COVID-19 Communication: Who, What, When, Where, and How

During these times hotel guests are more concerned about safety than cost. And while the cost is always a consideration, your communication around COVID-19 suggests how far you are willing to go to keep them safe. It can be the difference between choosing you vs. your competitor.

To assist your hotel with communication around COVID-19 here are some things to consider.

Who

Crucial internal and external communication must be specific and delicate to keep up with the changing environment.

• Internal (Your Staff): The last thing you want is your staff getting guests sick. Equip them with masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and anything else they need to uphold and project your safety standards. In addition, have a central location where staff receives the latest information. If your PMS offers a section for notes, display the updates there, and provide your team with a script or landing page to use when guests call in with questions.
• External (Your Guests): To master this you will need to be light on your feet and ready to shift gears based on government-mandated policies. A critical piece is to keep all distribution channels updated with safety measures, closure/opening hours, and cancellation policies.

Regardless of WHO, you should strive to be open, transparent, and flexible when communicating with your organization and guests. Always thank people for their time, money, and investment in your business. Let them know the difference they are making in your ability to press forward. And be flexible with guests on cancellations and considerate to your workforce and their new work-life balance.

What

Stick to what you know, what you can control, and what your guests are looking for. Pay attention to the local and federal policies that are being enforced. Keep an eye on your competition to see what information they are sharing. And regularly keep general information like this up to date:

• Your local area’s response to the pandemic
• Precautions you are taking to keep guests safe
• Potential closures and dates, if possible
• Contact information and availability
• Worry-free cancellation policy

When

Now. Today. Use your PMS, go to a list of recent stays, do not get distracted, use personalization, and send every guest that stayed with you during 2020 a message simply thanking them for their support during this tough year. If you are smart, you will even throw a kicker in for them to entice a repeat visit.

Here are some opportunities to communicate your COVID-19 safety measures:

• When they call in
• When they visit your website
• When they visit your OTA listing
• When they see you on social media
• When they find you elsewhere online
• When they walk in the door
• When they use an amenity (restroom, gym, lounge, office)
• When you send them an email (on Tuesday for better open rates)

Where

The easiest thing to do is to promote your safety measure everywhere. To give you a little context to what we mean here are some places you should consider if you have not already.

• On-site: You should have signs plastered everywhere reminding guests of the utilization of masks and how to practice social distance from other guests. You should have sanitary stations set up throughout the property. Connect the dots and let your guests see you actively cleaning surfaces and objects to reinforce your stance on safety.
• Your website: Create a dedicated landing page on your website specifically for communicating how you are complying with the requirements for keeping guests safe. Use pop-up windows to bring attention to the information they are most likely looking for. When drafting content for this page consider the following:
  • Share new policies or procedures you have implemented at the property
  • Mention how you are keeping your staff educated and prepared
  • Communicate your cleaning procedures, a video here goes a long way
  • Provide details on your contactless methods
  • Outline the things you will have available to guests (mask, sanitizer stations, signs, etc.)
• Listing pages: Take the time to update your Google My Business listing and any other 3^rd party sites like TripAdvisor or Expedia. Make a point to share a link to a dedicated page on your website.
• Social media: make regular posts to inform guests of your open status and any changes to policies and procedures. You should also use this channel to share experiences of guests who have already stayed at your property. Be sure to use relevant hashtags and respond to any comments from guests.

How

There are several ways to communicate your safety measures. Here are a few ways we encourage hoteliers to spread the word.

• Email your customer base with a link to your dedicated COVID-19 webpage. This can be a message to those who signed up for a newsletter on your website, guests who have pending arrivals, or folks who have canceled their reservation altogether.
• Create a website pop-up message that alerts and direct visitors to where they can go to see your COVID-19 standards.
• Post on social media the open status of your property with a link to your dedicated COVID-19 webpage.
• Phone those guests who canceled due to safety concerns and share with them your new policies and procedures.
• Solicit reviews from guests who stayed with you in 2020. They are well-equipped to communicate your safety measures at the property. For those who have left reviews, respond. Do your best to address their immediate concern while highlighting safety as the #1 priority.

As we continue to experience this pandemic, be prepared to work with guests over the coming months to address their safety concerns. Develop a method to keep your communication strategy intact and be sure to update your policies as things change. Because they will.

While communicating with guests is nothing new, we have created a free resource guide “Communication Tips for Guest Satisfaction” that will walk through some writing basics, best practices, and tips to ensure your messaging is excellent and resonates with your guests.