Chances are, you’ve probably heard of the game-changing potential of CRM within the context of e-commerce or retail, but you might be surprised to know that this very CRM can just as easily be applied to the hospitality industry, bringing along its equally impactful value-enhancing benefits.
In this article, we’ll cover different ways a hospitality CRM can add value to your business, starting from how it works, what features to look for, and how Guesty CRM can help make sure your properties are booked all year long. On top of that, we have a short FAQ at the end, answering some of the most common questions about property management and hospitality operation CRMs.
What is CRM in hospitality?
A hospitality CRM provides you with the tools to streamline engagement with your guests from the start of their journey with you all the way through to check out and even afterward. We’re talking about initial communication, booking confirmations, reviews, etc. Hospitality CRM aims to present a great first impression to your guests and then nurture that relationship along the way, by turning bookings into reservations, and those reservations turn into repeat guests, helping build a loyal customer base.
As a property management company, your primary responsibility is to deliver the best possible guest experience. This means you need to juggle a lot of tasks simultaneously for multiple guests, such as:
- Guest communication and engagement
- Property listing and marketing
- Guest retention
- Data management and analysis
This is where the benefits of a hospitality CRM come in, as it’s the best tool in your arsenal for performing and streamlining all of these tasks; by combining a good CRM with other platform integrations to create a strong tech stack that takes full advantage of the CRM’s capabilities, you can expect substantial improvements in your business productivity.
Why use CRM in hospitality?
Thanks to the growing range of customizable features within CRM technology, the list of benefits that can be applied to property management has significantly increased. More specifically, when focusing on the hospitality industry, the following advantages of employing CRM software are commonly highlighted as the most valuable:
- Know your guests and leads better: Knowing what your guests want is key to building that solid relationship. As guests enter your property, they will encounter their preferred room temperature and favorite music playing in the background. Upon taking their first steps into the living room, they will discover a small gift basket containing their favorite snack, a list of restaurant recommendations tailored to their dietary constraints, and a handwritten note that extends a warm welcome to your accommodation.
- Manage opportunities and reservations in one place: One of the first interactions a guest will have with your business, it’s important to guarantee a strong first impression. The easier the booking process, the more likely a guest will trust you and your business. This builds a strong starting foundation where guests have a pleasant experience booking their accommodations and know they can trust their host to provide exceptional service.
- Improve guest experiences: Proper guest communication between you and your guests provides high satisfaction rates. No guest wants to feel like their concerns and any issues being reported fall on deaf ears. For example, having a contactless solution makes it easier for you as a property manager and allows for a more effortless and fluid guest experience.
Features to look for in a CRM for hospitality
Many CRM products exist, from generalized relationship management platforms to industry-specific CRM tools. Whatever direction you choose, make sure it has the following CRM features:
- Opportunity management: Your CRM tool should capture your opportunities, engagement, reservation, and post-reservation follow-ups. Look for tools that allow you to visualize and manage your pipeline differently.
- Detailed guest profiles: You don’t have to spend hours constantly searching through emails and texts to stay on top of all your guest’s needs Your CRM tool should be able to synchronize all your information on your client in one place.
- Automation to make your life easier: Automations allow you to set up custom actions that trigger upon a specified change or action, such as automated tracking of your sales teams for improved conversions with Sales Hub and Opportunity View, and use your collected data to increase occupancy, forecast revenue, allowing for you to make relevant offers using automated processes proactively.
Boost your bottom line with Guesty CRM
Guesty CRM is an ideal tool for hospitality, offering built-in tools for guest and lead management. It has an easy learning curve and onboarding process, making it accessible for hosts to improve guest experiences effortlessly.
With Guesty CRM, there are many built-in tools that are ideal for hospitality, such as an opportunity pipeline view, automation, and guest communication features to help you collect, manage, and transform your reservation opportunities into satisfied guests all on one platform.
Let’s take a closer look at the features that make it easier for you to take care of all your guests, from incoming opportunities to post-reservation management.
Easy opportunities management
Guesty CRM allows you to manage your guests and lead data from one place in real-time, seamlessly transforming prospects into returning guests with tools such as our pipeline view (Kanban).
A world of automation
Streamlining operations and enhancing guest communication. Ensure that your guests always feel like they are a priority by customizing your messaging to their needs and delight them every time. This is achieved by utilizing information from multiple sources, such as client data, the opportunity pipeline, and third-party integrations, allowing you to create unique automation recipes to aid you in almost anything.
Think about it: having the ability to fine-tune operations, property upkeep, and adding a special personal touch to guest communication. This can be as simple as adding a calendar nudge for those unique guest requests or assigning the right team member to a promising new booking inquiry.
Smart guest data collection
With Guesty CRM, easily organize your contacts and fill your contact cards with layers of relevant data. All it takes is a simple click on a guest’s profile to open up their entire communication history, letting you dive into past interactions. Plus, you’ll have a clear view of their progress in the opportunity pipeline, shared files, and tasks that require your focus, ensuring a great guest experience.
Oh, and we’ve also thought of property managers who are always on the move; the Guesty Mobile app ensures you maintain full control of your opportunity pipeline, no matter where you might find yourself throughout the day.
FAQs about CRM for Property Management
There are many options for property management CRMs, and choosing the right one for you depends on your needs, such as how many team members will need access to the CRM, marketing features that you need, and if you’re looking to integrate external tools into your CRM. Top-of-the-line CRMs in the hospitality industry feature tools that let you get the most out of your business, such as opportunity management, guest data, and automation.
However, If you’re looking for an all-encompassing hospitality CRM solution, a good place to start is Guesty CRM, which offers a platform that gives you access to tools that will help you optimize all aspects of your hospitality business.
If you’re in the search for a good hospitality CRM, it’s important to keep in mind the features that are offered with it, since there is such a variety of options in the market. A good hospitality CRM should at least provide you with opportunity tracking, personalized communication with guests, comprehensive data and analytics, streamlined guest and opportunity management, and a key component that aids in usability is that the user interface is friendly and easy to navigate.
Yes! Property managers should be using a CRM to aid in their hospitality operations. Why do things the hard way when you can streamline how you manage opportunities, track reservations, generate reports, and many other amazing features, which are all integrated into one platform for your convenience.
The CRM solution built for hospitality
Every property management company is unique, and the ideal CRM solution should be flexible to accommodate your specific business requirements. This flexibility extends beyond customization; it also opens the door to improvement through various features, automation, integrations, and management.
Guesty CRM exemplifies this adaptability. Curious to explore further? Schedule a demo to discover how it can assist in transforming potential leads into confirmed bookings and loyal, returning guests.
