Coronavirus Checklist For The Hoteliers: Things To Do To Overcome The Black Swan

It is true that the Coronavirus outbreak has brought about a disruption in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, to which the tourism and hospitality industry is no exception. With tourist arrivals and occupancies dropping expeditiously at the hotels, the latter needs to come up with a sturdy solution to tackle the current situation as well as to set the stage for a comeback in the future.

All hope is not lost!

While there are still people undertaking travel and with the domestic and local market still presenting an opportunity for the hoteliers to target the customers there, hotels can combat the black swan. To arrive at this, the hoteliers ought to bring about certain strategic changes in their overall business plan- be it auditing the revenue strategy, expediting or leveraging the process of marketing, implementing safety & hygiene tips, or letting go of certain habits from the past and cultivating new practices to make sure that 2021 is wholly in their favor.

To prevent you from getting perplexed amidst such an extensive list of things, scattered here and there and to arm you sufficiently against the crisis, we have come up with some high-end and value-driven downloadable checklists that will help you deal with the adversity adequately:

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1. Prevention Plan

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Before reassuring the guests that it is safe to stay at your property, it is imperative for you to come up with a robust prevention plan. This can be done through the involvement of every member at your property for its proper execution

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2. Handling Social Media, Google and OTAs

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Fall back on social media extensively at this time to reach out, provide assistance, and educate people about the current scenario.

Click to download the checklist for Hotel Coronavirus Handling Social Media, Google & OTAs.

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3. Marketing & Upsell

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They say content sells and with the right words in place, you can actually influence your customers’ decision

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4. Revenue Strategy

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Assessing the key metrics like RevPAR, Occupancy, ADR, etc. and various macro trends of similar such outbreaks in the past will help you forecast the future scenario and will also allow you to tweak your existing plan by making a careful study of various market trends.

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5. Adopting New Technologies/ Digital Plan

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New technologies that can positively impact your business now and in the long run have a strong positive ROI from day one and help save costs and increase business. This will make sure that hotels can prepare for a strong comeback post corona. Examples include Guest Messaging and WebChat.

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6. Internal Improvements

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With distractions out of the way, you can focus on achieving the internal goals which will help you set the stage and stand out once you are ready to switch on your lights again for the customers.

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7. Communication Plan

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Great Communication is the key to tackling even the worst of situations and especially, during these times when the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) looms large and casts its fearful shadow over every industry, right from travel to entertainment, it’s important for the hoteliers to up their communication game in order to instill faith and trust in the upcoming guests.

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This can be done through three modes:

Website and WebChat
Email
Text Message

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8. Safety Measures

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Even if a guest is willing to come to stay with you, they will be anxious about what preventive measures you have in store for them or how they can trust you with their safety.

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9. OTA Policies and Working With the Partner OTAs

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It is crucial even for the OTAs at this time as they are being flooded with so many requests for cancellations and refunds.

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10. Miscellaneous

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Along with the major sectors, there are certain additional measures that the hoteliers can take to ensure the safety and well-being of their guests during such difficult times.

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These checklists might seem a bit exhaustive but checking the boxes here would work in your interest by allowing you to prepare your hotel for an epic comeback once the economy flourishes and the demand returns. Remember, that the travel industry is resilient and has always come out stronger post any crisis. It is expected to get better. The aftermath will be less negative if the hoteliers start working from now only towards their goals.

How GuestTouch Can Help:

● Reduce cancellations by assuring pre-arrival guests of steps taken for their safety.
● Inform guests at the check-in about the possible upgrades, upsells, and safety information.
● Allow seamless and safe distance communication through Guest Messaging. Helps with work load due to reduced staffing, by automatically communication with guests.
● Boost direct booking: Encourage to convert visitors into customers through WebChat.
● Help to get reviews seamlessly, consolidate reviews, respond to guests, and boost your rankings online.