INFRASPEAK
Are day-to-day hotel operations killing the guest experience? Hotels have incredibly complex operations and being able to tackle all the details can have a huge impact on both guest experience and retention. The right technology simplifies operations, optimises team communication and gives managers the information they need for a fully booked hotel.
H
otel guests are no longer simply holidaymakers but users in a vast online ecosystem. With an increasingly common review-culture, guaranteeing a 5-star stay is not only an indicator of how likely you are to attract new bookings but its a mandatory requirement in your customer engagement strategy. In order to achieve 5-star reviews, we often think of delicious poolside
cocktails, beautifully decorated rooms or a sumptuous bed waiting for us to dive into; however, the details that truly make a difference run much deeper than that and make up a lot of the hotel day-to-day: maintenance activities. It’s no surprise that hotels are some of the most complex operations around, and the maintenance staff are basically the invisible heroes that make 5-stars reviews possible. A study by the Cornell
University noted that Guest Room and Facilities represent 43% of the factors driving satisfaction scores among guests, and over 70% of reported guest problems are engineering, most of which are room-related issues (such as HVAC, locks, plumbing). Housekeeping teams are usually the first to spot issues as they have direct access to the rooms, equipment and interact with guests. Then, they report these issues to the maintenance team on paper at the end of the shift. In the case of a guest complaining directly at the hotel reception and the maintenance team receives a phone call. This leaves a lot of room for information to be either omitted or miscommunicated and in some instances will require a 2nd visit to rectify. Using technology to automate these processes simplifies operations, optimises team communication and ultimately, generates more revenue. Maintenance issues are inevitable in a hotel, but having the right tools, structures, plans, and schedules can reduce the problem frequency, extend the useful life of assets and, more importantly, collect valuable data that drives intelligent operations. And intelligent is a keyword nobody should ignore. “Having a solution that allows managers and owners to access that information in a smart and easy way is key. They can be in control of everything that is going on without even being on-site.�
THE OVERVIEW | MARCH 2020
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