Customer service vs customer experience — is there really a difference? Despite the terms often being used interchangeably, there most certainly is…
In a nutshell, the main difference between customer service and customer experience is that while customer service is one piece of the puzzle (focused on human interaction and directly supporting your customers) customer experience is the sum of the entire customer journey with your hotel.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
What’s the difference between customer service vs customer experience?
Customer service is always reactive – these interactions are almost always initiated by the customer and centre around providing communication, guidance, and assistance to them, based on their needs.
Customer experience is broadly proactive, and is all about anticipating the customer’s next move, sometimes before they even know what they want themselves. It involves every single interaction someone has with your hotel from the very first touchpoint, all the way to once they’re back home after their stay.
At Avvio, we trust that you’ve got customer service nailed. But, could you be doing more to ensure your customer experience is up to scratch too?
Here are a few ideas to try to help create the best possible experience for your guests:
Personalise the journey: Use the Allora Recommender engine to offer guests targeted content and relevant offers based on what you know about them, making their visit to your website easier and more pleasurable. By using Recommender Engine your website can dynamically respond to guest interactions in a highly personalised way.
Make it easy for guests to get in touch: invest in an app, pick up the phone, ensure your website is mobile-friendly, reply to your emails promptly and helpfully. Monitor messages on your social channels regularly as this is often many guests preferred channel of communication. Ensure Call to Actions (CTAs) are prominent for a better user experience when guests are navigating your website.
Celebrate special occasions: are your guests staying for a birthday? An anniversary? Recognise why your guests are staying with you and work to make their stay even more special. Remember the date as you can attract them back next year…
Track your guests’ preferences: knowing your guests before they arrive, through email, your website or the booking process will help you to make their stay even better. This could be dietary info, room preferences or any other helpful notes they can add.
And the best thing? All of this info can be harvested before they arrive for their stay, keeping you firmly ahead of the game and looking like a customer experience guru. Using allora.ai booking technology, your e-commerce and online strategy can be as powerfully personal as your hotel reception is.
Through personalisation, great communication and attention to their needs, you can make guests fall in love with your hotel even before they arrive at your property – that’s the secret to an epic customer experience.
So, which is more important?
They’re both hugely important. You saw that one coming, right?
Both the customer experience and your customer service are an integral part of your hotel’s success. So, considering the bigger picture and placing an emphasis on the customer journey before they stay, will put you in good stead for when they arrive with you and keep them smiling long after they’ve left.
