How to use WhatsApp for Hotels and Resorts

In this article, we will see how hotels and resorts can exploit the potential of the famous messaging app and the advantages that can derive from its use in the tourism sector

The current pandemic that is affecting the planet does not make the activity of many sectors easy, and the hardest hit, aside from the trade, is tourism: its flows are in fact practically close to zero.

In this scenario, companies in the hospitality sector are devising new methods to cope with this situation of temporary blockage, noting how it is increasingly necessary to use quick means of communication, which allow information to be exchanged in real time.

This is possible thanks to instant messaging apps, including WhatsApp, which allows you to create a solid relationship with customers, involving your audience in a direct and confidential way.

How can your hotel or resort use WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a tool that can greatly facilitate communication between tourist facilities and guests, with the aim of building customer loyalty that makes relationships with  clients more stable and lasting.

Here are some cases where you can make the most of the famous messaging app for your hotel or resort:

1) Before guest arrival to:

– Send a quote for their stay or offers: sending messages via WhatsApp results in much higher conversion rates than e-mails, both because of the users’ response speed but also for the ease of sharing, since the users themselves can forward the message to others;

– Manage arrivals: it is very important to provide useful information to arriving guests, for example about traffic conditions, check-in times, on the possibility of being able to eat at the hotel upon arrival, allowing customers to be informed about everything, and the facility to organize itself better.

2) During the guests’ stay to:

– Send a welcome message: it is not only a very welcome gesture that makes them feel pampered and appreciated, but it is also useful to provide them with useful information on the hotel/resort services they have access to, for example the WIFI password, swimming pool opening times, SPA service, scheduled excursions and shows, recommended itineraries etc;

– Manage critical issues: a timely communication allows to avoid complaints and calms down a situation that can be particularly tense. By offering personalized customer care, the guests will feel more listened to and understood.

3) After their stay to:

– Ask for a review: it will give you more visibility, building your reputation;

– Offer a coupon / discount on their next stay: if you want to increase your chances of the customer returning, and if you want to further increase their loyalty. 

WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp Business API: which one should you choose?

WhatsApp launched its first Business version in January 2018, given the growing need of companies to interact with their customers in an increasingly rapid and interactive way, with the specific aim of creating solid relationships with their users.

This first business version of the App, aside from being free, is well suited to SMEs and allows them to:

1) Start their own company profile;

2) Create quick responses;

3) Target customers according to their characteristics;

4) Obtain useful statistics to analyze the overall performance of the service;

The Business version, however, is unsuitable for large companies due to the lack of key features, such as user and role management, tickets, an interface to existing CRM systems.

To solve these limitations, in August 2018 a business version was created for larger companies, the WhatsApp Business API app.

With this new version, for a fee, it is possible to have a scalable communication, in order to be able to focus on creating added value for the customer, on data protection and on spam prevention.

However, companies who wish to use the APIs must ask for the support of verified WhatsApp business solution providers, such as Callbell.

How your hotel or resort can integrate WhatsApp through Callbell

If your hotel wants to use WhatsApp for its sales or customer support team via WhatsApp, Callbell will allow you to better organize this powerful communication channel.

Simply create an account via this link and set up your WhatsApp company number. At this point, all you have to do is invite your sales or support team within Callbell and you can immediately manage chats from our interface.

You will be able to take advantage of all the features of our platform, including:

1) Automatic assignment of chats: you will have the possibility to invite a team of up to 100 agents, the chats will be automatically distributed among them;

2) Omnichannel communication: in addition to WhatsApp, you can integrate the main instant messaging apps, and be present your customers’ favorite channels;

3) Chat widget: you can install our chat widget on your website for free, and direct your users to their preferred communication channels;

4) Tag creation: you will be able to apply tags to users to be able to identify them more easily, depending on the type of request;

5) Chat history backup: it will allow you to save all chat histories, and have a complete report of the interactions between the company and users;

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