If you know who your prospects are then personal contact is the most effective way to reach them. You can tailor an individual approach and gain vital feedback if you listen well. You can build a relationship with an individual, understand their needs and feed this information back to the business in order to make improvements.
Telephone
The telephone is a very powerful tool. If it were not, then why does nearly everyone have a mobile? Unfortunately the telephone isn’t used enough in the hotel business. Is this because you are scared of it? There is no need. So long as you are clear about your objectives it can become a very valuable friend.
Incoming Calls
Every time the phone rings you should cheer; it is the result of all your efforts (unless it is someone selling you something or
chasing a payment!). You must not waste the opportunity that has been presented to you. It can be very helpful to have strict procedures for anyone handling these incoming calls, even if you answer them all yourself.
Know Your Costs
It is very useful to measure just how much it has cost you to get that call. Add up all your advertising, mailing and sales costs (e.g.
£ 1,200 per month) and divide by the number of calls received (250). Each incoming call costs
£ 4.80. I know that this is not a very scientific or even sustainable statistic but it does help to make the point to your team how important it is to convert each call to a sale.
Train Employees
No one should be permitted to answer the phone until they have had training. This is not a silly point: the way that the phone is answered says so much about your hotel that you cannot leave it to chance. The sound of the voice and the words that are said are vital to making that first impression. Always mention the name of the hotel and who is answering the phone: this introduction gives callers a chance to prepare themselves.
You need to develop a script that takes the customer through the process, and then practise it so that it doesn’t sound like you have one. This script should include:
- their name;
- telephone number;
- how they heard about you;
- how many people in their party;
- what their arrival date is;
- what their departure date is;
- what facilities they are looking for;
- list of your main benefits;
- prices and rates;
- their e-mail address for confirmation;
- guarantee/deposit arrangements.
Whatever you do, stick to the scheme that you work out and don’t get diverted by customers making the running. You really do need this information and you must provoke a discussion about their needs before you talk about prices. Don’t forget to keep checking that your hotel meets their needs by questions such as, ‘Does this sound like the sort of service you would enjoy?’
It is also highly professional and certainly less confusing in messages if everyone learns and uses the NATO phonetic alphabet. O for Oscar sounds a lot better than O for Onion or whatever might come into their head at the last moment!
Get Information
Even if the caller is not looking for a room reservation you must get contact information from them. If they are a current customer you need to update your records. If they are a new prospect then you need full contact details including name and address and e-mail. To get these, you could offer to send them something (e.g. a voucher for free wine with dinner) by post or e-mail.