Nowadays, customers expect everything to be mobile-friendly—and hospitality customer service is no exception. Correspondingly, businesses in the hospitality industry have been using mobile apps for years. They represent essential tools for doing business, especially for large chains looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences (CX) across multiple locations.
Mobile apps can accomplish a variety of tasks when properly programmed and strategized for a company’s unique customer journey. They can streamline operations, enhance convenience, and offer personalization that caters to modern guest expectations. Even more, they facilitate opportunities for upselling and gaining more customer data. Literally, there are near endless applications to improve CX with these programs.
In this article, we’ll explore eight of the top ways that these apps have changed the way the hospitality industry works. These can be adapted to benefit any number of business models, making hospitality customer service, administration, and CX more streamlined—and more profitable.
8 Ways to Go Mobile with Hospitality Customer Service
As stated, mobile apps are endlessly programmable, and thus they represent great opportunities to interact with guests and improve their experiences. However, there are primarily eight distinct areas where mobile apps have proven to be of particularly good use in the hospitality customer service arena. Let’s explore these areas and examine what makes a well-programmed mobile app so beneficial to CX.
1 – Streamlined Booking and Check-Ins
Many chains now offer app-based booking and check-ins as part of their customer journey. This reduces wait times and creates a seamless arrival experience. Additionally, it provides a touchpoint that showcases brand identity, which can increase credibility. Furthermore, it facilitates better accessibility and accommodations, as guests can do more on their own.
For example, Hilton’s “Digital Key” feature allows guests to check in and unlock their rooms via their smartphones. This eliminates the need for physical keycards, which historically pose many operational issues. Keycards can be misplaced, incorrectly programmed, and damaged—all of which constitute hospitality customer service headaches. By moving to a digital app, many of these issues can be eliminated.
2 – Personalized Guest Experiences
With mobile apps, hospitality customer service can cater directly to guest preferences at a level that is almost entirely unprecedented. They can request and store preferences like room type, dietary restrictions, or preferred amenities for current and future stays. Guests get service that’s directly tailored to their needs and desires, and businesses streamline operations while providing a higher quality of service.
Apps like Marriott Bonvoy take this a step further. They use data from past stays to recommend services, upgrades, or loyalty rewards tailored to each guest. This enhances the customer experience and makes each stay more personal.
3 – Efficient Customer Communication
Communication is a key element of good hospitality customer service, and mobile apps have proven to be helpful with that. Specifically, apps provide instant communications along reliable channels, like with in-app messaging or chatbots. This allows guests to make requests—for example, room service, extra towels, and more. Alternatively, they can raise the flag on potential issues, thus streamlining problem resolution.
Because the communication happens within the app, guests can trust that their requests are going directly to the right channels, and communication happens immediately and directly. Plus, communications can be easily recorded and reviewed for quality assurance. For example, many apps offer direct communication with hotel staff, which enhances responsiveness and guests’ convenience.
4 – Loyalty Programs and Rewards
Gamification is a great way to provide incentives to guests, so loyalty programs and rewards are powerful strategies to include in mobile apps for hospitality customer service. Furthermore, guests can track their own points, redeem rewards, and receive exclusive offers directly in the app, as applicable.
This can look different in various subsections of the hospitality industry, but it works just about anywhere. For example, Starbucks Rewards offers tiered loyalty benefits that encourage repeat purchases. The same can be applied to hotels, restaurants, casinos, and more.
5 – Local Recommendations and Upselling
Guests don’t have to stay in one place to reap all the rewards of mobile interactivity. In fact, some business models can benefit from mobile apps that provide location-specific recommendations for dining, events, or attractions. This enhances the hospitality customer experience and gives the company more credibility in the customer’s eyes.
For example, a hotel or resort might utilize mobile recommendations for upselling, such as promoting spa packages or dining reservations. By reminding guests of the possibilities around them, businesses can capitalize on their relationships and provide an even better experience.
6 – Contactless Payments and Room Controls
One element of mobile interactivity that has seen a huge boom is contactless communication. Since smartphones are so prolific, people expect more businesses to get on board with mobile payment features. Mobile apps for hospitality customer service often include features like contactless payments for added convenience and safety.
Apps like IHG’s take this a step further with technology-integrated climate control. Guests can control their room settings, like temperature and lighting, directly from their devices. This brings added convenience, as well as modern novelty and accessibility, to the guest experience.
7 – Real-Time Feedback and Surveys
Businesses can benefit greatly from the closer communication with their guests that mobile apps bring. Particularly, requesting real-time feedback and administering customer surveys is easier than ever. Large chains often use their mobile apps to collect feedback from guests, as an extension of the in-app chat feature, so that they can address issues before guests leave.
