In hotel management, you aim to bring in as many people as possible to fill the guest rooms. But when they all come at the same time in a large group, it’s much different than many individual bookings.
With large groups, various logistics need to be tweaked, from check-in to check-out, for the stay to be successful. Missing even one of these aspects can be problematic.
The good news is that you don’t have to deviate too far from your normal checklist of procedures. Simply use these three tips, and you’ll seamlessly make it through your next large group bookings.
1. Make Your Processes Large-Group Friendly
Much of the stress of a large group comes from the “out of the normal” aspect of it. Tips For Finance Management Your staff’s regular procedures include small reservations, and a large group showing up en masse can be intimidating.
To prevent this challenge, adjust your corporate policies and processes to encompass what a large group would need. Staff can scale down from there for their regular bookings but know what to do when bulk rooms are reserved.
Label Your Processes to Better Prepare Staff Ahead
Consider using promotion codes that explain what needs to be done. For instance, if there’s a business meeting, the promotion code would include discounts on products and services that professionals would want. Spa treatments, fitness trainers, and room service offerings might be the focus.
Special events such as birthdays and other entertainment reservations would have the appropriate discounts. Knowing in advance where the highest guest demand is likely to aid in organizing staff, food, and transportation.
Go through the processes you’re using now, and decide how to adjust them to work simultaneously with small and large bookings. Your staff will be ready when your next big reservation hits the check-in desk.
2. Plan As Much In Advance As Possible
Does your concierge staff spend valuable time collecting pertinent information at check-in that could have been obtained ahead of time? If so, your processes need to be updated to include that information when the guest registers online.
Use your automated customer relationship management (CRM) system to send short emails after booking a reservation. The first one will be a confirmation of the booking, as usual. But the next email can be a short form that guests can fill out and skip this step at check-in.
Whoever makes the booking can fill out the form and include relevant info, such as a credit card to charge to the room, anyone else staying with them, and whether they have permission to use the card.
You can also add a section where they can upload their ID, saving your staff from taking time to make a copy of this when guests arrive.
3. Give Your Guests Clear Instructions
Much of the time spent at check-in and in the hours afterward is spent answering guest concerns. If you have any frequently asked questions your staff is hearing over and over, there’s an opportunity to improve your processes.
The solution to the repetitive questions could be in how you provide instructions. If you’re assuming everyone will go to your website or read the brochures in their rooms, and they’re not, you may need a new way of telling them the basic info.
For instance, if you offer a pillow menu but no one knows what it is or how to access it, consider placing a QR code as a business card on the pillow itself. Provide instructions on scanning the code.
Although QR codes are commonplace in the hospitality industry since COVID, replacing menus in many restaurants, it’s better to have a quick sentence instructing the guest in case they don’t know what it is. Then, check your website to ensure the pillow menu is readable and user-friendly.
Ask your staff to try to keep a record of the questions they receive and analyze the data regularly to see where your processes need work and which ones are doing well. This gives you market trends to help you understand your guests before large groups arrive.
When you can develop a workflow that answers everything a guest needs to know at the right time, your mass reservations won’t overwhelm your staff.
Conclusion
Every hotel wants the business of a large group booking, but without the stress. How easily your staff handles the influx of guests simultaneously depends greatly on their training and your processes.
If you have a system following these three tips, it will be just another exciting and busy work day.
