Whistler, BC, February 20, 2012—In a year of celebration that includes the 2012 Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, hotels in the United Kingdom are seeking ways to stand out from the crowd, to offer added value, and to create memorable experience for guests. Recently, five UK properties commissioned Guestfolio to help advance these very objectives.

Now, the Eccleston, The Hempel, The Halcyon, The Crown Spa and Isle of Eriska Hotel are using Guestfolio’s seamless suite of Guest Relationship Management tools to engage guests at key touchpoints before, during and after their stay. Guestfolio tools include customizable confirmation letters, e-Newsletters and post-stay surveys, as well as a dynamic eConcierge platform to help guests explore the hotel and destination and make special arrangements in advance of their stay.

“This year visitors will be arriving in the UK with higher expectations than ever,” says Duane Hepditch, Guestfolio’s founder and president. “Our Guest Relationship Management solutions help hotels achieve the highest possible level of guest satisfaction by engaging guests and maximizing revenue opportunities.”

Says Gareth Banner, general manager of The Hempel, the five-star London hotel featured in the movie Notting Hill, “As a boutique hotel we strive to provide exceptional levels of personalised service. We chose Guestfolio because it strategically helps us to enhance the guest experience, from the moment our guests book a room, throughout their stay, and right up to their return visit.”

These properties join Guestfolio’s prestigious portfolio of international clients, which includes the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Pan Pacific Hotels, Carmel Boutique Inns in California, and Fusion Maia Resort in Vietnam.

About Guestfolio. Guestfolio provides a seamless suite of Guest Relationship Management tools, from customizable confirmation letters to post-stay surveys and eNewsletters to a dynamic eConcierge platform that helps guests plan their trip in advance of their stay. By engaging guests at key touchpoints before, during and after their stay and providing valuable insights into guest preferences and sentiment, Guestfolio helps hotels increase revenues and build guest satisfaction and loyalty.

For more information visit www.guestfolio.com. In the United Kingdom contact Jeremy Duff at jeremy@guestfolio.co.uk.

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Guestfolio takes the traditional confirmation PDF files from Opera, Maestro, Epitome etc. and brings them to life. Hoteliers are now able to monitor the sent, read and click-through rates for all guest communications. Knowing the percentages of your guests who are actually reading your emails is one step closer to engaging them with relevant information and building good brand loyalty.

Average rates for a resort destination

We monitored the average email response rates for resort/leisure hotel properties around the world over the past year. Here are our findings.

You can see that the 4 star rated properties have a higher engagement level than the 5 and 3 star properties. Our assumptions are that those guests are more digitally savvy and are interested in further offers or services provided by the hotel. We should note that the 5 star hotels have a higher request rate for additional room amenities than the other hotels. The average ‘additional requests’ rate is approximately 5-12%.

Next week we will publish our findings for city destinations.

For hotels that don’t have the ability we have added a new data calculation to Guestfolio today. As one of the only hotel newsletter systems in the marketplace who communicate in real time with your hotel PMS (Opera, Maestro, Epitome etc) we can track people who make reservations after receiving a newsletter. We call it conversions and here is how it works.

Example of conversion tracking for a client hotel

Guestfolio pulls reservation data from your PMS and in this particular newsletter we can see that 6,901 people were sent the message. The open rate was 22% (number of people who read the email) and the conversion total was 51 (number of people who then went on to make a reservation at the hotel. By communicating in real time with the PMS we are able to view the room rate those guests booked and the number of nights. Multiplying those figures gives us the Conversion Revenue of $24,149, not bad for a single email blast.

Are you measuring your newsletter ROI now?

