Next, we present different ICT tools and applications that
can be put into practice to improve the management of a rural tourism
establishment. Some of them can also be extended to other types of tourist
companies offering complementary activities and services, or even restaurants.
Management and customer service
Customers increasingly demand services and personalized
attention from accommodation companies so that the offer is flexible and
adapted to their preferences . In addition to the basic accommodation and
restaurant services, clients require information and complementary services related
to leisure, culture or the hotel environment, transforming the staff who serve
them into authentic tourism consultants.
On the other hand, if the client is a regular, they are
grateful that the accommodation anticipates their tastes and preferences,
setting up a range of services adapted to their usual tastes (favorite room,
diet, activities, etc.). In addition, information and services must be provided
through different alternative channels, either by phone, in person or,
increasingly, directly through the Web, blogs or social networks.
Information and communication technologies can help us
improve our customer service management through:
1. The CRM
tools (analyzed in the customer loyalty manual) allow you to keep a record of
the history of contacts and services provided to the customer. When a regular
customer contacts us, by any channel, all the information about their stays and
requests can be consulted with our accommodation, being able to establish a
preference profile that allows us to anticipate their preferences in our offer.
It also allows us to manage other customer data such as their date of birth and
send them congratulations or specific offers for their interest.
2. The
hosting website is the main channel of information to our clients. The
information that we present to you must be very clear and supported by
multimedia content such as videos and galleries.
It is convenient that the Web includes complementary
information on activities , additional accommodation and environment services,
geolocation tools, as well as links to the main Websites of interest that can
improve customer information and satisfaction. In addition to improving the
information for the client and the image of the accommodation , our website is
also the main information tool for our employees who can consult it to attend
to calls or face-to-face inquiries from clients.
3. Through
e-mail marketing we can carry out
personalized campaigns for our clients, segmented and grouped by preference
profiles.
4. Through
forums, social networks or blogs we can maintain an interaction with our
clients to attend to their queries, provide additional information and advise
them with their tourist program and accommodation.
Gestion of reservs
Reservation management can be done directly or through
intermediary companies . Different studies and statistics highlight that the
reservation of rural accommodation through the internet is increasingly
frequent and used by users, so it is recommended that any accommodation develop
its own online reservation system or use the existing services they provide the
intermediary websites, considering the cost of their commission in each
reservation.
A good on-line reservation system must guarantee the
possibility for the client to consult the availability in real time , on
certain dates and types of rooms available, and to receive, also in real time,
the confirmation of their reservation and have forms available that allow to
manage modifications or cancellations of the reservation made. In your case,
you should also be able to manage the advance payment procedures or signal
through a secure electronic payment platform.
If you opt for the development of a direct electronic
reservation application in the accommodation, you should consider the
development of a form in which customer data is collected (name, surname,
telephone, email, etc.), their preferences regarding the type of room, number
of guests, date of entry and exit, special needs, accommodation regime, etc.
Do not forget to include a legal "tag" relating to
the registration of personal data to comply, if necessary, with the legislation
on the protection of personal data.
The response must be immediate, confirming room availability
through the website itself and sending an email or SMS as proof of the reservation
. In the event that the payment of a reservation signal is required or
discounts are applied for advance payment, the platform must have an electronic
payment tool through a bank account or credit card.
Currently most Financial Institutions offer this type of
services and tools to integrate on the web. It is also advisable to send a
reconfirmation email to the client a few days before their arrival at the
accommodation, reminding them of the conditions of their reservation and
practical information to arrive at the accommodation and for their stay.
If a reservation management system is chosen through an
intermediary website , the payment of a commission per reservation must be
considered. This type of website is highly visited by clients looking for
accommodation so, in any case, it is advisable to complement a direct and
indirect booking channel to reach a greater volume of potential clients.
Management of services in stay
After making the reservation we must proceed to the
management of the services that the client requires during their stay . Said
services must be clearly established and procedural for all employees to
perform them under conditions of similar quality.
The management of the entrance or check-in must be fast and
efficient . The client usually comes tired and a long wait and delay in the
process of registration and delivery of keys is unnecessary. The ID must be
requested from the client for identification and have a computerized record of
the reservation made by the client through the Internet or telephone.
In this reservation, the client's data and their request
will appear, so it should be avoided to re-register a new check-in form . The
employee must provide general information about the accommodation to the client
(security, characteristics of the hotel, restaurant, services, etc.) and, if
required, information about the environment, culture, leisure, etc.
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