Major hotel chains are shifting their focus from service by using tools such as mobile applications and social networks. The Guest Experience Manager (GEM) has become the best channel of communication w/ guests and the promoter of sales within the hotel. the hotel factory has found 4 reasons why investment into a GEM department for your hotel.

It’s no secret that the major chains are shifting the focus of their offers from services to experiences. Mobile applications, virtual butlers, complex CRM systems, social networks or highly customized products are just some of the tools that hotels use today to surprise their customers and maintain their loyalty. And why not? It increases their income.

“THE GUEST EXPERIENCE MANAGER HAS BECOME THE BEST CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH GUESTS AND A VEHICL FOR SALES WITHIN THE HOTEL.”

In this context, the new form of the Guest Experience Manager (or GEM) has been named the promoter of all these tools and has been gaining ground not only in the organization of hotels but also at the corporate level in large companies. In addition, the GEM has become the best channel of communication with guests and a vehicle for sales within the hotel. At The Hotel Factory we have been able to test this with deep market research and through numerous interviews with relevant stakeholders.

Here we will share with you 4 of the reasons why it is profitable to invest in a GEM department.

1. First, the GEM can offer customers a completely personalized service, with greater attention and unique treatment. This translates into increased levels of customer satisfaction and, therefore, in a substantial improvement in online reputation. Improved online reputations can almost immediately increase the average rating of a hotel.

2. Second, this position can also, due to the advantages of the short channel, convert indirect clients into direct clients. For many customers this personalized service is reason enough to book through the hotel website or call center instead of through an online travel agency.

3. Third, the numerous interactions the GEM has with the clients before they arrive and during their stay allows it to offer all the services of the establishment, facilitate the booking processes, enhance the hotel outlets, plan the stay of each guest, increase the possibility of a room upgrade, etc. These advantages of incorporating the new type of GEM in the hotel is its enormous capacity to increase sales from upselling and cross-selling.

4. Lastly, the personal service that the customer receives increases their satisfaction, allowing the Guest Experience Manager to become a tool for creating customer loyalty. The relationship of a customer with the GEM does not end when they leave the hotel but continues through farewell emails, satisfaction surveys, etc. It is in this post-stay contact that the GEM can complete the customer experience, promote loyalty, and encourage returns.

Although the new form that the GEM has taken is increasingly present in hotels, some still question its profitability. And while the 4 reasons mentioned are guaranteed advantages, an internal analysis of each hotel would be necessary to define the most appropriate structure of the GEM. What we do know is that the position of Guest Experience Manager can offer a true experience (not just a service), a personalized and differentiated product from the competition and, as Steve Jobs said, “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close, in fact, that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves”.

In The Hotel Factory we have experience implementing Guest Experience Services, defining objectives, functions, departmental needs and different profitable scenarios.