Designing a concierge-style service can be achieved in any kind of hotel with the help of concierge tips and tricks.
You might not be able to support another member of staff. But honeymooners, golf groups, holidaymakers, and your business clients can benefit from a top service. A service that rivals a five-star experience with some thought and planning.
In our helpful article, we will help you discover 9 concierge tips and tricks to take your service up an extra level and increase profit.
Best concierge tips and tricks
Discover how you can offer a top-rated concierge-style service by exploring how to offer guided tours, thoughtful extras. How to use a mobile ‘smart’ concierge to give your guests a luxury stay even within a budget hotel.
Let’s dive straight in and start with why it’s crucial to understand who your customers are.
1. Know your customer
One of the most important concierge tips and tricks that sits at number one on our list is to have a deep understanding of your clientele.
It’s important to know your customers so you can offer them added extras, convenience, and speed ordering room service from one of the best concierge apps. Or even just understanding the kind of add-on services they would like to be offered.
For instance, if you are running a quality budget hotel mainly for business clients, then they are most likely not going to be taking up any offers for spa treatments.
It could be your clientele may be staying in your hotel for the beach, but by understanding fully who your guests are, it’s easier to tailor your concierge service.
2. Work with local businesses
Building a rapport with local businesses means you can offer much more to your guests in terms of concierge service.
Arranging tours to local areas that fit around the seasons can help increase revenue and kero guests coming back for more.
Being an ambassador for the local area gives your guests a five-star concierge experience and instantly builds trust in your establishment.
For instance, if your hotel services mainly business clients and holidaymakers, it’s wise to promote local relations with hire cars and taxis.
If you find that your clientele is mainly pensioners during the week, then arranging a weekly travel excursion to a local tourist spot can help to elevate your concierge offering.
Creating relationships with exclusive venues, from private gyms and country clubs to restaurants and nightclubs with great reviews can also help give your hotel the edge over competitors.
Approach the venue managers, explain the type of guest you’re likely to send them, and see if they’ll allow your guests access, perhaps by paying a small daily fee, or notifying you when a guest cancels a last-minute reservation at a popular restaurant.
3. Talk directly to your guests
This approach will bring extra insight into the kinds of services that are important to your guests.
You might discover they have visited your venue for some rest and recuperation so maybe looking more towards room service.
For more information on how room service can bring your hotel extra revenue check out our other helpful article, 7 Best Ways To Optimize Room Service Sales.
Call or send an email
Call your guests before arrival or send over a quick email to find out the kind of stay your customer is looking for.
If it’s a golf group, for example, you could email a list of nearby golf courses along with prices and how to book a tee time.
4. Check out social media
Some hotels use social media to pick up ideas about their guests in order to better tailor a top-class concierge service.
If your guests are interested in football, you could include details on booking a tour of the local stadium.
“Some hotels use social media to pick up ideas about their guests in order to better tailor a top-class concierge service.”
5. A simple offering
To offer those thoughtful extras and provide the best concierge service for your guests, try devising a customer-focused selection of standard packages, for example:
- Day trips
- Adventure adventure sports
- Spa days
- A curated restaurant list
- Car rental and airport transfer services
Walking distance
Creating a list of local experiences within walking distance is one of our favorite concierge tips.
Most guests are unlikely to want to travel too far or spend most of their evenings in a cab or hire car. Many guests might really appreciate a list of local restaurants they can easily reach on foot.
Restaurants that focus on regional or local cuisine will be appreciated, along with a couple of nearby coffee lounges for laptop work or simply just for relaxing, which offer great local coffee, for instance.
“Creating a list of local experiences within walking distance is one of our favorite concierge tips”.
A digital hotel compendium can really help with this part of your service offering.
6. Take your concierge service that extra mile
So rather than simply sending across an email list of restaurants, give an explanation of what kind of establishment they are.
Our number 6 tips and tricks for concierges is to treat each customer individually
For instance, guests with children are looking for a family-friendly restaurant. Conference delegates or business guests might prefer details of a quieter cafe for a lunchtime meeting.
So make sure you include family-focused restaurants in your local list, along with coffee shops with a more work-focused atmosphere. Giving your unique insider local knowledge takes your concierge service up a level.
“Our number 6 tip and trick for concierges is to treat each customer individually”
7. Try everything yourself
There are ways of making your concierge offering become much more authentic. If you or a staff member have tried any local restaurants or experiences you have recommended.
Take authentic measurements and assessments of how long it takes to get to local places. Find out firsthand some details of the busiest and quieter times, etc.
Usually, if you explain you are putting together a concierge service for your guests then information and benefits from local places may come with a discount, or fewer costs attached.
Be sure to check out our 12 surefire ways to take your guest services to the next level!
8. Store leaflets behind reception desks.
Many hotels which don’t offer a concierge service add banks of tired-looking leaflets for guests to browse.
Not only does this look attractive it shows little care for your customers and can be overwhelming for guests to sift through.
Make sure every member of staff understands your offering. But also has a full understanding of the local area. As well as understanding the packages you offer.
Keep leaflets behind the reception desk. And after speaking to each guest offer a small number of leaflets they might be interested in.
Alternatively using one of the best concierge apps gives your guests a quick and easy way to browse local information.
9. Use a ‘mobile’ smart concierge
More and more and more customers pushed for time and also guest requirements evolving. By adding local information and details of your packages on a concierge app you can offer a ‘smart’ unique personal service.
Local information, your latest events, hotel offers, and other services can be at the fingertips of your guest.
With a smart concierge app, you can be at the service of your guests 24/7. Some of the best smart concierge apps will promote your offering through personalized push notifications.
“by adding local information and details of your packages on a concierge app you can offer a unique personal“.
The best concierge tips and tricks…
So there are a variety of concierge services your hotel can employ using simple concierge tips and tricks.
Whether utilizing receptionists and other staff in real-time or looking for a ‘smart’ concierge solution. We hope you have found our best tips and tricks that will help to elevate your guests’ experience.
Providing these concierge-style services can have a positive impact on loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.
If your guests know they’re going to receive bespoke attention and feel special, they’re much more likely to return. And crucially, recommend your hotel to others. Including important review sites such as Tripadvisor. These are the secrets to increasing your profits and staying ahead of the competition.