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The Imminent Influx of
Call Volume
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Get
the Most Revenue from Each Call
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Santa
Fe, NM – June 2020 / Newsmaker Alert / The hospitality industry has
never faced a challenge quite like this. COVID-19 has brought the industry
to its knees, and despite lockdown measures being steadily eased, it’s
clearly going to take time for the hospitality sector to recover.
Yet
travel demand will inevitably grow (as we’re now seeing in our call volume
at Travel Outlook), which
means US hotels need to capitalize on all new reservation inquiries. But
will hotels have enough onsite staff to pick up the phone?
Reassuring
guests in uncertain times
Some
US hotels have already started reopening their doors, but occupancy levels
remain low — most are operating at around 5-10% of their normal capacity.
These figures indicate that, despite the ability to do so, many people
feel a sense of trepidation about travel, and it’s likely they will for
some time.
Before
booking a trip, it’s reasonable to assume that a significant number of
travelers will call the hotel to ask questions and address potential concerns,
such as:
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What is
your hotel’s cancelation policy?
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How are
you enforcing social distancing?
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What are
your cleanliness protocols?
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What attractions
are open/closed in your region?
Hotels
need to have the ability to field an influx of calls and answer these kinds
of questions. Giving guests reassurance to book will truly become an integral
part of driving bookings — not just in the coming months, but through next
year too.
“While
it will be critical that every person who might interact with a guest knows
how they have made preparations for guests’ safety, engaging with the fundamentals
of true hospitality – preparing for each guest as we would for our own
family – will likely contribute to a property’s early success and translate
into bookings based on trust.”
Emily
Bowen
CRME,
CHDM, Adjunct Professor and Director of Revenue, Reservations and Channel
Distribution, Penn State University
How
can hotels prepare?
As
the pandemic subsides and travel demand grows, hotels need to be ready
to pick up every call. But more than that, they need to demonstrate empathy
and understanding to every caller — giving them the time and personal service
required.
Naturally,
this represents a major challenge. Hotels have had to lay off huge numbers
of employees and placed many others on furlough. Bringing back a full team
of front desk staff may not make sense, and probably won’t be possible
for logistic and financial reasons, until occupancy levels pick up.
This
is where a dedicated call center can play a key part in a hotel’s direct
booking strategy. By outsourcing calls to an expert reservation team, the
onsite front desk won’t be overwhelmed and every one of those precious
incoming sales calls will be picked up.
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John
Smallwood, CEO of Travel Outlook, highlights how an effective distribution
of calls to right team member can pay multiple dividends.
“When
reservations calls are answered by multi-tasking front desk staff, guests
at the front desk tend to fall to a second-class status, while the reservations
calls are rushed to an ineffective conclusion. Have the right team perform
each task: the front desk staff engage with the person right in front of
them and have the trained reservations team to get the most revenue from
each call received.”
Looking
to the future
For
now, at least, the hospitality industry needs to live with a new normal.
Staying at a hotel is not going to be the same experience as it once was,
but guests need to know they’ll still receive the best possible experience
and, most importantly, that their personal safety will be prioritized.
As
more and more hotels open up, the trickle of reservation calls will grow.
When they do, having the capacity to field all of those calls and reassure
guests will help hotels maximize bookings and begin their own journey on
the road to recovery.
For
additional information, visit www.TravelOutlook.com/openvirtually,
or contact:
Company
Contact:
John
Smallwood, CEO
Travel
Outlook Premium Reservations Call Center
Email:
openvirtually@traveloutlook.com
Phone:
844-TRAVELOUTLOOK (844-872-8356)
About
Travel Outlook
Travel
Outlook, the leading hotel reservations call center service, is the
only call center certified by the Kennedy Training Network (KTN). KTN’s
rigorous certification process involves practical training, challenging
assessments, and a demonstration of mastery.
Media
Contact:
Raul
Vega
LEVEL
5 Hospitality
www.LEVEL5hospitality.com
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Previous Release: Uncompromised
Customer Service: What Role Will Call Centers Play in the New Norm?
(05/14/20) |