TOMS RIVER, N.J. - As the Text-The-Desk hotel guest amenity rolls out across affiliated hotels & resorts in the United States, Hammock Worldwide has responded to a GALLUP survey on more guest-focused, responsive employees - a problem illustrated by the fact that the findings of the survey showing guests indicated that Responsive Employees are a top factor when booking a repeat hotel visit. This combined with the increasing trend of personal cell phones (especially smartphones) in society make it essential for hotels to shape how they respond to guest requests. To commemorate the U.S. launch of Text-The-Desk program, Hammock Worldwide Hotels & Resorts is challenging customers to utilize their phone's text messaging feature to contact the front desk using the Text-The-Desk program card when staying in their hotels in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, & Virginia.
Although consumers love their phone, there is a growing disconnect between how customers prefer to interact with people around them and how hotel employees respond to requests. Most U.S. adults indicate they have a cell phone as their primary phone and spend most of their day with them. Yet relatively few have found hotels that have the ability to directly text the hotel front desk agent using their personal smartphone's text messaging (aka Texting) feature. Key Findings from the GALLUP study show the following from surveyed adults:
- In the Economy hotel segment, about 25% of guests are disengaged when staying at a hotel, while it is the fourth most important factor in how a repeat stay is determined.
- In the Luxury and Upscale hotel segment, the overall tone of the hotel is more impactful on how enjoyable a customer's visit was.
- In Economy, Mid-Scale, Luxury and Upscale segments, customers state that good internet connectivity, comfortable beds, and more Responsive Employees would be worth paying more during their stay.
- While other amenities - such as an in-room bar, valet parking, and guest room radios - are hotel amenities customers are easily willing to live without to lower costs.
The new Text-The-Desk program offers a different kind of hotel experience designed to get customers requested information, local recommendations, and better staff responsiveness; Amazingly, with no specific app download, membership, or website access needed. With Text-The-Desk, Hammock Worldwide Hotels & Resorts set out to design a better guest experience that would bring the hotel features people care about right to their personal phone, in most of their affiliated hotels. In doing so, Text-The-Desk connects the dots between customers and their most important hotel features - allowing for the ability for a hotel employee to easily Respond to the needs of the customer - so people can do it right from their own cell phone. No special App, Membership, or downloads (as well as actually walking to the front desk) required.
Tags:Hammock Worldwide
