Hotels and Social Media: It's a Must

How many hotels have you seen on social media? Most hotels you stay at? I’ve seen a ton of hotels embracing twitter or Facebook, and a few on Foursquare and Youtube, but does that mean they’re doing it right?

I appreciate the fact that hotels are joining social media and some are joining in on their customer’s conversations, but it needs to be more than this. They need to work on incorporating it into their marketing plans, making their employees aware of their ongoing initiatives, and reward and respond to customers…. Customers expect this of hotels!

If hotels want to stay successful, they have to engage.  This may seem scary to various hotels, but social media presents a wider variety of opportunities for the hospitality industry.  Social media allows hotels to hear what customers want and whether they’re giving them what they need or not!  It’s also the best way to ensure customer service optimization by dealing with guest’s issues, complaints, and compliments both online and offline. It’s also another way to reach customers and better cater to their needs… and pick up on their personal needs and wants.

In other words, embrace social media because customers are already there spreading the good, bad and the ugly about EVERYTHING. 

Just Because You're Doing It, Doesn't Mean You're Doing It Well...

I know that I'm a big believer that all companies need to start getting into the social media world and testing it out. Customers are searching for you on Facebook and Twitter, and if you aren't there, they'll find someone else who is. Also, who wouldn't want to know what's being said about their companies... just because a customer isn't willing to make a comment to you directly, doesn't mean they aren't making it at all and if you can't capture what they're saying quickly enough, the damage will be done.

Now, just because you jump in and start a Facebook Page or a Twitter, doesn't mean you're doing it right. If you aren't willing to try out different methods, experiment with a variety of ideas, or engage with your customers on both positive and negative feedback, you're going to have problems.

One of the most frustrating things to deal with just may be customer feedback and how a company chooses to interact with them. I recently had a horrible experience with a hotel, where they EVENTUALLY responded to my complaint via twitter after I had made one to the hostess, but neither made a difference in my outcome and no one actually helped me. My angry tweets may have done more damage than they realized, as I conversed with my followers about what was going on, where I was, and why I was upset. All their tweet managed to do was confirm they didn't actually care about what was said online, or know what they were doing.

So, when you decide to move your company online, remember that customer service is just as important there as it is in your store or hotel. Customer service is everything.

Traveling Just Got Easier... And Trickier At The Same Time?

Have you gone on a vacation recently? Was it to a new, exotic location or was it the same cottage on a coast you’ve been visiting since you were young? Nowadays there is a plethora of methods to help decide on where you vacation should be, how much it could cost, what you should pack… but is it helpful?

With the increasing use of technology and social media in particular to advertise a vacation, what resources should you embrace and which should you forget about while planning for vacations?

One of the best ways to avoid vacation information overload is to pick a destination with friends or family and decide what kind of vacation you’re looking for before you head out there to search for a deal. Next, pick a few favorite travel agent/company twitters and facebooks and research what they are currently offering, what they’ve offered in the past, and if any of it is relevant to you and your family.

Try interacting with relevant facebooks, twitters, and websites to create a relationship with these agents, companies and hotels. You never know what type of deal you may score due to your social media participation, and interacting with your future vacation destinations will keep you informed about all upcoming events and other information you may need to know.