Welcome back: The art (and science) of recognising a loyal guest

Recently, a reader and frequent hotel guest was exasperated that a hotel did not recognize his repeat stays, asking the forced and scripted question, “Have you stayed with us before?" each time he checked in. We turned to our Front Desk Guy, Aditya Rajaram to answer why this happened. As hotels ramp up their "let's be friends" and "we care about you, really" marketing schemes to entice the "new generation" of travelers, we thought this was an important aspect of the hotel experience to analyze. Here's his take on it all.

The question of loyalty at hotels is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions in hospitality. The ability to recognize and appreciate a returning guest is a balancing act between art and science. The "science" of it is left to the multiple hotel company systems and databases that store prior stays, preferences and options but the "art" comes from the hotel employee's ability to filter through all the data, and perhaps rely on their own memory system, so they can genuinely welcome back each guest and provide them with a customized stay.

Unfortunately, both science and art can fail, leading to a really bad scenario. When this happens, the hotel does not only have the requisite guest information (history of stay, preferences etc) on file but they do not appropriately reward their loyalty with warmth, relevant perks or a heightened level of service.

Below, I'll explain how recognizing repeat guests *should* work, as well as explain what commonly goes wrong.

Many hotel systems have clear sections on the screen that flash ***RETURNING GUEST*** or ***PLATINUM MEMBER***. This should instantly trigger a series of phrases like, "Welcome Back!" "Or Good to Have You Back!"), and questions such as, "What would you like for your welcome amenity?" Or even, "Would you like the same room type as last time or something with a different view?"

As hotel companies grow into behemoths (Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt IHG, etc.), they may often find it harder to manage and execute the appropriate loyalty relationship that includes the right way to address and reward returning guests. While this is not a standard situation across mega hotel chains, the larger the group, the potentially harder it is to track your guests and give them the personalized service they deserve.

Below are some of the reasons why the interaction between the hotel and the guest does not follow the right path and why the guest is left with the feeling, ‘Why do I keep giving this place my business??’

1. Poor system and database management: If the hotel does not have a dynamic system in place to record and follow up on customer information, stays and preferences, this will generally lead to staff not having a clue that the guest is a repeat guest or what are his or her typical needs.
2. Lack of a formal loyalty program: Some hotels are still developing their loyalty programs and have not formally established the right rewards system or protocol for dealing with and rewarding repeat guests. At these hotels, recognizing a repeat guest is at the mercy of the agent or staff doing the check-in and hopefully if they remember the name and face, an appreciation of loyalty is extended.
3. Poor training: There are many hotels that have point 1 and 2 set up perfectly but the "soft" side of the process, i.e. the training of staff on how to deal with loyal and returning guests, is lacking. In this instance, hotels often look at rewarding loyalty as a chore and don’t go beyond the minimum to look after and truly recognize a returning guest. Loyal guests at these hotels are often welcomed with an unenthused "We would like to welcome you back to the Hotel Mr. Jones", with no small token of gratitude (a small welcome gift or unexpected upgrade).

Having said all of this, a truly top-notch hotel knows their returning guests like the back of their hand and has already done all the necessary arrangements to make their stay as seamless as possible, sometimes before the guest even arrives, by placing a bottle of their favorite wine on the dresser when they check-in.

But if you're a repeat guest and feeling underappreciated, you need to tell the general manager about it. Of if you're not feeling up for that, leave a comment on the hotel guest card or fill out the hotel's e-survey they will inevitably send you. And you know, you can always tell HotelChatter.

As a former hotel employee/manager, this topic is a major pet peeve of mine. From personal experience, I know that remembering guests' names is tough. Therefore, I'd never expect a bell person or restaurant server to remember me. I do, however, expect that a Front Desk rep with a computer will take 30 seconds to look and see if I've stayed at that hotel before.

I just returned from a stay at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista (at Disney World in Orlando). This year, I've stayed there 5 times for a total of 18 nights. Plus, I had two stays at the end of 2013. Sadly, I've never had anyone at the Front Desk ever say "welcome back". And, even when I say "I've stayed here before", I always get the canned spiel explaining all the hotel features that I know intimately.

It's sad, because it's a simple and virtually free way for a hotel to improve guest opinions. I only return to that hotel because of location and rates...but, I do tell anyone who is considering staying there that they shouldn't expect to receive good service.

Yes, amenities, design and great F&B are important to hotels in getting repeat guests, but I actually this is at the very top. I hate hate hate hate hotels who brag about "making guests feel special" when really, they only do it for people who book a penthouse or other executive type of suite. Recognizing your repeat guests, no matter what room they book, is SO CRUCIAL. Every staffer, every time they go into work, should be reminded of this. Nothing makes me feel more appreciated, and in turn, more excited to return to a hotel, when a staffer acknowledges my hotel stays. Vdara Las Vegas has done this for me a couple of times and it's one of the reasons why I keep going back there when I'm in Vegas.

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