Part II
46 || Luxury BnB || February 2022
046-047_LBB_Feb22_ServiceDesign.indd 14
help you write a brief for them and to track their journey as they book and stay with you. By using the stages set out in the diagram you effectively create a table of coordinated and comparable experiences from the people who act as your Mystery Guests, enabling them to record every detail - good or bad - of the experiences they encounter. I suggest you try it with three guests / guest couples and review where you are. I think you will find you have the beginnings of a raft of valuable insights that will enable you to decide how to improve what you do.
These learnings will also help inform and improve your communications with prospective and existing guests alike - get it right and you should expect to see an increase in both new and repeat bookings as online recommendations improve. The process will also begin to enable you to see what your offer is like through the lens of your guests and to understand what works and what doesn't for them. You can also use the process to test new ideas and to work out where you can add value. I hope you enjoy the process...!
BOOKING PROCESS LOCATION FACILITIES
REPUTATION
Travel
Check-in
PRICE
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eturning to the discussion on Service Design: In the last edition I talked about how excellent service has always been key to the industry, but as more people choose to buy ‘experiences’ rather than 'goods', their expectation of how those experiences are delivered has increased markedly, especially in the luxury area. Alongside the demand for better service, the way people are buying things is also changing. Until recently, it was inconceivable that anyone would buy a car in a shopping centre, but Tesla didn't know that! - and any of you who have stayed at a CitizenM will have seen how hospitality may also change. Staying ahead means making sure your product is up to scratch, but almost more important is to make sure the way your guests enjoy your product is as well designed as the product itself. Think about how the combination of props, environment, people and processes work to deliver your product. Do they act in harmony, enhancing the best aspects of your product, or do they let it down? Deliver your product brilliantly and you will differentiate yourself from the competition, earn better online feedback and increase new bookings and repeat business. In the last issue I suggested that in order to understand how well your service performs, you needed to ‘stay’ at your own hotel or BnB, most easily done by asking a few friends or professional 'mystery shoppers' to go through the journey for you. The diagram alongside will
with David Worthington
Booking
CONTRIBUTOR || DAVID WORTHINGTON
SERVICE DESIGN
Location Room
GUEST JOURNEY w READ ONLINE & SHARE >> luxurybnbmag.com/service-design-part2 www.luxurybnbmag.com
24/01/2022 10:57
