Choosing the right guest messaging software is no easy task. There are plenty of different features and integrations that help make your customer journey seamless, allowing you to connect with guests at different phases of the sales cycle and provide an optimal guest experience.
By engaging with guests on a regular basis, you can make it so that you are the first hotel that comes to mind when it comes time to book. In this article, we will look at the eight best guest messaging tools for hotels that will help boost guest satisfaction, drive engagement, and streamline operations. Keep reading to find out our top picks.
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What are the best eight guest messaging software tools for hotels?
Personalization is key to providing stellar guest experiences, and with the right tool you can be sure to personalize your communication, without compromising on the quality of service. In this way, your staff can optimize operations and ensure that they are not using resources for tasks that could be easily automated.
Not only does the right hotel software lead to more operational efficiency because you’re able to foresee potential lapses in your service quality before they turn into a negative review, but it also allows you to check in with guests throughout their journey with your brand, so that they feel their needs are being met in a timely manner. Learn more about direct guest messaging.
Now that we’ve looked at some benefits of guest messaging software, let’s take a look at this year’s best tools.
1. Mews
Mews provides virtual concierge software that allows you to unlock the power of direct messaging. Make it easy for your clients to contact you, whether it be a housekeeping request or a simple question. With the Mews direct messaging tool you can handle service requests quickly and easily.
Direct messaging directly contributes to guest satisfaction levels because the virtual concierge allows guests to send real-time messages to your front desk staff to get their needs met more easily, and allows your front desk to intervene before there is a problem. The virtual assistant can also be used to check in and check out online and hassle-free.
2. Medallia Concierge
With Medallia Concierge, guests can choose their messaging platform of choice, whether that be WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or traditional text messaging. Hotels can then respond to queries, providing a contactless experience such as online check-in and check-out. With its API integrations, it can easily connect to your PMS, while AI technology makes it smarter.
Read about how Artificial Intelligence is changing the hospitality industry.
Medallia Concierge is easy to use, allowing you to manage different conversations on different platforms at the same time. Furthermore, it can be used on different devices, making it easy to automate communication and streamline processes.
3. Alliants
This hospitality experience platform helps hotels to unify communications, requests, and bookings on one platform across all stages of the guest experience. With a variety of communication channel integrations, whether it be WhatsApp or traditional text message, hotels can centralize communication on the Alliants platform.
Another benefit to the Alliants platform is its two-way instant translation in more than 103 languages. This allows an even easier way to interact with guests without having to deal with language barriers or having to employ multilingual staff – although of course multilingual staff are always an added benefit.
4. HelloShift
HelloShift is a smart messaging service for hotels that allows for cross-staff collaboration, ensuring that guest requests are handled across departments, unlocking the key to operational efficiency. Efficiency also comes in the form of guest data, which is automatically imported, and the ability to send regular automated messages.
These messages are sent throughout the buyer journey, allowing for consistent engagement and interaction with your guests. AI helps create smart replies using custom snippets to facilitate quick responses, and if an issue goes without being resolved, your front desk will be immediately notified.
5. Akia
Akia helps to improve the guest experience through personalized service. Direct messaging allows guests to send a message to the front desk instead of having to call, and gives the front desk a chance to check in throughout the guest’s stay, ensuring that any issues are handled quickly thanks to in-stay surveys.
Hoteliers can use scheduled messaging to welcome guests, provide opportunities for upselling such as events and special dining experiences, and see how their stay is going. Furthermore, you can craft automated responses to frequently asked questions so that guests can quickly get the answers to all the most pressing questions.
6. Intelity
The INTELITY messaging solution for hotels is a great tool for better connecting guests with your operations staff through SMS and other popular communication channels. This is done under one mobile-first interface that is also available on in-room devices, boosting in-room engagement.
You can use the tool to send real-time SMS and push notifications about room status updates, allowing guests the ability to give instant feedback, and allowing your staff to communicate with guests seamlessly. Real-time notifications help improve the guest experience by avoiding miscommunication.
7. Whistle
The Whistle guest messaging software is great for communicating with guests in real time via mobile communication apps and traditional text. Not only can you better communicate with guests, but Whistle also provides a web dashboard and mobile app that help improve internal communication as well.
Whistle drives contactless experiences, allowing for online check-in, as well as more efficient service requests and effortless communication both with guests and among your staff. It also offers easy integration with over 50 different PMSs, including Mews.
8. Duve
The Duve Communication Hub allows hoteliers to schedule messages according to your hotel’s customized segmentation rules. You can also send messages to guests who are staying with you to announce special offers or events via SMS, direct messaging or WhatsApp. With automatic translation, guests will receive messages in their language.
Duve also allows your staff to communicate with each other and flag guests who have had problems to ensure special attention is paid to them, or to prioritize particular guest messages. These are all great features designed to help your staff provide the best experience possible.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve looked at the top eight guest messaging software platforms designed to enhance operational efficiency, increase guest satisfaction levels and provide an easy way to upsell and cross-sell. With the right tools in place, you can make sure that communication is optimal so that you can have a clear path to engage with guests no matter what phase of the guest journey.
The better the communication path is mapped, the easier it is to keep customers engaged with your brand before, during and after their stay. Engagement is key to driving brand loyalty, to keeping retention rates high, and to boosting your hotel’s bottom line, all of which can be achieved with the right guest messaging software.
Author
Eva Lacalle
Eva has over a decade of international experience in marketing, communication, events and digital marketing. When she's not at work, she's probably surfing, dancing, or exploring the world.
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