1. As we learned at this past year’s HITEC show in Austin, guests are more interested in accessing their own media rather than what you provide via your in-room televisions. With the new iCloud guests will be able to store, post and view photos & videos in real time from the guest room. Guests will expect more from your WIFI network and the traffic will increase dramatically.
2. An interesting new feature is Siri, a voice enabled personal assistant for your mobile device. If you have a hotel App you may want to consider adding features where guests can say things like ‘Add wine to my room’ or ‘Make me a reservation for next Monday’.
3. It’s getting even easier to post photos and text to social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. With the new iOS people can post to Twitter directly from their photo library – which means they may publish photos of less than perfect room conditions upon arrival.
4. Updates to Safari, the web browser for iPhone’s etc, now include an enhanced suite of CSS and html 5 functionality bringing in a whole new web platform commonly known as Adaptive Web. This new platform is what Guestfolio is migrating to and it allows the information you present to a guest be dynamic and custom based on the mobile device they are using. What this means is that YOU DON’T NEED TO INVEST IN YOUR OWN HOTEL APP. Some of you are discovering the on-going costs involved with managing the App for your hotel and it’s huge.

UPDATE: We also like this article published today by Hotel Chatter in response to the new iOS updates.

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This past weekend, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Vancouver after delivering a keynote to a great group from RBC. I’m no BC resident but I’m there enough to know what a Japa Dog is, when to avoid post-game hockey demonstrations and most importantly, where to stay.

Normally, I stay at the Westin Grand. The service is great, the rooms are nice, the location is pretty central and – as weird as it may sound – I love looking out at the Public Library. This trip was extra special, though. At one point, I simply tweeted this:

I certainly wasn’t fishing for anything. Hell I didn’t even think they would be listening.  Like all good brands, they were. This was their response.

When I informed them that I was there, they asked if they could do anything to make my stay more enjoyable (nice touch). I privately messaged them (no need to air dirty laundry) that housekeeping had failed to provide shampoo in the room. They immediately corrected the problem.

But they didn’t stop there.

Mid-afternoon, they sent someone up to my room with a huge carafe of ice water, a tray of fresh fruit and chocolate and this thoughtful note:

Brilliant! While all of us celebrate huge customer service stories like KLM and Mortons, it’s small responses like this that separate the brands who get it from those who don’t. Here’s why:

1. They were listening. And they responded.
A lot of brands use SM channels to solve problems and avert PR disasters (as they should) but the potential is so much greater. Your clients ARE talking about you and listening gives you a chance to learn, be proactive, and be brilliant.

2. Operational integration.
Conversing with some SM teams is like talking to a call centre in India. Sure, they’ll pass your message along but you never feel like they have any power to do anything. When your product has a live, face to face component, they should have the power to affect it. Westin’s SM team had the power to fix a problem AND send a gift to my room quickly. Nice.

3. Transparency.
Even though I privately messaged them with my tiny and insignificant issue, they actually responded publicly with an apology. They actually shared their oversight with the world even though I gave them the opportunity to keep it private. Top marks.

4. Dialogue continuation.
When my friend Warren Porter  responded to my tweet, they engaged with him, too. They even complimented him on his glasses (they are pretty nice). The Westin was like the friend you like introducing to other friends. They could have got in and got out but instead, they were genuinely interested in the conversation and stayed around at the party long after the finger foods were gone.

Congratulations to the Westin Grand management and staff for providing a great lesson on what brands can do to create magic for their customers. As a result, they’ll be hearing even more positive comments in the future.

By providing useful, measurable feedback from verified guests, electronic surveys provide critical data for making sound decisions on budgeting, services and amenities, capital expenditures and employee training and recognition programs.

But not all survey tools are alike. To achieve the highest guest satisfaction ratings, hotels must engage guests from the moment they book a room through key touch-points before, during and after their stay.

More than just a smart survey tool, Guestfolio provides a comprehensive suite of CRM services, from customizable confirmation letters and pre-stay reminders to electronic newsletters and email campaigns. By providing insight into guest behavior, tastes and preferences, Guestfolio helps hotels enhance the guest experience, increase revenues, and build loyalty and advocacy.

Guestfolio survey advantages

•    Automated surveys integrated with a seamless suite of CRM tools and directly interfaced with your property management system;
•    Personalized eConcierge platform allows guests to explore your hotel and destination in advance of arrival;
•    Customized pre-stay reminders with special offers to upgrade rooms, add services and purchase in-room amenities;
•    Short, easy-to-complete surveys with high completion rates;
•    Customizable questions to drill down on strengths and weaknesses;
•    Daily survey alert, providing immediate guest feedback and facilitating quick action to resolve issues;
•    Analytics tools to track guest engagement, frequency, feedback and demographics and turn data into action;
•    Consistent branding and seamless communications.

