Call centers are vital, but multilingual call centers are even more important.
Honestly, it's not something that I feel has had much spotlight as hoteliers discuss strategies to drive direct bookings.
We hear many conversations about driving bookings on Brand.com, but what about these call centers?
While I'm sure it takes premium talent to field these calls and successfully convert those calls into paying customers, I feel it adds a whole new level to how a hotel places consumers at the forefront.
According to data from GuestCentric Systems, direct bookings in 2022 grew by 50% over 2019 levels. As of June 2023, direct bookings for summer demand were in line with 2022.
The data also notes that direct bookings are outperforming all other channels, such as online travel agencies.
I assume this increase was a result of consumers needing extra reassurance during the booking process after the onset of the pandemic.
The thing is, three years later, it's still something that customers want. That option to have meaningful interactions with a human instead of a chatbot will never go away.
I understand it might not be feasible to accommodate a multitude of languages all at once, but start small. Consider doing an audit of who your core customers and the demographic you hope to target.
Red Roof is one hotel company that has recently recognized the need for a Spanish-speaking call center.
Alex Cisneros, senior vice president of revenue generation at Red Roof, told me during a recent video interview that his company attracts many customers that have migrated from other countries and speak Spanish.
"Before, we didn't have the ability to service them all. Now, they can call and we will speak to them in Spanish. We are already seeing good results," he added.
It sounds like Red Roof analyzed the customers who are adding to its market share, devised a plan to best accommodate and build loyalty with them, then acted on it.
Think about the advantages of that. International travel is picking up, and having this capability only increases your hotel's chances at driving those bookings.
My colleague Sean McCracken wrote in 2022 that call center operations had undergone a dramatic shift at Hyatt Hotels Corp.
Jessica White, the company's senior vice president of global contact centers and guest experience, said that Hyatt's call center operations had expanded to 23 states, in part as a result of remote-work flexibility.
"Remote work is the most popular search on a job engine these days, so it's given us an advantage in being able to hire and find awesome people," she said.
White added that many callers using Hyatt's call centers want an extra level of care.
"We're helping people that are having to change their plans or having to alter their dates. The people are calling us for the help they couldn't give themselves, really," she added.
My hope is that more hoteliers put a spotlight on call center operations and best practices for improving them. It's clear that this service is not dying, but rather it's an advantage.
Let's make them the best they can be.
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