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Santa
Fe, NM – March 2021 / Newsmaker Alert / In today’s consumer world,
a brand’s image carries as much weight as the brand’s service. Without
branding, there would be no sure-fire way to differentiate yourself from
your immediate competition. Imagine shopping for groceries in a store without
branding. There would be no way to identify your favorite snacks among
dozens of identical items.
A brand’s
image gives the company personality, relatability, and encourages brand
loyalty. For hoteliers, your brand’s image can be made or broken by your
reservation department or call center, which in many cases is the primary
customer touchpoint.
If
you want to create and maintain a healthy brand image for your hotel, rely
on a highly trained call center to help you do just that. Continue reading
below to find out all the reasons why Your Hotel’s Call Center is Ground
Zero for Your Brand Image.
First Impressions
Matter
In
the hotel business, like in life, first
impressions are everything. A good first impression can be the catalysts
to a lifetime relationship with a customer and create brand loyalty that
leads to repeat business. Alternatively, a bad first impression can not
only deter potential business from one customer, but it can spread like
a virus through online reviews, social media, and word of mouth and severely
hurt your business.
For
hotels, first impressions don’t start with a handshake, they start with
your reservation department or call center. More specifically, your brand’s
first impression begins with whoever is answering the phone in your reservation
department or call center. If that person is rude, unhelpful, incompetent,
and does not exude professionalism, then your hotel’s image may be in trouble.
Bad News Travels
Quickly
An
increasing number of customers in the hospitality industry are experiencing
negative call center experiences and are sharing them far and wide across
social media. A decade or two ago, news of a bad customer interaction would
only reach a handful of people, and the impact on your business would be
insignificant.
Today
that is far from the case. News of bad customer service representatives,
rude employees, or lazy workers spreads like wildfire over social media.
Not only will a bad interaction with your call center discourage a customer
from booking with your hotel, but it could discourage potential future
bookings as well, which will leave a lasting mark on your brand’s image.
With the broad-reaching consequences of the information age, no hotel can
afford the negative repercussions of an underperforming call center.
It Starts with
Training
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The
hospitality industry relies on the trusted teachings of the Kennedy
Training Network, whose training concepts help increase sales and revenue
across various business models.
Kennedy
Training Network Certified call center agents represent the best in the
business. Underachieving call centers don’t have to be rude or completely
inept to misrepresent your brand. They could simply be underperforming
by not sharing everything your business has to offer.
A
recent test of top hotel brands’ call centers found that the majority
of call center employees failed to sufficiently convey their hotel’s best
features.
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Only 14%
of tested call centers asked Discovery Questions.
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Merely
7% adequately sold their hotel’s benefits.
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Only 25%
of call centers described the hotel’s rooms.
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Just 25%
quoted more than one room category.
In summary,
if your hotel’s call center isn’t doing everything they can to sell rooms
and work for you, they’re working against you and not fulfilling the potential
of your brand’s image. A call center does more than fulfill the duties
of your reservation department, they represent your brand and in doing
so, become synonymous with your brand’s image in the eyes of your customers.
Overseas call
centers aren’t the answer
You’ve
worked tirelessly to craft your brand’s identity and separate yourself
from your competition, don’t let your hotel’s call center hold you back.
As previously mentioned, your call center represents your business, if
you’re call center’s underperforming your business, and the perception
of it, will suffer.
Outsourcing
your reservation department to an overseas call center may save you money
temporarily, but ultimately it will cost you bookings. While agents may
sound polite, they may have a challenge with the American English dialect
and the nuance of cultural differences in North America.
While
technology advancements have allowed thousands of businesses to outsource
work overseas, many businesses who shifted their call centers overseas
experienced a significant decrease in the quality of their customer interactions.
Image is everything
In
today’s digital age, image is everything, and for better or worse, it’s
permanent.
According
to John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook, “When it comes to making
great first impressions on behalf of your business, trust trained professionals
who can artfully sell your business and who know the ins and outs of what
makes your hotel great. With the right call center on your side, your brand’s
image could be defined by its powerful first impressions and detail-oriented
customer service.”
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About
Travel Outlook
In
addition to the unique use of world-class call center technology, Travel
Outlook is the only call center certified by Kennedy
Training Network, the hotel industry’s best source for sales training
and guest service excellence. Its luxury call team is tested by Forbes
and Kennedy each month. Travel Outlook’s clients include many of the world’s
finest hotels and resorts. LinkedIn
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Media
Contact:
Raul
Vega
LEVEL
5 Hospitality
www.LEVEL5hospitality.com
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Previous Release: Your
Hotel Guests – Your Focus (03/11/21) |