature. Don't ignore negative feedback! Negative always can be transformed into positive.
💬 Speak your guest's language. There is no question that you will get foreign guests. Make sure to have a website, house rules and check-in card translated to multiple languages. Make guests' stay even more comfortable by hiring multilingual staff. Don't let anyone stress due to the lack of foreign language skills.
💬 Make sure your staff is cheerful and energetic. Smiling receptionist set the positive tone even for the guest. It's better to solve everything with a smile. Guests might not even want to approach grumpy or tired receptionist. Therefore communication will not happen and it might lead to a bad review or misunderstanding.
💬 Use the help of technology. Most of the property management systems now provide a possibility to communicate with your guests from one platform. You can even schedule messaging and let the system do it for you.
What else can help in the communication with the guest process?
Be interactive on social media and show that you care. If you received a bad comment - apologise. Don't be rude to your guests online because everyone will see it. Also don't let your social media unattended because people will feel that you don't care.
Guest communication in unexpected situations
To handle unexpected situations, hosts can establish clear communication protocols, including emergency contact information provided to guests, instructions for handling emergencies posted in prominent areas of the property, and having backup plans in place for common issues like power outages or transportation disruptions. Additionally, hosts should prioritize responsiveness and transparency, promptly updating guests about any changes or developments.
Special needs
Maintaining personalized communication with guests who have special needs or preferences requires attentiveness and flexibility. Hosts can create detailed guest profiles that include relevant information such as dietary restrictions or accessibility requirements, allowing them to anticipate and address these needs proactively. Moreover, regular check-ins with guests during their stay provide opportunities to ensure their comfort and satisfaction, allowing hosts to adjust their approach as needed.