"The Gospel of the Repeat Guest".

When is someone considered a repeat customer? Everyone has their own definition, but the repeat customer can be based on but not limited too : your previous stays- are you considered a repeat on or after your second visit? The time period in which you visited- is it once in the the last year or three times in the last six years? The purpose of your visit- were you a tourist on your first visit and now part of a delegated committee- are you a repeat then? How do the hotels know- do you tell them that you are a repeat client or can they retrieve it through their system? The guest history displayed at the front desk is about 70% accurate. Repeat customers are always good to have but do they save on the marketing dollars? Hotels send different messages to lure customers back, but they still have to keep in contact with them. How much revenue is lost in providing upgrades to repeat customers? When they return to the hotel, do they spend as much as they did the first time? Is the hotel generating enough income to accommodate them again? Is it worth it? Can hotels depend less on luring clients back and depending on the customers spreading the word about the good experiences through word of mouth and gaining more business that way? They will after all tell their friends and families about the experiences they had, so why not treat the new customers with as much attention as the repeat?
This article was might interesting, in that I never thought about how much money the hotel can spend in trying to lure a clients back to the hotel. What do they do, the money that they sometimes lose by the guest who comes back but does not spend as much. The next time I check into a hotel I will have to look at how they measure a repeat customer, how do they keep track of that customer and what lengths do they go to to retain that customer.

Schubach, M. & Phillips, L. (2006, June 16.).   Hospitality Upgrade: Customer | Relationship Management:
Thou Shalt Have No Other Guests Before Them. Retrieved March 09, 2007.
from , Michael Schubach, CHTP, is the VP of resort technology for ClubResorts, the resort division of ClubCorp.
Lisa Phillips is the director of ClubResorts' guest centric marketing. Web site: http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/magazine_Detail.asp?ID=4