Experiential Marketing with IVR in the hotel industry

08 June , 2021 by Rashida Saeed
Experiential Marketing with IVR in the hotel industry

The hotel industry relies on a set of experiential marketing practices which sustain the supply of accommodation and hospitality in the market. Nowadays customer experiences can be shared instantly with the help of digital promotion and social media platforms. And that creates a huge impact on the business.

Positive experiences create a positive brand image of the property and result in more business and bookings for the firm.

However, on the contrary, negative customer experiences shared on social media, during the entire interaction, from the booking process to checkout, results in depletion of brand equity of the hotel.

IVR - Studio52

Customer experience is at the core of the hospitality industry and that starts from the first interaction of the customer with the hotel property until their final departure after the stay.

The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system plays a critical role in this process as it acts as a psychological catalyst to a pleasant experience. Each call you make at the property the caller is greeted with charming greetings and apologies for the hold or alternatively pre-recorded information about the common queries. Indeed in today’s world, the development of technology has invented creative solutions for a better customer experience for you!

We will investigate how an IVR system helps in creating a positive customer experience in the hospitality industry for the hotel business. But first, let us identify the stages in which IVR creates a positive impact for the guest.

Stage A-Before Stay, during the booking process

1. Multilingual Support- Imagine the joy of an international traveler when he/she is greeted in his/her language on the IVR system during the booking process. This creates immediate personalization of services and the traveler is put at ease. Not only will he be able to browse through various room types, tariffs in the language of his choice but also would be able to make payment and get a confirmation code on voice for any room booking! Now that is what we call a great customer experience at booking and confirmation time. Making the caller feel special in their first interaction is the key to win their confidence for a peaceful and happy stay experience.

2. Location details to help reach the Hotel- Although Google is a great means for guiding travelers to their destination, pre-recorded additional instructions are always helpful in foreign countries. The IVR system prompts the international traveler in the preferred language to reach the hotel from their location.  

3. Frequently asked Questions Support- The hotel IVR can prompt the traveler about the hotel promotions, amenities, facilities, weather, and even must-visit places of the area near the hotel. If the traveler is a repeat customer, all these can be even more personalized by greeting him with his first name thus creating more likeability.

4. Enhanced Customer Service- For regular and frequent guests at the Hotel, IVR can make automated calls for birthday wishes or anniversary wishes. In addition to this, we can use this feature to share the latest promotions and seasonal greetings with the caller making it a great tool of promotions for the Hotel and restaurants if any. 

Stage B: During Stay at the Hotel Property

1. Room service and in-house services- During the stay, the experience can be enhanced by using IVR for various purposes like room service, for example. As soon the guest lifts the phone in his hotel room, IVR prompts him about the room service menu options that can be served. Or mentions the fact that he will get a complimentary bottle of red wine during his stay at the hotel! Imagine the joy of such a guest!

Apart from that, hotel IVR can also let the guest know about other useful services like Concierge, laundry, gymnasium, playroom, swimming pool and even room cleaning that he can use during his stay at the property.

All the messages can be in the preferred language of the guest and as per his nationality.

Imagine how special the customer will be treated with few automated personalizations!!

2. Reminder Calls- Hotel IVR can be used for wake-up calls, voice mail, do not disturb messages, reminders for staff, booking status, and departure status. The usage of all these services through IVR automation creates a very smart stay experience for the guest during his stay at the property.

Intelligent IVR systems allow hotels to create a pleasurable experience for the customers. That in turn enhances brand image and results in more business and revenue.

3. Feedback – Feedback about the stay in the hotel for the guest can also be automated through the use of IVR marketing. If the guest likes the experience he can press a certain number or even rate his stay at the hotel. This customer feedback can be automatically connected to any popular review site online with a live feed. Ask us if you need more details.

The Studio 52 IVR experience

At Studio 52 we record professional high-quality IVR messages for the hotel industry. We work for the conversion of files as per the available hardware to make sure the quality is converted and uploaded in the best format for a crisp and quality audio experience.

These IVR messages are crafted keeping in mind the customer journey and your message to be delivered in a timely manner. 

We work with a talented pool of voiceover artists who are experts in their regional language and master the fine art of clear diction. Voice quality, clarity, accent, and tonality are given optimum focus for a professional outcome. It is no wonder that some of the IVRs we have created for various companies are just box office!

As a result, our IVR messages stand out amongst the clutter, are most sought after and with their usage, become the definitive brand voice of your business.

In case you are still wondering how to create IVRs for your business, get in touch at Studio52. And let our consultant guide you through the journey. We are eager to have you in our bouquet of patronage clients.