The tourism industry is increasingly competitive these days, and at the heart of this industry is guest experience, so business operators are always looking for ways to enhance this.
More and more holiday properties are turning to technology for a way to achieve said enhancement. Property management software (PMS) is designed with the intention to streamline administrative processes, capture data and more effectively manage a property.
In the past, PMS tools were largely viewed as something to help the front desk, but it’s evolved to extend ‘well beyond the front desk.’ Hotel PMS is now seen as a critical business operations system.
Here are a few examples of how PMS tools allow hotel operators to better serve their guests.
Expedites Check in and Check out
Many guests who arrive at a holiday park want nothing more to start relaxing. Sometimes this desire is fettered by a slow check in process. Guests have to fill in a registration card, deal with rates, be assigned a room, staff has to manually input guest info, and sometimes the guest must go check their license plate or reference some other info. A PMS system can grease the rails, and make this process quick and painless through automation.
Allows for Better Planning
Budgeting and keeping track of reservations are tricky jobs if done manually. This type of record keeping used to be tedious work that required gathering information from different areas of the property and then analysing it to reach useful conclusions. PMS systems not only collect and store data, they help break it down with analysis tools.
Creates Detailed Guest Profiles
If you run a decent sized property, you know how tough it is to keep track of people. PMS systems track guest transaction history across different aspects of your property and allow staff to input details of every interaction. The result is often a framework of someone’s personality and needs. This allows a hotel to cater to the guest and know them by more than their name.
Automates communications
A PMS system can make sure your confirmation and before check-in emails are timely and deliver helpful information. They can also help you properly thank guests and are critical to receiving feedback (and thus improving your property).
Cross-Integration
PMS systems can also be integrated with CRM and RMS systems, OTA booking tools, loyalty programs, and a variety of mobile applications. If your PMS is cloud-based, web standards and open APIs allow you to integrate more easily now than ever before. Integrating a PMS system can reduce inefficiency and administrative overhead, which gives staff more time to focus on guests.
Around the industry, hotels are turning to PMS programs created by Oracle or Hotelogix. Every business is different and for smaller properties, an enterprise level PMS may not be the right solution. But finding a way to streamline administrative processes, collect/track data and more effectively sell your property is key to staying competitive.
Sources
1 – Oracle
2 – Lodgify