Personalization & Customization: On-PropertyTailoring the Guest Experience – One Size Does NOT Fit All

Pedro Dias | General Manager, Smyth – A Thompson Hotel

Sylvie Fayolle | General Manager, Le Parker Méridien

Robert Cole | Founder – RockCheetahImage Credit: Sergey Galyonkin (cc | flickr)

Session Overview• Robert Cole | Founder - RockCheetah

– Guest Engagement v. Satisfaction

– Rewards v. True Loyalty

– The End Game: Exceeding Expectations

• Sylvie Fayolle – General Manager, Le Parker Méridien

– Know Your Guests

– Too Much Data

– Technology to Personalize

• Pedro Dias – General Manager, Smyth (A Thompson Hotel)

– CRM – The Human Element

– Multi-Persona Guests

– Technology as a Tool

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Engagement & Satisfaction

• JD Power 2015 Airline/Hotel Satisfaction Study– Airline Industry

• As Passenger Interaction with Staff Increases,• Passenger Satisfaction Decreases• (Airline Satisfaction Ranks Below Banks & Mortgage Lenders)

– Hotel Industry• As Guest Interaction with Staff Increases,• Guest Satisfaction Increases• (Price-driven Consumers Among Least Satisfied)

Image Credit: Donna Cymek (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 3

Rewards & True Loyalty

• Rewards– Transactional Engagement– Use Company Travel Spend for Personal Benefit– Rational Decision

• True Loyalty– Emotional Engagement– Willing to Pay Premium Price for Equal Product– Alignment with Individual’s Lifestyle, Beliefs & Values

Image Credit: XXXXXXXXX (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 4

An Expectations Gap• Customers Want Personalization

– 78% Travelers Believe Personalized Promotions On Relevant Products Encourage Purchases

• Personalized Promotions Work– 59% of Travel Sellers Believe More Targeted Promotions Improved

Online Sales Over Past 12 months

• Travel & Hospitality Companies Slow to Respond– Only 26% of Decision Makers Confirmed Their Organizations are

Investing in Personalization to Improve Online Experiences

Research Source: “Winning in the Age of Personalization” Mindtree | Feb 10, 2016Sample Size: 3,300 Travelers (US/Europe/APAC) & 180 Travel Sellers (Companies > 2,000 Employees)

Image Credit: joshfassbind.com (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 5

Sylvie Fayolle | General Manager, Le Parker Méridien

LE PARKER MERIDIEN

• 35 years young

• Le Meridien - 1981

• Self managed - 1995

• Starwood - 2005

• *Still owner-managed*

Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 7

Prioritize: Know Your Guests

• Guest history obsession

• Full time employee managing profiles

• Pre Starwood - “Secret Society”

• Post Starwood - SPG Program + LPM frequent guests

Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 8

Challenge: Too Much Data Today

• 730 rooms with 60%-70% return guests…

• Feedback process has evolved

• 1999: paper surveys: 42 reviews on a big month!

• Now: 400+ a month from multiple channels

• We still answer each one

• How can we personalize?

Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 9

• ALICE: Whole team working together

• Integrating PMS with concierge system and rapid response

• Goal: eliminating the mundane tasks to allow our staff to focus more on the guests

• Technology is not the interface, it supports our staff giving them more time and better knowledge

Solution: Using Technology to Personalize

Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 10

Pedro Dias – General Manager, Smyth

CRM Demands a Human Element CRM through CEM

CRM – Data based or “Hard Profile”

CEM – Emotional based or “Soft Profile”

READENTIFYING – creating everlasting memories

IS - Beyond preferences and data based profiling / a TEAM effort

ALLOWS FOR – real time adjustment to CHANGE (trip personas)

HOW TO – Tuning your senses / the “quest for gold nuggets”

ACHIEVES – proactive vs reactive / anticipates vs exceeds / Emotional vs transactional experiences

Reconnecting with the PERSON in every CUSTOMER

Pedro Dias · Smyth | 12

Multi-Persona Guests TRIP PERSONA

the purpose of the trip

the emotion behind the purpose

preferences vs expectations or the explicit vs implicit

anticipating the expected

Requires Team engagement

Pedro Dias · Smyth | 13

The Communication interface Social Media – the NEW NORMAL in Human Interaction

The Evolution through multiple platforms – from collecting to suggesting information

Global reach

Convenience

Immediacy - the ERA of NOW

Privacy

Cost of entry to do business

From ONLINE to ON-LIVE Transactional to Emotional

Personalized powered by a PERSON

HOSPITALITY “B2B” (Back 2 Basics)

Technology as a Tool

Pedro Dias · Smyth | 14

Personalization & Customization: On-PropertyTailoring the Guest Experience – One Size Does NOT Fit All

Thank You · Questions?Robert Cole · RockCheetah | Pedro Dias · Smyth | Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien