Passionate about how technology improves business performance in the hospitality sector, Scott Woods, Interim Managing Director at Cab Hospitality has over 7 years of hospitality experience and currently works to develop strategies that drive more direct bookings for operators. As digitalisation continues to spread, we sought Scott’s advice on how software can be harnessed to improve all aspects of business operations.
How has the integration of digital booking systems transformed operational efficiency and guest experience in hospitality?
For businesses, introducing digital booking systems has reduced the reliance on staff taking bookings through traditional methods, such as over the phone. This allows businesses to reduce the amount of staff, or utilise the team in different ways. The technology can drive more revenue with the use of automated upsells. As well as this, the digital booking systems have provided a great way for hospitality businesses to capture more data on their customers – allowing them to make smarter decisions with marketing budgets. Digital booking systems have improved guest experience by bringing convenience to the whole booking process. The customer can easily book from wherever they are, whenever they want.
What other systems can operators leverage to collect vital data that might help them grow their business or improve profitability?
Having a CRM (customer relationship management database) at the heart of the business is a great way to collect data to improve profitability. From the basics of sending personalised offers for birthdays and anniversaries, to sending personalised communications to draw back lapsed customers or rewarding high spenders – there are many ways that this database can be used to drive revenue for a low cost. By analysing your CRM database, you will also be able to understand your customer base better, and understand their purchasing habits – allowing you to make data driven decisions.
What cybersecurity measures are required?
Protecting sensitive guest data is paramount for hospitality businesses. It is important to ensure that you are adhering to data privacy regulations (such as GDPR). Measures
include, but are not limited to: end-to-end encryption, secure storage protocols, multi-factor authentication and keeping software up to date.
What challenges do hospitality operators commonly face when integrating multiple digital tools?
A common issue hospitality operators face is that a lot of tools don’t integrate with each other. When selecting your digital toolset, be sure to check that the new tool integrates with your current toolset. Another common issue is a difference in attribution modelling in reporting.
Looking ahead, what advancements in technology do you foresee for the industry?
AI is rapidly advancing and can’t be ignored. Hospitality operators need to use AI tools to revolutionise how they are using data. It is a great way to quickly spot trends in data, for example identifying popular menu items, forecasting future demand or gauging customer sentiment by analysing reviews to find areas to improve your business. Just remember not to input sensitive data.
For more information contact: s.wood@cabhospitality.co.uk or visit https://www.cabhospitality.co.uk/
