Roll out the welcome mat
Delighting your guests is the ultimate goal; making them feel welcome before they even enter your premises is easy and affordable and can make all the difference to their experience and your bottom line. A message and music playing on your hotel hold line while callers are waiting for you to take their call let them know you care and tells them about all the things that make your hotel unique.
1. Put your place on the map
On-Hold Marketing is a great way to let your callers know why your Hotel is the Hotel of choice in your area. There are many selling features you could incorporate into your hold message. If your hotel is located near popular attractions and events, close to major intersections or hidden away in a restful spot, it’s a great idea to let your caller know. Part of a great experience is offering your guests exactly what they’re looking for before they even get there.
2. The icing on the cake
A frequent guest may be calling to book their second-weekend getaway at your hotel – but if they hear about your business programs, event catering, free breakfasts, sports team accommodations or any other special feature you offer, they will keep your hotel in mind when they’re looking for a venue to hold their upcoming event. Just another great idea to keep them interested until you get back to the line; in fact, marketing on your hold message could be the key to your next big sale.
3. Exciting changes to your Establishment
Did your hotel undergo renovations? Did you add a new menu or some beautiful new linens? Or maybe a new attraction has moved into your neighbourhood offering unique entertainment or great shopping. Frequent guests like to know what’s happening in and around your hotel; your on-hold message is a great place to let them know and our writers will put it all together to let callers know that staying with you is everything they’re looking for.
4. Introduce your staff members
You know what amenities are generally appreciated by your guests and make every effort to offer them, but the amazing people who serve them can have an even greater impact on a guest’s perception of the fabulous stay they had. If you have great staff, let your callers know in your on-hold script. It is always nice to know the name of the person who adds that extra touch to make every guest feel special or even just to make the conversation a little more personable. Next time they want to book a hotel in your vicinity, they will make a connection remembering that friendly person who made their stay enjoyable.
5. Reviews from your guests
Waiting on the phone is no one’s idea of a good time, but we all accept that it as a fact of life. An on-hold message citing your web address can lead your caller to your best sales opportunity…your past guests! The internet is both a marketing opportunity and a huge competition. Absolutely everyone checks the web to make sure previous guests had a great stay before they even consider booking at your hotel. Your message on hold is the perfect opportunity to encourage your guests to leave reviews on sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor; you can even mention special reviews from past guests in your hold message.
Those are just 5 reasons marketing on-hold more than pays for itself. Contact On-Hold Marketing at www.onhold.on.ca/contact and let us help you get your hotel to #1!
“I still enjoy traveling a lot. I mean, it amazes me that I still get excited in hotel rooms just to see what kind of shampoo they’ve left me.” – Bill Bryson