Experiential vacations that fully engage holidaymakers are part of a growing travel trend and this means vacationers are expecting far more than simple luxury. The key to delivering just the right elements to create a personalized holiday is the quality and style of customer services.
It is true that a gorgeous luxury villa in the most achingly beautiful location whispers sweet nothings to vacationers looking for a special getaway; beckoning with the promise of a relaxed, retreat lifestyle, state-of-the-art facilities, and incredible vistas. However, what really draws in luxury guests is customer services that enable them to be fully engaged in the villa vacation experience.
How customer services can lead to fully engaged villa holiday experiences
Politeness, availability, and helpfulness are all par for the course and expected with any quality hospitality service. With a luxury villa vacation rental, guests may expect a personal chef, housekeeping, and a concierge service, as well as something a little more, but what?
Personalized interaction: Responding to guests in a professional yet natural way is a real skill. It requires genuine understanding of individual guest needs and to be able to read each situation well.
Local knowledge: Knowing about the local area from a guest’s point of view is more than useful, it reflects on the level of guest services. From where to go and what to do; from car hire to yacht charter; on-the-ground information is essential to deliver a personalized holiday.
Positive attitude: People come on holiday to feel good and positivity is infectious. A warm smile, friendly disposition, and can-do approach without being intrusive can really transform the villa stay experience. The goal is to be approachable with a real desire to make guests happy.
Proactive thinking: Forward thinking can create a smooth stay for guests, meaning that they do not have to keep asking for every minor need to be met all the time which is tedious and tiring. Taking initiative should be part of the training of villa staff and customer service agents so that it becomes intuitive and an innate quality.
Listening abilities: Alongside this ability to think and act without being asked, it is also vital that this does not turn into second-guessing what guests want. A personalized service is only achieved by asking the right questions and then listening. Some guests want to chill-out by the pool, others want to be active with water sports on the beach, whilst some may have specific dining desires.
Non-verbal communication: Most communication is non-verbal and facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice speak volumes. Self-awareness and an understanding that each guest’s needs are unique and are to be dealt with individually is crucial. Guests pick up on these gestures, whether negatively or positively, and respond to them.
Authentic empathy: Overall, the essence of an engaged stay is guest services that understand a vacation from a guest’s perspective. This ensures that a villa stay is seamlessly enjoyable and guests leave feeling like they have had a special, memorable experience, would love to come back another time, and would happily recommend a stay as well.
A 2014 Gallup Hospitality Industry study revealed the importance of behavioral economics, which look at how customers are influenced by emotions rather than rationale when it comes to their relationship with a brand and their spending. The study found that one of the most important factors in guests in returning to a holiday stay and was linked to how engaged they felt and holiday choices are not based on price alone. Feeling fully engaged is all about delivering an excellent service.