How do you create and use guest personas to enhance your guest service management?

1 Why guest personas matter

Guest personas matter because they help you segment and profile your guests, and design personalized and memorable experiences for them. By creating guest personas, you can identify your guests' goals, challenges, expectations, and preferences, and align your guest service strategy with them. Guest personas also help you communicate better with your guests, and build trust and loyalty.

2 How to create guest personas

To create guest personas, you need to collect and analyze data from various sources, such as guest feedback, surveys, reviews, social media, CRM, and analytics. You can use tools like HubSpot or Xtensio to create and organize your guest personas. You should aim to create 3-5 guest personas, depending on the size and diversity of your guest base. Each guest persona should have a name, a photo, a demographic profile, a psychographic profile, and a guest journey map.

3 How to use guest personas

To use guest personas, you need to apply them to every aspect of your guest service management, from marketing and sales, to operations and loyalty. For example, you can use them to craft targeted and relevant marketing campaigns and offers that appeal to your guests' needs and interests. Additionally, training your staff to deliver personalized and empathetic service that meets your guests' expectations and solves their problems is essential. Furthermore, designing your facilities and amenities to match your guests' preferences and lifestyles will also be beneficial. Enhancing your loyalty program and rewards to motivate your guests to return and refer others is also a key step. Finally, measuring and improving your guest satisfaction and retention rates is a must.

4 How to update guest personas

Guest personas are not static, but dynamic, and so you need to update them regularly, at least once a year or when you notice significant changes in your guest data or feedback. To do this, review your current guest personas to check if they are still accurate and relevant. Collect and analyze new data from your guests using the same sources and tools as before. Identify any changes or trends in guests' profiles, needs, expectations, and behaviors, and then adjust your personas accordingly. Finally, communicate the changes to staff and stakeholders.

5 How to avoid common pitfalls

Creating and using guest personas can be a powerful way to enhance your guest service management, but it can also have some challenges and risks. To avoid common pitfalls, you should ensure that your guest personas are based on data and research, not assumptions or stereotypes. Additionally, focus on the most important and relevant information, not details that are irrelevant or distracting. Furthermore, create realistic and specific personas, not idealized or generic ones. It is also important to involve your staff and stakeholders in the process, so they can provide feedback and input. Lastly, use your guest personas as a guide rather than a rule; be flexible and adaptable to your guests' individual needs and situations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?