Getting Personal
Inside the Hilton strategy for delivering guest experiences that are tailor made
Summary
The large size of the Hilton hotel company does not stop them from attracting guests on a more personal level. Quite contrary, Hiltons around the globe are taking extra measures to ensure its costumers feel comfortable and special when staying at one of the 2,800 hotels. By focusing on the desires of each individual guest, Hilton is increasing sales and at the same time improving guest satisfaction.
Much of the success Hilton Hotels have obtained can be accredited to a program called “OnQ”. Known as the hotels ‘central nervous system’, OnQ is responsible for reservations and sales, guest services, operations, and most importantly prompts Hilton staff members to every detail about a guest. Hilton tries to make the guests feel as at home as possible and with the help of this program it is achieved. For example, guests can take a virtual tour of the rooms and pick the room they want to stay in online. If they have stayed there before, their room will be filled with their preference of amenities from their last stay at any Hilton. The goal of the program is to ensure the guest is satisfied as soon as they enter their room, so no phone calls need to be made to concierge asking change or add anything for their experience to be what was expected and more.
Reflection
In my opinion, service is the main aspect a hotel company has to focus on if it wants to keep its guests coming back. With the power of OnQ, Hilton companies are making it so every single one of their hotels will be able to connect with each other and in a sense get to know you personally. When a person gets to their room they don’t want to have to make adjustments to feel comfortable. If someone is allergic to feathers, and the pillows are down, the hotel should have already changed them. According to this article, it’s the little things that make a difference. Making a guest feel like they are VIP is extremely important.
OnQ focuses on longtime guests as well as those who have never stayed in a Hilton Hotel. It allows the hotel to communicate with guests while they are in their rooms to further personalize their stay. By recommending restaurants, attractions and other local entertainment the guests feel helped without any face-to-face interaction. I feel that every hotel should have a program like OnQ to improve its sales and reputation. Costumer service is one of the largest parts in the hospitality business and Hilton Hotels has got that part covered. By serving the guests like they have known them for years and have their best interest at heart, a hotel company is sure to thrive.
Source
Lorden, Abigail (May 3, 2007). Hospitality Technology: Retrieved on March 1,
2008,http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=A89093C1A98F4F6A900ED6F5B5A92FA5
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2 comments:
I think Hilton Hotel's ‘central nervous system’, OnQ, is reliable and a great way to attract guests. When staying at a hotel guests want to feel special and at home. With this technology Hilton is able to create memorable experiences for each guest. Its ability to allow guests to take a virtual tour of the room, I feel, is really special. In addition I think it is really neat that when arriving to the room, the guest is provided with their preference of amenities. Guests no longer have to call down to the front desk and ask for changes or additions to their room. I think this software benefits Hilton greatly and will gain the hotel satisfied and loyal costumers.
There is a rapid trend in technology for hospitality to allow hotel companies to know their customer better. Each hotel has a goal to have their customer feel more unique and special then any of the other customers. This central nervous system is another way of knowing your customer better. Hilton is a very large corporation and they need to be able to recognize specific preferences, likes/dislikes and tendencies. Customers want to be referred to by name, they want to know you like your bed un-tuck and they want you to know you prefer the room away from the elevator.
Hospitality technology will only become more advanced in time. This trend of "Getting Personal" with their customer base will also continue to be one of the most important themes. The only problem will be how much information is too much for a hotel company to know.
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