With the rush of new year activities over, there’s no better time to plan for the months ahead to make this year your property’s best yet. The strategy? Making the most of your property management system to maximize revenue, capture more bookings, and increase guest satisfaction. Here are three key ways to achieve your goals in 2019.
The best property management systems are packed with features that can not only help you streamline tasks like bookings and payments, but actually help you make money. The Dynamic Pricing feature built into RMS is a great example. Some hotels find it complicated and time consuming to change rates throughout the year, leaving them stuck with a flat rate model. Flat rate pricing may be easy, but will cause you to miss out on revenue growth opportunities.
Tools like Dynamic Pricing, on the other hand, make the most of those opportunities. Easy “set it and forget it” functionality means you only need to input rates and parameters once. Throughout the year, rates will automatically adjust based on your settings, so you’ll bring in more revenue during your busiest seasons and attract more guests with lower prices during slow periods. You can even build in special holiday rates to maximize results. Make sure you understand all of the tools and options available to you through your system to boost your bottom line.
More bookings is a goal on every hotelier’s mind. So how can you bring in more guests? One way to increase bookings is to make it easy for people to book directly from your website. Whether you manage a full-service resort or a family owned inn, direct online booking is a MUST in today’s hospitality market. Consider this: 48% of Americans use their smart phones to research, plan and book trips—including accommodations. If you don’t have a feature like a Book Now button on your website, you’re missing out on booking opportunities. Direct online booking is convenient for guests making the reservation, and a plus for you since you’ll save on fees paid to OTAs and other third party sites. And if you still rely on phone and email reservations, online booking will save your staff time spent on reservations so they can concentrate on current guests and your property.
Once you’re maximizing revenue and bookings, you need to keep up the momentum, and that starts and ends with a great guest experience. Provide guests with easy online and mobile check-in/check-out options, ensure your property and rooms are in tip-top condition by utilizing your system’s housekeeping/maintenance module, and enhance the guest experience with add-on activities and amenities using your system’s built-in point of sale (POS) technology.
Your customer service will leave a lasting impression, and communication is the key to success. Utilize your system’s guest marketing capabilities to send emails and reminders, ask for feedback and reviews, and thank guests for their stay. People often make booking decisions based on online reviews and your response, so give your guests every opportunity to say positive things about you!
Ready to bring your A-game this year? RMS is rooting for your success. Contact RMS at 858-427-1200 or sales@rmsnorthamerica.com to learn more about optimizing your property management system to drive incredible results.