How hotels are using Guestfolio

“From the pre-stay confirmation to the post-stay survey, Guestfolio guest communications look great, convey professionalism, and show our guests how much we care … The survey tool allows us to reach out to guests and reconcile issues before they post an online review … It’s been worth every penny.”
Gary Collinge, General Manager, Georgian Court Hotel

“What I like most about Guestfolio is that it is all so seamless – the customer confirmation, the reminder, the post stay, the stats … Feedback from the surveys allows us to focus on training and product upgrades, and the statistical information assists us in setting benchmarks.”
Christopher Ashby, Director of Sales and Marketing, The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto.

“We now have tools and data at our fingertips that used to be the exclusive privilege of chain hotels … The survey alert allows me to respond quickly to any concerns. It’s helped prevent a few negative comments from becoming online complaints.”
Bill Lewis, General Manager, Magnolia Hotel & Spa

“My favourite things about Guestfolio include the ease of using the product, the navigation from page to page, and all of the terrific tools and guest touch-point options available … Mostly we appreciate the responsiveness of the GuestFolio team.”
Jeannette M. Clarke, Operations Manager, Lakeview Hotels & Resorts

See more client testimonials

Switch and save

Using a different survey company? Switch to Guestfolio by December 1, 2011 and we’ll waive the setup fee. Visit www.guestfolio.com or call 1 604 932-2510.

It’s simple, every time somebody pays with a tweet, he or she tells all their friends about your hotel and voila – instant credible promotion for your brand. Marketing specialists tell us that a referral from a friend carries the highest weight when purchasing a luxury good or service.

Using the concept of ‘Pay with a Tweet’ your guests can decide if they want to pay with a tweet on Twitter or with a post on their Facebook wall to tell all their friends about you, your product and your brand. If they do you can offer them hotel amenities, free parking, discounted rates etc.

Here’s a video explaining the concept.

Pay with a Tweet – An overview from Leif on Vimeo.

WHISTLER FIRM GOES NATIONAL

Guestfolio provides 2010 Games visitors cutting-edge hotel customer service

January 25, 2010 Whistler, BC – International Olympic visitors to Whistler and Vancouver this February will be better served thanks to an innovative concierge support service for hotels provided by Whistler-based Guestfolio.

Duane Hepditch, founder of Guestfolio in 2008, recognized the need for customized information and assistance for hotel guests. Just two years later, the company services 35 per cent of all hotel beds in Whistler, including the 450-room Four Seasons Resort, the boutique 49-room Sundial hotel, and the brand new Aava Whistler Hotel. Hepditch has taken the company across Canada, with 36 clients including Vancouver’s Listel Hotel and the five-star Sutton Place Hotel.

Guestfolio and its partner properties are committed to providing exceptional guest benefits, not just during the guests’ stay, but in the pre and post-visit stage. The company provides a communication system to deliver targeted information to hotel guests. This enhances concierge systems already in place or provides information and help when concierges are not available.

“Guestfolio sets the stage for five-star support before a guest even shows up at the front desk,” says Hepditch. It provides information specific to a guest’s term of stay, so, for example, Olympic visitors can access a customised planner updated with news of pertinent highway closures, permit needs, and free Olympic events. They will also find insider tips (best places to eat, drink) and additional information if they are travelling with children.

Games guests staying in one of Guestfolio’s partner properties in Whistler or Vancouver are certain to benefit from the tool.

“Guest support is a key component of the Whistler experience, and what we learn here can help properties around the world,” says Hepditch, board member of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce. “The success of the hospitality and hotel industry, regardless of location, is built on a promise that guests are taken care of. Guestfolio software helps properties make good on that promise. And because we follow through, they fall in love with you.”

A little holiday romance is, after all, what everyone hopes for.

