Does Guest Messaging Increase Guest Loyalty?

Messaging has quickly become the preferred channel to communicate with friends and family, but in the last few years also to communicate with brands. The channel is a much more personalized and direct way to interact with guests than email, for example. This makes it a great channel for hoteliers to create better guest relationships, which can increase guest loyalty.  

Guest Messaging Goes Both Ways

When we talk about guest messaging, a reactive strategy will first come to mind where hoteliers react to guest queries coming in via their messaging channels, like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. These channels allow a more personalized interaction, directly from the phone and preferred messaging channel of the guest.  

However, guest messaging goes both ways and also allows a more proactive approach where you reach out to your guests at the right times during their journey with the right kind of information.  

How does a Proactive Approach Increase Guest Loyalty?

To gain loyalty, your brand must appear trustworthy, and for that, you must be proactive. Reach out to your guests when they have checked in to see how they are doing. It can be as easy as asking them “How is your stay going so far”, or “Is there anything we can do to improve your stay?”. By capturing issues on-site, you can also resolve them then and there when the guest is still on your property. Quick and efficient handling of requests or issues will make your brand appear to be in control, which will drive trust and result in increased guest loyalty.  

However, that’s not the only benefit. You are also avoiding your guest leaving with a negative experience and therefore avoiding negative online feedback that could keep prospective guests from booking with you.  

The rise of guest messaging is a great opportunity for hoteliers to increase guest loyalty by leveraging more personalized channels and a proactive approach. Especially in the post-pandemic era, personalization and a proactive approach will be key to maintain a competitive edge.

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