How to create multi-channel guest journeys to grow guest satisfaction

STAYERY is a brand that combines the comfort of an apartment with the service of a hotel. They are present in six cities in Germany, with central locations that put their guests at the centre of all. 

Either for business travel, a getaway with friends or a longer stay, they offer their guests all the services they require to have an extraordinary experience. They are characterised by great design, technology and a focus on the community.  

Their story with Bookboost starts by wondering how to enhance their guest communication. 

The challenge: Track all guest communications and reduce the manual tasks 

One of the main challenges for the STAYERY team was being able to track the guest communication, such as transactional emails, along the customer journey.

They knew that getting a more comprehensive overview of all the communications that were sent would help them to provide a better guest experience and at the same time save time and effort. 

On the other hand, STAYERY was using an email-only guest journey but saw the opportunity to expand to other channels, such as SMS and WhatsApp, and take their guest communication to another level. 

“We wanted to integrate a tool that provided the technical framework offering smooth customer communication and a way for our time to transparently track it alongside. We were looking for a solution that matched our expectations and helped us to make our customers happy”, said Laura Neuberger, Head of Marketing at STAYERY.

STAYERY is a brand characterised by being technological and providing state-of-the-art solutions. Therefore, they always prioritise working with brands that share the same spirit and a growth mindset.

To find the best match, Laura decided to search in the Apaleo Community for vendors that were integrated with Apaleo, their Property Management System, and that was how she discovered Bookboost.

“For us, it was important that there was already a connection available to the PMS we use. We were looking to integrate a new tool quickly, therefore we were striving for a fast implementation process and a tool that has proven successful with other Apaleo users”, she mentioned.

The solution: Automate workflows and create a multi-channel guest journey 

The STAYERY team used different solutions from Bookboost to boost their communication, reduce the backlog, and boost their guest journey. 

First, they transformed their guest journey into a multi-channel one.

‍To align with their guests’ expectations, they decided to add new channels to their guest journey, communicating now also via WhatsApp and SMS. This allowed them to reach guests where they are, through the channels they use the most and prefer. ‍

Second, they were able to set up personalised guest journeys and track two-way communication.

‍“Before we couldn’t track which emails were sent out. This helps us to get a better picture of what was really sent, what is scheduled for certain guests, and more. You can immediately see what customers already received the email. Or that a guest will receive something tomorrow because he has a check-in on the next day”, said Laura.

By setting up hyper-personalised guest journeys, they can contact their guests with different messages, depending on the guest segmentation. At the same time, the platform allows them to monitor and take control of every stage of the guest journey, from pre-stay to post-stay.‍

Third, they automated communications to help their staff focus on other important projects.

By automating and scheduling recurrent communications such as booking confirmations, newsletters, and more, the STAYERY team is able to free up their time, focus on analysing the results and find ways to keep providing an outstanding guest experience. 

“We feel like Bookboost has a similar spirit to us and they are a dynamic company that fits our work style. We see the companies we work with as an extension of our team, therefore we want those brands to reflect a similar spirit to ours”, added Laura. 

The results: A more professional guest journey, fewer complaints and happier guests

According to Laura, STAYERY’s multi-channel guest journey now comes across as more professional, and they can reach their guests no matter what channel they use. This enhances the guest experience, by being able to personalise even more the way they approach their guests. 

They are able to track all communications, avoid duplicates, and have many more possibilities to create guest journeys for different segmentations, sending not only transactional emails but also newsletters, and more. 

As for their staff, they also see a great improvement. Since Bookboost’s interface is user-friendly and straightforward, people know exactly where they need to go, and even if they haven’t used the platform before, it is easy enough to navigate. 

“I think Bookboost offers a lot of options within one tool. You're providing many features within one tool and the quality of each individual feature is on a very high level. This make the tool ideal for anyone striving to exceed with guest communication and looking to enhance the customer journey”, finalised Laura.  

Main takeaways from STAYERY

- Always put your customers first

Think about which channels your guests use and how you can be present there. To meet their expectations, consider expanding your communication channels. Reach guests through their preferred platforms, like WhatsApp and SMS, to enhance their experience.‍

- Track guest communications to stay in control and anticipate any complaints

By tracking your communications, you can avoid complaints about missed messages or non-received communications, and make sure everyone receives the right information, just like STAYERY did.

- Look to boost productivity through automation

Automate standard messages like booking confirmations and newsletters, so your team can focus on improving guest experiences and analyzing results.