Traditionally, customer loyalty could be gained by a simple reward structure, trading in loyalty points for free nights like a kid trading in his arcade game tokens for the large teddy bear from the kiosk.

Now, with digital players like OTAs and meta-searches commoditising hotel rates, hoteliers need to offer something that money simply can’t buy.

Many major hotel groups possess various forms of loyalty schemes, like points, free room upgrades and promotion packages, conveying the more mechanistic ways in which customers are incentivised to return to a particular hotel.

Others deliberately abstain from similar schemes, feeling that it is not the best or most sustainable way to build a strong customer relationship, as customer loyalty would inevitably disappear if either the benefits stopped or they found an even better deal elsewhere.

Thus, attention is turned to customer service, wherein the “micro-moments are what helps [hotels] win”, according to Puneet Mahindroo (Corporate Director of Revenue Management, APAC, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts) at the WIT Hospitality conference in Hong Kong.

Winning these ‘micro-moments’ are fundamental to establishing a basic relationship foundation with each and every guest. Puneet recalled an anecdote of a guest who once remarked on his love of a particular lamp in his room. Taking note of this, the hotel staff then proceeded to move the same lamp to his room every time he came to stay, despite the guest not actually being aware of this small but significant effort until much later.

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