Using Data and Technology To Nail The 'Personal Touch' With Guests

Knowing what guests want and need is top of mind for any hospitality professional, and now more than ever as a global pandemic impacts the when, where, and how of vacationing. New analytical tools have shown us not only what our Diamond Resorts members, owners and guests want, but also how can we predict and solve inefficiencies before challenges arise.

We use data to help us optimize the three elements of a vacation that, in addition to enhanced health and safety measures which we have implemented through our Diamond Standard of Clean, our guests consistently seek: simplicity, experiences, and personalization. The real task for us, ultimately, is taking data around those three elements and turning it into actions that create the best vacations possible.

Simplicity

Technology has made things simple, eliminating many face-to-face interactions between guest and team members and streamlining many parts of the vacation experience. Services and experiences are now at guests’ fingertips, saving them a trip to the lobby and even letting them plan out their trip long before they arrive. Diamond is also experimenting with various SMS services designed to communicate with guests in a way many prefer: text messaging.

We are also using data to compare how many people use live or in-person requests compared to online and app-driven requests, in order to guide our strategies moving forward. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every vacationer, but we can use insights to determine which online features are being well-received and which ones have room for improvements and updating.

Experiences

Long gone are the days where printed questionnaires served as the main way to hear about customers’ experiences. Online reviews on relevant websites, such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Yelp, provide highly valuable customer feedback at a property level. These websites give us another way to monitor what our customers like and don’t like about their Diamond experiences, and adjust accordingly. Universally positive feedback at a property might show us the need to analyze what is working well and apply some of those strategies across other properties, while negative feedback may illustrate the need to re-think certain programs or approaches. Every property is different and must be marketed as such, but seeing reviews allow us to pick up on industry trends and shifting preferences in real time.

The same line of thinking applies to social media. Guests and members often reply to Diamond Resorts’ owned social media platforms, offering feedback on their experiences. Social media users will also use Diamond-associated hashtags on platforms, including Instagram and Twitter, allowing us to track what these users are saying and help address potential pain points. We also use social media to test new Diamond content and initiatives, factoring in users’ reactions as a part of the overall calculus determining what programs and strategies we deploy from our brand.

Email marketing is also a crucial tool to communicate with our members, utilizing email open rates, link clicks, and other metrics to quantify sentiments within an industry defined by emotional and priceless experiences. 

Personalization

Data is valuable right down to the individual vacationer.

We utilize email surveys and our online member portals to hear direct feedback from our guests, and adjust accordingly to give them an even better experience on future trips. For example, a guest might note how they wished that their a food basket left in their accommodation was gluten-free. Through this, we can update our files with this relevant information to ensure their next stay includes an edible gift that they can fully enjoy.

We also use data to determine which dates specific customers prefer to travel on, which Diamond properties are their favorites, and what kind of packages and experiences they are the most interested in. We are determined to always be listening to our members. We saw that our members sought out one-of-a-kind experiences as part of their vacations, and created the Diamond Events of a Lifetime series as way to bring exclusive concerts and tours, VIP dinners, celebrity-led tours, and more to our members. We saw a demand for these memorable experiences, and put our collective efforts to further enhance the Diamond experience.

Data also helps us personalize our offerings to every potential new member. Predictive analytics guide our team members in offering prospects a customized package best-suited to their individual lifestyles, vacation preferences, and budget.

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Access to big and significant data incentivizes the need to harness this infinite resource to make predictions and make strategic decisions in a business context. If achieved, data and technology can continue unlocking new opportunities and accelerate Diamond and the industry’s ability to deploy maximum efficiency and precision in providing people the best vacation experiences possible.