Making social part of your everyday operations
A couple of months ago, I promised to talk more about ‘embedding social’ into everyday hotel operations in one of my future columns and August seems the perfect time to do so, because it’s Ramadan (traditionally a very social month) and many of us can take a breather and focus on fundamentals rather than fire-fighting for a short while.
What does embedding social actually mean and why do it? Using social media as part of your marketing, recruitment, or guest service efforts is one thing, but actually being social is quite another — it’s about thinking social all the time and making social the heart of your operating routines. It doesn't just happen overnight.
We humans are social animals. Most of us like to meet old friends, make new acquaintances and converse. We attach more weight to the opinion of our social circles than other information sources and thanks to the internet our social circles are getting bigger and more diverse all the time.
Tomorrow’s travellers will first and foremost be social — the first generation to see the internet and social networking as a completely natural part of their lives, because they simply cannot remember a time without internet, email, or social networks.
Tomorrow’s hotel employees, of course, will display the same traits, as will your suppliers, media partners, and neighbours. In short, tomorrow’s hotel experience will be all about being social, not via a token Facebook page or Twitter account, but through integration of social into the everyday life of your hotel.
We all know that TripAdvisor now connects with Facebook and I can see where my Facebook friends have stayed and what they thought about the hotels they stayed in. That’s a start. How about travellers choosing hotel rooms not based on information on your website or on content-controlled OTA websites, but based on the view out of the window of the room in your hotel that other travellers rated the best? It’s happening already; check out Room 77 (www.room77.com). Suddenly, revenue management gains a surprising new edge.
Sheraton’s recently-introduced Social Hour? It’s all about bringing people together in the heart of your hotel to socialise and, let’s not lose focus, spend money.
Do your employees still only operate within the confines of your property? Ritz-Carlton’s concierges are now available on property and “to take away”, thanks to Foursquare, where they maintain a growing list of things to see and useful tips for travellers (foursquare.com/ritzcarlton).
Social can connect your employees and your guests and suddenly we’re a little step closer to closing the social circle. F&B managers and sommeliers using sites like Foodspotting (www.foodspotting.com) to recommend (and upsell!) their favourite dishes and wines? Why not? Impromptu meetings between different hotel departments or with suppliers taking place via Google Hangouts? It cuts down organisation time.
Hotels today face unprecedented opportunities to innovate. Rather than a set of digital tools, embedding social into operations is a comprehensive approach to redefine how your hotel operates both internally and externally.
Early adopters can take advantage of new routes to market, stronger relationships with guests and employees, new ways to innovate and effective collaborations. There’s a lot to be gained…
Whatever you do, always remember to keep it social!
Martin Kubler is owner, director, and chief cook and bottle washer of Iconsulthotels FZE, an ultra-boutique hospitality consultancy in Dubai. Email info@iconsulthotels.com or visit facebook.com/iconsulthotels