Hardly a day without a report about the success of “social media” rushing through the media. SMEs in particular are wondering whether and how they should take action here. Hotels are already one step ahead.
“Criticism sometimes hurts, but it helps us get ahead,” summarizes St. Moritz hotelier Markus Hauser. He not only has his own website for his three-star hotel, he also has several appearances on social networks. “Social media has become an important communication platform for us. In contrast to traditional media, they are very interactive; guests rate our service and also raise criticism.”
Price comparisons and reviews from guests and testers influence hotel businesses of all classes: Today, every link in the service chain and also the entire staff is geared not only to effectiveness, but also to guest satisfaction. If criticism still comes up, it is a top priority: “We discuss the guest feedback in our management meetings and I then write back to the guests personally,” says Heinz Hunkeler, director of the Kronenhof Grand Hotel in Pontresina.
Every company is a hotel
Hotels and restaurants are no longer the only companies in which customers rate services: From A for car wash to Z for dentist, there is hardly any industry anymore that does not have an online price comparison, a rating platform or a specialist blog. In many industries, these platforms may still be in their infancy; however, they are growing rapidly and are becoming a decisive factor for the future prospects of many companies.
Consumers share their experiences on social media and thus create a new, and sometimes merciless, transparency. In addition to the “hard” facts such as the price, the “soft” and “human” components of a service are also being assessed more and more: availability and opening times, cleanliness and odors, customer orientation in case of problems, flexibility with special requests or simple friendliness are becoming comparable factors and are of central importance when making purchase decisions.
Wanted: New media literacy
The breakthrough of social media is influencing the management of companies of all industries and sizes. Customers, employees, suppliers or lenders are all also users of social media. As stakeholders in a company, they expect a transparent, authentic and truthful style: in management and in communication, online and offline.
Social media has brought about many changes in how we deal with customers. Customers today approach companies on equal terms and demand that they be addressed. “90 percent of our personnel training covers human factors,” says hotelier Jürg Degiacomi from Romantik Hotel Chesa Salis in Bever. “In addition to specialist knowledge, we need more and more social skills.”
Social media have made criticism public, giving critics and companies a forum. Managers are suddenly required to address customers in public. This requires new media literacy.
Yet social media are more of an opportunity than a threat. Companies that listen to their customers and, if necessary, are self-confident about making mistakes, will only be able to win in the future. In the hotel industry as in any other sector, online and offline. Or as Jürg Degiacomi sums it up: “There are many nice hotels. In the end, what counts is the person and the customer's experience.”
Also published in the Engadiner Post from 3.1.2012. Download the PDF of the article here.