A new study has found that there is a link between successful front desk upselling and the number of positive reviews that a hotel can get online.
SA Solutions has teamed up with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Brand Karma, to conduct an in-depth study into the effectiveness of front desk upselling and positive guest experiences and reviews. Unsurprisingly, the results showed that the correlation was clear and should you successfully upsell face-to-face, the chances are that you will receive a positive review.
With this in mind, it is so important that Online Marketing For Hotel really focus on having a front desk upsell strategy in place and that their front of house staff are aware of it and able to demonstrate it.
The results were found by analysing over 11,000 online reviews alongside a satisfaction scale of one to five. Of the guests who had been offered and paid for an upgrade on average pointed at a score of 4.6 on the scale during their hotel stay. Those who received a complimentary upgrade stated a score of 4.7.
When it came to value for money, the same guests who opted for a front desk upgrade scored 4.2 on the satisfaction scale, which again wasn’t too far behind those who received a free upgrade.
In total, those who opted for a paid upgrade noted a 25 per cent higher satisfaction rates than those who didn’t receive any upgrade, with those who received a free upgrade only just pipping it to the post with 33 per cent.
The data points towards the fact that any form of accepted upgrade, be it paid for or complementary, can make all the difference to a customer’s experience. However, the research also showed that those who reported a low satisfaction experience had rejected proposed upsells. This again points to the importance of ensuring that there is an upgrade strategy in place within establishments.
