How to Tell Guests About Mobile Concierge at Your Hotel
Over 70 percent of your hotel guests travel nowhere without their digital lifelines (a.k.a. smartphones). And according to the 2022 Lodging Technology Study, over half of them prefer to communicate with your staff via digital channels. As a savvy hotelier, you’ve likely already recognized this and have adapted accordingly. Perhaps you’ve even taken the step of implementing mobile concierge at your hotel. Great!
However, while your mobile concierge functionality helps streamline operations and increase engagement through features like remote check-in/out, mobile key, F&B ordering, and real-time messaging, perhaps you’re struggling with how to ensure your guests will access the app and make the most of it.
To help you stay competitive and reap all the benefits this solution offers, we’re sharing six easy ways to let your guests know about mobile concierge at your hotel.
Use QR Codes
Quick Response or QR codes are a type of barcode that stores lots of data in a series of pixels within a square-shaped grid. The majority of today’s smartphones have built-in QR-code readers. Scanning these codes is fast and easy – taking only a few seconds – and can serve as guests’ portal for linking to your mobile concierge. Make your QR code easy to find by placing it in prominent spots such as your website home page, on hotel lobby signage, the wall of your elevator, a tent card in each guest room, or displayed on the in-room TV when the guest enters the room.
Make the Most of Pre-arrival Communication
When you proactively engage with your guests prior to arrival, it makes them feel valued and opens the door to better communication, personalized marketing, and opportunities to build relationships. One of the easiest ways to let your guests know about your mobile concierge service is via booking confirmation and pre-arrival emails. Include links (or even a QR code!) within these emails to download the free app from both Google and Apple stores, letting guests know that it’s available for download along with a mention of the key benefits it provides. You can also add an incentive. For example, if guests download it prior to their check-in date, they receive a discount on a spa service or a complimentary cocktail in the hotel bar upon arrival.
Mention it in Your Email Newsletter
On average, email marketing drives an ROI of $36 for every dollar spent, higher than any other channel. Regular e-newsletter distribution nurtures your relationship with guests long after they’ve left, and it helps keep your hotel top-of-mind when guests start planning their next vacation. E-newsletters are also an effective way to let guests know about your mobile concierge! Promote it along with compelling images to help make the information stand out, such as screenshots showcasing how it enhances the guest experience along with how easy it is to use.
Train Your Front Desk Staff
When guests arrive at your hotel, they often have questions about hotel amenities, dining options, and local attractions. Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity to promote your mobile-friendly concierge by training your front desk staff to regularly discuss it with newly arrived guests. They will appreciate knowing they can easily access answers to many of their questions, and book services on their own personal devices whenever they want during their stay.
Display Freestanding Countertop Cards
One great advantage of utilizing mobile concierge is that you save the time and money commonly used to produce and print multipage in-room compendiums. To demonstrate the benefits of mobile concierge and drive even more downloads of it, you can place a single freestanding counter card that shares a visual of what mobile concierge does in each guest room. Create an easy-to-understand image of a personal mobile device displaying benefits such as the ability to directly order room service, make a spa appointment, and view maps of the local area with highlighted attractions.
Try Text Messages
Once guests are on your property, you can also let them know about mobile concierge through text messages. Send a customized message letting guests know how your mobile-friendly app is much like having a personal concierge right in their pocket, offering more responsive guest services and tailored suggestions for entertainment, dining, and attractions. And once again, encourage engagement with exclusive discounts only available through the application.
Interested in implementing mobile concierge at your hotel?
Sources:
[1] “Email Marketing ROI: What Leads to Better Returns?” Litmus, 2019, https://www.litmus.com/resources/email-marketing-roi/.