Dear WuBookers, in this article we discuss a topic that has certainly already been at the center of your thoughts: the telephone. Both a blessing and a curse for hoteliers, this tool is both a cost (especially operational) and a resource. So let’s see how the art of call management in hotels can tip the scales more towards the positive side and even turn phone calls into direct sales opportunities.

Phone calls to hotels as potential sources of income

One of the most common goals of those who manage a property is to generate as many direct reservations as possible. Working with OTAs and other third-party channels increases visibility and can help boost occupancy, but commission fees are often high and may not be sustainable in the long run.

That’s why potential sources of sales without intermediaries – such as the property’s website, walk-ins, and phone calls—must be properly cared for and cultivated.

Potential, yes, because it is not certain that the caller is already ready to buy, but they are showing a very strong interest which, if handled well, can produce numerous advantages, including:

• obtaining a direct reservation at no additional cost to the property;
• giving a positive image of the hotel and improving its reputation;
• gathering important information about travelers.

We know that online agencies and other “resellers” play an essential role and remain an indispensable channel for many accommodation providers, but not all travelers use them to make purchases. In fact, many simply browse the catalog to get an idea and then prefer to contact the property directly to finalize the purchase. Knowing how to conduct the conversation with the customer in the right way, then, can prove to be strategic for the entire property.

How to turn calls into direct reservations: call management tips

Call management in hotels is a real skill that hotel staff can cultivate with specific training. Here, we focus on some best practices that, in general, can help you maintain the contact you have acquired and, in the best case scenario, turn it into a real customer.

Build a relationship of trust

…starting with introductions. The first words are crucial for making a good impression and initiating a smooth dialogue. Therefore, introducing yourself and immediately demonstrating your availability to the caller is the first step in building a relationship of trust. “Good morning, Pincopallo Hotel, this is Claudia, how can I help you?” sounds much more welcoming than a simple “Pincopallo Hotel, how can I help you?” It is not just a matter of politeness, but of opportunity and communication style, which will make the people on the other end feel at ease (or not). Remember that everything contributes to the identity of the property, even phone calls with potential guests.

Know your interlocutor

The need to know your interlocutor also falls under the heading of trust. The first step is to ask for their name: you can use it during the call to create closeness, working on the empathy factor. A simple “May I kindly ask your name” or “May I kindly ask who I have the pleasure of speaking to?” is enough: these are standard phrases that can be used without any particular concern. But this is only the beginning. During the call, it is important to ask questions to fully understand the traveler’s needs and preferences, to guide them towards the most suitable solutions and improve their experience during their stay. Try to go beyond basic information such as the number of guests and arrival and departure dates: try to understand the reasons for the trip, the activities that interest them most, their country of origin, and how they plan to reach the hotel. This—provided it is done discreetly and courteously—will be very useful not only in building trust, but also in terms of upselling and cross-selling.

Offer tailor-made solutions to callers

A double room is for two guests, a suite is for two guests with greater spending power. If we limit ourselves to this view of things (certainly true but a little reductive), we will struggle to sell our rooms. For example, let’s think about a couple who want to celebrate an important anniversary: obviously, a double room would suffice, but perhaps for that type of occasion it might be more effective to offer a suite, or a double room with a special package (spa service, candlelit dinner, romantic city tour, etc.). This is what we mean by tailor-made solutions: the accommodation and ancillary services are the same for everyone on paper, but they are adapted to the needs of those who purchase them on a case-by-case basis. This is also where the receptionist’s skill on the phone comes into play.

Treatments can also vary depending on the customer’s channel of origin, perhaps applying a rate reserved for callers, with the aim of increasing ADR and revenue.

Ask for an email address at the end of the call

Okay, the potential customer has called, you’ve managed to connect with them, and a proposal has been made. Now what? There is one last step to take, and it concerns the closing or post-call. Whatever the outcome (whether or not the reservation is finalized), remember to ask for the customer’s email address and send a summary of the offer if it has not already been accepted during your conversation. In addition to serving as a useful reminder for both parties, this will allow you to collect an additional contact to include in your marketing activities, conveying professionalism and attention to potential guests.

3 mistakes to avoid when handling a call

What we have seen so far are the recommended precautions, but what are the mistakes to avoid in order not to risk losing important conversion opportunities?

Here are the main ones:

1. Being unprepared, causing long waits on the phone

Most of the time, people who call a hotel have already looked it up online and already have the basic information (which is what convinced them to get in touch!). What they want is to find out more about prices, evaluate any solutions that are not visible online, ask for more details about the property and its services… in short, to find out more.

Therefore, it is essential that the person on the other end of the line is fully prepared with everything they need to know about rates, available rooms, possible discounts and offers, and the hotel’s equipment and facilities. Or, at the very least, that they are ready to retrieve this information quickly, without leaving the customer waiting for a long time. This could make them impatient and give them the wrong idea about the hotel’s level of (in)efficiency.

2. Missing out on opportunities

You don’t always have time to handle a phone call in the best possible way: perhaps there are guests waiting to check in or more urgent requests to deal with.

So, how should you behave in these cases? Answer the phone and immediately apologize for the limited time available, ask for the caller’s contact details, and call them back at the earliest opportunity, preferably within a few hours of the first call. Alternatively, you can set up a system to record incoming numbers and an answering machine or welcome message to inform the customer that they will be contacted as soon as possible.

Speed is a key factor in these situations because, in the meantime, the traveler may have found another solution and you may have lost them forever.

3. Losing track of requests and phone calls

Another fairly common mistake concerns the monitoring of requests, i.e., the need to keep track of who is calling, what they want, and their contact details. This is a fundamental step, for the reasons mentioned above and for carrying out internal analysis and evaluations. Keeping a record of these details helps you understand how much phone calls affect your business in terms of revenue and whether there is room for practical and operational improvement. Ideally, you should also be able to calculate the average duration of calls and the times when they are most concentrated, and whether there are people who are able to convert more than others with the same response: all data that can help to further optimize the process and increase revenue from this channel.

Zak, the PMS that streamlines direct sales

For all the errors seen so far, there are possible solutions, some more precise and advanced than others. One of the most versatile is the PMS: choosing a comprehensive and high-performance hotel software streamlines work even when it comes to direct reservations. Take Zak, for example. The software for properties by WuBook provides a precise response to all the possible issues listed:

• The calendar (planner) is updated in real time with all reservations from all channels: this allows receptionists to immediately view the situation, checking occupancy, rates, and products available for the desired days. This immediate consultation reduces waiting times, even for those on the phone;
• The Quotation module allows you to create personalized offers to send immediately to the customer, but there is also an additional option. If, at the time of the call, you are unable to produce a quote, you can still record the details of the potential guest and send the quote later. Simply open a request within Zak: this will be labeled as “manual” (because it was entered manually by the hotelier) and can be retrieved at any time to be converted into an offer.
• On the summary page of all requests received, the hotelier can choose to view only the “manual” ones to check how many have been converted into quotes. In the quote history, they can see how many of these have become reservations. By combining the two reports, you get a complete overview of direct sales performance, including telephone sales.

In a digitalized world like ours, phone calls may seem outdated or even tedious, yet they are an important source of direct conversion and information, especially when supported by the right tools (and handled by qualified staff). A hotel PMS like Zak is essential for this reason too.