This instant feedback ensures consistent hospitality customer service quality across all locations. Plus, it gives guests the confidence that their voice is heard—and businesses can use positive responses as testimonials in advertising.
8 – Operational Insights for Businesses
Finally, mobile apps provide an incredible amount of data that can generate operational insights for businesses about their CX. Not only can they gather data from user input, they can also chart guest behaviors and use this data to improve offerings and tailor marketing campaigns.
Another way mobile apps can be applied is for predicting demand for amenities or services. With this information, businesses can optimize staffing accordingly and better accommodate all guests—and provide exceptional hospitality customer service. Depending on the specific business model, this tactic can provide a wealth of information for overall strategy and direction.
Get Creative with Your Hospitality Customer Service App
While the eight applications presented here are fairly common, there are plenty of other ways to create new, novel uses for your mobile app. Here are just a few outside-the-box ideas:
- AR-Powered Room Previews: Using augmented reality (AR), some apps let guests take virtual tours of hotel rooms, event spaces, or resort amenities before booking. This gives customers a clearer picture of what to expect, boosting confidence in their purchase decision.
- Customized Fitness Experiences: Hotels and resorts could integrate virtual personal trainers or fitness classes into their apps. Guests could schedule workouts, follow guided yoga sessions, or even book private gym time through the app.
- Language Translation Services: Apps could include real-time translation tools to help international travelers communicate with staff or navigate local areas, providing a better and more inclusive customer experience.
- Smart Dining Experiences: Some apps enable guests to customize their dining experience, like pre-selecting ingredients for a meal, tracking allergy-safe options, or choosing personalized table settings.
- Emergency Assistance Features: Apps could include panic buttons or quick-access support tools for guests to contact staff in case of emergencies, improving guest safety and peace of mind.
- Interactive Networking: At conventions or events hosted at large hotels, apps could serve as networking platforms where attendees can connect, share profiles, or schedule meetings.
- Event Invitations and RSVPs: Hotels could integrate digital invitations for weddings, conferences, or private events hosted on their properties, with RSVP tracking and guest communication tools.
These ideas show how hospitality customer service apps can extend beyond the basics, offering new ways to engage customers while elevating their experience. Because apps can be programmed in almost any way, the sky’s the limit in terms of what can be done.
Improve Hospitality Customer Service with IntelliShop
If you’re interested in applying the power of a mobile app to your business, consider partnering with IntelliShop. We offer a variety of large-scale CX solutions, including CX evaluations that can ensure your app operates at its maximum potential.
Here are a few ways we can benefit your business:
- Comprehensive CX Insights: IntelliShop’s mystery shopping programs measure key aspects of your customer’s interactions, including service efficiency, usability, and overall guest satisfaction. These insights can help you see what’s working well, identify gaps in service delivery, and address areas for improvement.
- Customized Evaluation Programs: We offer high-level customization with mystery shopping directly targeted for your goals and objectives. Whether you need to ensure consistency across multiple locations or test specific touchpoints like your mobile app, we can help.
- Actionable Data for Decision-Making: Our mystery shoppers are experts in hospitality customer service. They provide reliable, objective, and actionable data for making critical decisions about your CX. This approach supports better training, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
- Multi-Channel Expertise: In addition to in-person evaluations by our nationwide network of shoppers, IntelliShop supports businesses with omnichannel CX programs. We can assess phone, email, mobile, and online interactions to ensure the same high quality and brand consistency throughout.
- Scalable for Growth: As your business expands, we scale with you. We’ll deliver the same high-quality CX evaluations at every stage of your journey and keep you moving onward and upward.
Partnering with a professional agency like IntelliShop can give you the resources you need to exceed guest expectations, increase loyalty, and stay competitive in the demanding world of hospitality. Learn more and see how we can help you improve and succeed with your business’s CX.
Mobile Hospitality Customer Service Is Better
It’s true that mobile apps are no longer just a trend—for hospitality customer service, they’re a necessity. From streamlining booking and check-ins to personalizing guest experiences, they’ve redefined the way businesses interact with guests and customers. For large chains, mobile apps also offer a scalable solution to enhance customer satisfaction, foster loyalty, and optimize operations across multiple locations.
However, a successful mobile app strategy requires careful planning, data analysis, and customer-focused execution. Partnering with a CX evaluation agency like IntelliShop can ensure that your app aligns with guest expectations and delivers actionable insights for continuous improvement. By embracing the power of mobile technology, hospitality businesses can create seamless, memorable experiences that keep guests coming back for more.
