OBSERVATORY
We report on the customer journey and management of big data.
The Customer Journey—the journey a customer takes when interacting with a company—is something that Meliá Hotels International takes ver y seriously, right from the first click.
Not long ago, when a family was planning their holidays, it would go something like this: you would go to the closest travel agent, they’d hand you a catalogue full of suggestions to take home, you’d look at the hotels that best suited your needs, the agent would help you make the final decision, and once you’d made your choice, you’d pay in cash and leave with a printed confirmation in hand. The weeks went by and you’d forget about the hotel until the day of your arrival, when they would kindly receive you in the reception and give you a large key that you’d leave in the pigeon box each time you went out.
The day the holidays ended you would return home, take your photos to be developed and show them to your friends. If you liked the hotel, you’d recommend it enthusiastically and return the following year. If not, you’d stop by the travel agency again the following spring and pick up another catalogue. And you’d get the ball rolling once more.
Travelling has essentially stayed the same, but nowadays almost everything happens in real time and technology is a ubiquitous part of the process: from the first moment the idea of a getaway comes into your head until the moment you arrive back home. That concept of ‘getting the ball
rolling’ is known today as the traveller ’s customer journey, an online experience that any hotel, whether big or small, boutique or resort, must bear in mind in order to meet the expectations of its guests and earn their loyalty.
FROM A CRUSH TO ‘I DO
The aforementioned brochure was lost in a drawer somewhere years ago. A film, a clipping from a magazine, a conversation over some beers or a photo on Instagram... anything can be inspiration for a trip these days. Online or offline, there’s always something that sparks an idea, and now we have more and more tools at our disposal to find out more (and compare): online forums, other travellers’ reviews, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, videos, etc.
Once the decision has been made, it’s time to pay— something that has also evolved in leaps and bounds thanks to the multiple channels available (search engines, comparison sites, OTAs, traditional travel agents, homepages and more). Everything is much simpler, quicker and more convenient. You can do everything from home with just a single click, any time, any day (even over a few days, or a few hours) and using more than one device. If you’re like us, you start by looking for something on your way to work on your phone, continue on the metro from your tablet and eventually finish up on the computer. It’s a crucial moment: the first step, the first sign that the trip that was once a faraway hope is now becoming reality, when the customer journey truly begins.
That’s why it’s essential that the company website and app—such as those of the Meliá group—are compatible with all devices, and offer the user a great experience: permitting personalisation and even interaction in real time, as well as providing support through social media channels.
All of this is constantly evolving. In order to remain competitive, the people at Meliá Hotels International are continuously working to optimise their B2C and B2B websites for various search engines; ensuring the best user experience; and, of course, taking care of social media as if it were their most precious treasure: creating tailored marketing campaigns, responding well to reviews and, ultimately, building strong and lasting relationships with customers.
THE (NOT SO) BLIND DATE
Before arrival, each guest already knows more or less what awaits them. They’ve seen the photos and videos on the website, browsed the social media channels and read other guests’ opinions in forums and review sites.
The hotel already knows a bit about the guest as well. More and more, in fact, thanks to the information the hotel receives in advance, allowing its staff to anticipate guests’ preferences and needs in order to offer better service.
Here the digital wizards of big data and customer intelligence come into play, taking over the management and analysis of huge quantities of data in all kinds of formats (cookies, call centre calls, the app, previous stays, social media activity, etc.) in search of that ubiquitous keyword: personalisation.
The Meliá group has innovation in its DNA, and for more than a decade now has been a pioneer in the use and management of data in order to optimise costs, finetune processes and anticipate guests’ needs. This allows them to promptly correct any kind of error and also to
set the best rates, which change according to demand and other factors that together allow for the improvement of the hotel’s value proposition to the customer (revenue management). But it’s a never-ending journey, a constant series of updates that are made every day. This is the only way that a tourism company can maintain its leadership
in the fast-paced 21st century.
THE HONEYMOON
If the guest’s search for a hotel ended in love at first sight, and the arrival was far from a blind date, then the future of this ‘ relationship’ lies in the stay itself. It’s the moment when the hotel has the chance to satisfy the customer, learn from them and begin to earn their loyalty. Of course, technology is also present from the very first moment of this stage (and even before). As mentioned earlier, the arrival at reception is no longer a real surprise, as communication has already been established and in many cases check-in has been completed in advance. And that huge key has turned into a thin card or even vanished entirely: carried instead on your mobile and giving you access to more areas than just your hotel room.
Technology is a constant presence in all of the Meliá group’s hotels: the best possible internet connection is guaranteed throughout each property, and the guest’s phone (or even a lighter device like a wearable) is their greatest ally. On it, they can do everything from making reservations at the hotel’s restaurants to ordering breakfast in bed or a bottle of champagne, and it allows for quick and easy communication in general.
CAN LOVE LAST FOREVER?
Unless you’re nostalgic for the analogue era, you no longer have to wait until you arrive home and get your film developed to see photos of your trip. You don’t have to wait to show them to your friends or recommend the hotel either. During their stay, guests can share their photos and opinions in real time, not only with friends, but also with their whole community—all thanks to smartphones. This brings a new set of rules to the game, with compliments and praise now public for all to see, but criticism and complaints exposed in equal measure. The hotel must certainly listen, but it also needs to respond both quickly and effectively.
Like in any relationship, gaining someone’s trust (which to a large extent means having managed this process well) is one of the most complicated parts of the customer journey. But it goes far beyond this, because a satisfied guest means more to a hotel than just a potential future customer. A satisfied guest is now a brand ambassador on social media, in forums and review sites and through word of mouth.
And let’s not forget the company’s appealing loyalty programme, nor another fundamental aspect of the journey—something that can’t be understood by algorithms or equations, which Meliá Hotels International nurtures above all else: the human factor. For the company, personalised and exquisite service always has been and always will be the feature that customers appreciate most.