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Guestfolio provides concierge services to Whistler and Vancouver hotels including the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, Aava Whistler Hotel, Sundial Hotel, Carleton Lodge, Summit Lodge, Best Western Listel, Whistler Village Inn and Suites, Tantalus Lodge, Listel Hotel Vancouver, Georgian Court Vancouver and Sutton Place Hotel. Guestfolio is Whistler-based company that offers innovative customer management software for hotel and property managers around the world. For more information contact Duane Hepditch, 604 932 2510, or visit www.guestfolio.com

Whistler Blackcomb partners with Guestfolio

Guestfolio provides guest service technology to number one ski resort in North America

Whistler, BC. December 15, 2010 –– Whistler Blackcomb has selected Guestfolio to automate and enhance their mountain based Call Centre post-purchase process, product awareness and guest feedback process. Guestfolio’s comprehensive approach which includes: pre-stay customized itinerary creation, timely email reminders, guest feedback and follow-up, provides the most advanced technology for first-rate customer service.

“Guestfolio provides the most advanced guest service technology to support today’s expectation for customer service,” says Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Whistler Blackcomb. “Recognized as a leader in the industry when it comes to customer service, Whistler Blackcomb is always looking for ways to take our service to the next level and we believe Guestfolio is an important tool in our mission to provide the best possible experience for our guests.”

Through Guestfolio, Whistler Blackcomb is looking to learn from guests about their expectations before they arrive in Whistler. Customer service is an ongoing focus for Whistler Blackcomb and with a better understanding of guest expectations; Whistler Blackcomb will be able to focus its efforts to meet and exceed these expectations.

“Whistler Blackcomb is the only ski resort in the travel industry to use this type of technology,” says Guestfolio’s CEO Duane Hepditch. “Their desire to be a product leader is evident in everything it does from the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola to its Kids Programs, to the Terrain Parks. Guestfolio is a digital example of how Whistler Blackcomb truly cares about each guest’s experience.”

The Guest Cycle
Guests of Whistler Blackcomb, who purchase a Whistler Blackcomb product or service through the mountain based Call Centre, receive specific communication via Guestfolio through customized and timely email notes with detailed information about their trip to Whistler Blackcomb. From exact information on where to meet for their lesson, pick up rental equipment or tickets, guests will receive valuable resort information, in advance of their arrival, to help ease the process and maximize their fun in-resort. Guestfolio collects feedback and satisfaction ratings after the visit allowing Whistler Blackcomb to continually evolve and adapt to guest’s expectations.

Up to now, Guestfolio’s service technology has been used by five-star hotels such as Four Seasons Resort Whistler and Sutton Place Hotels to enhance their concierge and service operations. With guest’s permission, Guestfolio records individual preferences and feedback in a detailed guest history to be referenced and updated with every visit.

“Founded and based in Whistler, Guestfolio is an international company with extensive experience in the hospitality industry, working with hotels in India and Europe,” says Hepditch. “Guestfolio is used to automate business process, generate additional revenues through pre-arrival requests of spa, dining, limousine and room amenities, and increasing customer satisfaction driving return visits and that very important positive word-of-mouth endorsement.”
Contact INFORMATION

Guestfolio
1200 Alpha Lake Road, Suite 205
Whistler BC V0N 1B1
604-932-2510
duane@guestfolio.com
Guestfolio.com

Whistler Blackcomb Public Relations
publicrelations@whistlerblackcomb.com
604-938-7668
Imagery: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/photo/index.htm

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You can get vastly different results from your email newsletter depending on what day and time you send it. Guesswork, testing different times/days and carefully monitoring your email stats is normally the best way to find out but i have a great shortcut for you…Twitter!

This is how you do it.

• First, go to http://search.twitter.com and type in a few keywords related to your industry. In this example the marketing manager of a hotel wants to target people looking for ‘hotels in Dublin’. This search shows all the people on Twitter talking about and looking for Hotels in Dublin.

• Twitter very nicely gives you an RSS feed of these results in the top right hand corner. Copy the URL of this link.

• If you have not already, sign up for a Google reader account.
• Click the ADD A SUBSCRIPTION button in Google reader. Then paste in the URL of the Twitter RSS feed.

• Click SHOW DETAILS in the top right corner and you will see a blank graph. After a few days this will show some fantastic data on what day of the week, month and time that people where talking about “Hotels in Dublin”.
• This is a great time to send out an email offer about Hotels in Dublin.

Happy emailing.

Thanks to Chris S Penn for this great tip.