Knowing Your Customers Though Online Travel Communities

If you were asked how well you know your customers right now, what would you answer? Beyond demographics, it is important to understand what your customers are really like.

Many hospitality companies have composite profiles that give details about their customer’s job titles, frequency of travel, and purpose of visit. But while it is important to know these things, it is no longer enough. Relying on impersonal information makes it difficult for hotels to connect to their clients at the deeper level. In fact, some hotel revenue management staff even describes it as trying to converse with a cardboard. Experts at yield management know that customers are not likely to respond if the offer does not suit their needs.

It is critical to finally recognize that hotel guests are real people. They have genuine needs, issues, and motivations that drive their behavior. Companies in the hospitality revenue management industry must know them deeper in order to respond to their concerns. In addition, they are also very dynamic and their situation can change easily. For example, in this troubled economic times, some of them might have lost their jobs, lost money on investments, or are otherwise just cutting back in preparation for tougher times ahead.

In this kind of critical condition, better monitoring is not an option; it has become a necessity for hotels to survive and thrive. More comprehensive market research is required to boost profitability. But aside from relying on historical data, it might be a good idea to get connected to the consumers now. Joining online communities to observe and learn is highly recommended.

Online communities are a good place to pick the customer’s mind and increase RevPAR. Join a community that has enough members to get a wide range of perspectives. It will also give you an idea about what general sentiments are like. Better yet, you can start a discussion yourself so you can know their feedback and suggestions.