Covid-19 has forced hoteliers to find new ways of delivering hospitality at their property with social distancing preventing the typical close service guests have come to expect.
Hotels who have adopted contactless technology to limit touchpoints and face-to-face contact are thriving, and guests’ satisfaction is on the rise. This statement rings true for one hotelier in particular, Mark Scott of Elim House.
Mark has been using GuestTalk, a multi-channel guest messaging platform, to deliver the exceptional service Elim House has always been known for digitally.
Elim House is a historic guest house in Bowness-on-Windmere in the Lake District, built 150 years ago. It’s the perfect property for a peaceful break where guests can truly relax and take in the picturesque scenery.
Despite the challenges Covid-19 has presented, Mark has made sure his guests can expect the same level of service from Elim House by allowing guests to make digital requests and orders with GuestTalk.
GuestTalk reached out to Mark to discuss how he’s been using the software at his property, and how it’s helped him overcome service barriers such as social distancing.
Firstly, Mark was asked what challenges led him to search for a solution like GuestTalk for Elim House.
“I was looking for better ways to communicate with guests, both in house, as well as pre and post stay. In particular, I wanted the facility for guests to book breakfast without direct contact and with the removal of paper forms. I also wanted a registration system that could operate in that way.”
With GuestTalk’s two-way SMS, email and social media messaging system, Mark was able to keep guests informed and their requests attended to with no need for physical intervention from staff.
Mark adds:
“I was particularly looking for a solution that enabled guests to order breakfast remotely. This was moving to room service, which is ordered the evening before. After discussions, GuestTalk developed this for me within about 2 weeks.”
Mark has been sending forms via GuestTalk to allow guests to make breakfast orders, without having to collect paper forms. He can see guests orders come in live over the system, and knows what rooms they’re in, making room service easy.
When asked what benefits Mark had seen since using GuestTalk, he responded:
“It’s achieved exactly what we were looking for it to do. There has been an improvement in receiving and disseminating guests’ relevant information. We were able to set up a guest satisfaction questionnaire, which has helped us monitor how our offerings have been received, and the extent to which we are meeting expectations relating to our COVID-19 protocols.”
Mark has indeed seen great reviews from his guests who have been interacting with GuestTalk. Here are some stand out responses from Elim House’s guests:
“Excellent set up, simple to use and the use of mobiles for digital communication was a very effective first for us.”
“The owner is trying a new online system which is genius considering what’s going on with Covid, it avoids contact with hosts and other guests. This made us feel very comfy staying here!”
“The digital communication through text messages and emails and the pre-ordering of breakfast was a clever and simple idea and it works very well.”
Mark has been thrilled with the response from his customers that are using GuestTalk. Elim House is a prime example of a property using contactless technology to make guests feel safer when travelling, and Mark can take pride in the fact that his level of service has remained exceptional while also limiting any risk of spread at his property.
When asked how GuestTalk has helped him with Covid-19 directly, Mark said:
“It has enabled us to eliminate paper documents and reduce face to face contact, whilst retaining a relationship with guests. As well as breakfast and registration messaging, guests can also request housekeeping support, such as hospitality tray replenishment, fresh towels and other room supplies.”
He added: “GuestTalk are very responsive to support and development requests and their system has enabled us to maintain contact with guests at a time when face to face contact has had to be reduced.”
GuestTalk helps you manage multi-channel guest messages in one inbox, helping you to improve guest satisfaction, upsell your services, and drive more revenue. You can automate SMS updates such as Wi-Fi keys and door codes to limit physical interaction with staff so you can adhere to social distancing guidelines. Boost your marketing with GuestTalk’s marketing email builder and create stunning campaigns to send to your guests, positive reviewers can get automatically linked to accommodation review sites like TripAdvisor.
Spend a week with GuestTalk and you’ll wonder how you got on without it.
Learn more about GuestTalk at www.guesttalk.co.uk or email us at [email protected]
