Despite the predictions of its demise, the voice reservations channel is alive and well. For decades now, pundits have predicted the death of voice as a booking channel. Yet the phones still ring.
Yes, the number of voice bookings has decreased significantly as online options have grown, but smart leaders recognize that direct bookings save costly OTA commissions, upsell accommodations and cross-sell amenities, services and activities. Even for those who have found clever ways to mark-up rates to cover OTA commissions, a direct booking is still more valuable because you own the relationship. Most importantly, if callers hang up, they may pick another option from the online results.
The opportunities for voice bookings vary. For example, guests looking at branded hotels with standard offerings may be more likely to book through a brand or OTA website or app, although a surprising number still call with “quick questions” that can turn into bookings.
Alternatively, guests shopping for independent hotels and non-traditional lodging are the most likely to call. Geographical location is also a factor; those booking fly-to destinations and offshore lodging may call before committing to expensive airline tickets.
However, a prospective guest’s motivation for calling versus simply booking online is mostly affected by their travel situation or circumstance. In other words, the higher the rate, the longer the stay, the more people traveling, and most importantly, the more emotionally engaged they are with their travel plans, the more likely they are to call at some point.
KTN provides remote call scoring of actual recorded conversations, pulled from the call recording platforms our clients use, so we have the unique opportunity to listen in on these conversations. As a result, here are a few of the training tips from our KTN workshops and webcam training courses.
Revenue, distribution and marketing leaders
Post your phone number prominently on all versions of your website. Embed Google’s call conversion tracking feature. Don’t annoy callers with on-hold messages directing them back online to your website.
Recognize the interplay of voice and online distribution channels and that many who book online have called first. For evidence, just pull about 20 website-direct bookings and then log in to the provider side for your 800 number and search for those phone numbers.
Train your team that phone calls are opportunities, not interruptions. Most of today’s reservations agents also contend with administrative work, such as managing OTA bookings, group sales bookings, researching charge-backs and inventory control. As a result, many sound annoyed when answering and subsequently redirect callers back online.
Midscale hotels, where all calls are fielded at the front desk, should consider offering a “bucks for bookings” staff incentive, which pays for itself with savings from GDS and OTA costs.
Now a few reservations sales training tips:
Realize that today’s hot voice lead is disguised as “I just have a quick question about …” No one is simply interested in details about parking, pet policies or specific amenities. When callers say “I just have a quick question about X,” train your team to ask “Now that I’ve answered your question, are there any dates I can check for you?”
Realize that with so many lodging options online, so many room types and dozens of pictures for even the most basic hotel, today’s callers are overwhelmed and confused. It is not our job to tell them what’s available; it is our job to help them decide.
Train your team to use updated probing questions. Rather than “Have you stayed before?” ask “May I ask if you’ve stayed before or if anything online caught your eye?” Many first-time guests have done extensive research and just need someone to reinforce their decision. Remember: It is not our job to tell them what’s available; it is our job to help them decide.
Recommend, suggest and endorse. Once you’ve engaged callers with questions, you can use these methods based on the caller’s stated needs. Example: “Since you mentioned you’re traveling for (situation/circumstance), I would definitely recommend this room/suite/accommodation.” “Based on what you’ve mentioned, this one sounds like the perfect choice for you.”
Use a storytelling selling approach to avoid sounding generic. Rather than giving only quantitative descriptions such as the number of rooms, square footage, bed size and lists of in-room amenities, use emotionally descriptive words that help them imagine what they will experience, especially at resorts and boutique hotels.
Always ask for the sale. Remember, they called you so don’t be shy to ask. If callers started by saying they don’t want to book, use this version. “Now I know you said you were just checking rates, but just to let you know availability is limited. I can lock that in now while you circle back to your travel companions.” Retarget voice leads. When callers still hesitate, offer to send a follow-up email with your contact information and a short personalized message.
Doug Kennedy is president of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. Contact him at doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.
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