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Buckeye

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At the risk of misplacing this question on the wrong thread - we are now reviewing the Customer Relations Marketing concept (CRM) and wondering what (if any) of you have integrated some type of formal marketing/guest follow-up program to cultivate your customer bases. We are aware of Constnt Contct types of approaches (anyone use them or others?)
 
We send out a thank you email to each guest. Our booking software also allows for adding info about likes and dislikes and sorting out by whatever grouping we want to send out marketing for individual groups. We do not have an auto thank you email. I do them all individually with a template so I can add commentary or subtract things that don't apply.
I don't have the ability to sort out birthdays and anniversaries, not sure I would use that, either. I do make a note, when I remember, when a guest's b'day is so if they stay during their b'day we can do something for them.
I use Constant Contact for direct marketing.
 
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good.
 
copperhead said:
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good..
Click to expand...
I only personalize if I can remember something about them! I send them out usually 2 weeks after they leave. (Lots of people here are on really long vacations and I don't want to get lost in the 'great email purge' when they get around to the emails again.)
There are definitely guests who think I type these out one at a time. I have had to change the phrasing because they were emailing me telling me that they already get my newsletter and don't want to get more than one copy.
I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper, happy email when the last I saw of them they were slamming the door.
 
Madeleine said:
copperhead said:
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good..
Click to expand...
I only personalize if I can remember something about them! I send them out usually 2 weeks after they leave. (Lots of people here are on really long vacations and I don't want to get lost in the 'great email purge' when they get around to the emails again.)
There are definitely guests who think I type these out one at a time. I have had to change the phrasing because they were emailing me telling me that they already get my newsletter and don't want to get more than one copy.
I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper, happy email when the last I saw of them they were slamming the door.
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper said:
Completely understand and agree. For those few, I go in and manually remove the mailing.
Click to expand...
 
The marketing team at this B&B...oh wait it is only me. Well, anyway...it all depends. I send a card physically in the mail in my own pen to thank them, or an email if I had more info to send them, links, a photo or something, which contains a link to TA.
or nothing.
I don't want to bug them. Year one I was eager to do this and people felt like it was spam for the most part. As I travel and have every single place under the sun send me an email afterward, I feel the same. I booked something for my parents, so on that email I get ONE PER DAY asking more questions, and my mother already reviewed their stay. ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So the answer is no.
I had thought to email before special occasions I knew about, but people don't stay married! So that goes for birthdays AND anniversaries!
 
Some great info! I can see it now: (Follow-up marketing email for Madeleine)
Dear PITA, er, uh Mr. and Mrs Jones:
It was absolutely wonderful having you two at our lovely inn this past weekend! Even though your experience was miserable and there were numerous complaints you had, we certainly invite you to come back again!
regular_smile.gif

We truly appreciate every opportunity to advance in our diplomacy skills with obnoxious guests, and since the customer is always right at our B&B, we will make every effort to minimize your negative experiences next time.
Have an enjoyable summer!
The Sunshine B&B
 
hearthstoneinn said:
Some great info! I can see it now: (Follow-up marketing email for Madeleine)
Dear PITA, er, uh Mr. and Mrs Jones:
It was absolutely wonderful having you two at our lovely inn this past weekend! Even though your experience was miserable and there were numerous complaints you had, we certainly invite you to come back again!
regular_smile.gif

We truly appreciate every opportunity to advance in our diplomacy skills with obnoxious guests, and since the customer is always right at our B&B, we will make every effort to minimize your negative experiences next time.
Have an enjoyable summer!
The Sunshine B&B.
Click to expand...
Usually all I do is cut out the links to TA and to sign up for more news about the inn. Or, skip them altogether, which is why an auto email wouldn't work. I'd forget to take it off for that room and they'd be twice as peeved.
 
copperhead said:
Madeleine said:
copperhead said:
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good..
Click to expand...
I only personalize if I can remember something about them! I send them out usually 2 weeks after they leave. (Lots of people here are on really long vacations and I don't want to get lost in the 'great email purge' when they get around to the emails again.)
There are definitely guests who think I type these out one at a time. I have had to change the phrasing because they were emailing me telling me that they already get my newsletter and don't want to get more than one copy.
I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper, happy email when the last I saw of them they were slamming the door.
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper said:
Completely understand and agree. For those few, I go in and manually remove the mailing.
.
Click to expand...
Like the one that went out this morning because I forgot to delete it? It thanked the couple from MD who decided they were not staying after booking my best room for Saturday of Mem Day weekend. Oh well, I got their money.
Click to expand...
 
gillumhouse said:
copperhead said:
Madeleine said:
copperhead said:
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good..
Click to expand...
I only personalize if I can remember something about them! I send them out usually 2 weeks after they leave. (Lots of people here are on really long vacations and I don't want to get lost in the 'great email purge' when they get around to the emails again.)
There are definitely guests who think I type these out one at a time. I have had to change the phrasing because they were emailing me telling me that they already get my newsletter and don't want to get more than one copy.
I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper, happy email when the last I saw of them they were slamming the door.
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper said:
Completely understand and agree. For those few, I go in and manually remove the mailing.
.
Click to expand...
Like the one that went out this morning because I forgot to delete it? It thanked the couple from MD who decided they were not staying after booking my best room for Saturday of Mem Day weekend. Oh well, I got their money.
.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a bug. If the rez is canceled why would an auto TY email go out?
Click to expand...
 
Madeleine said:
gillumhouse said:
copperhead said:
Madeleine said:
copperhead said:
My reservation software has a built in 'thank-you' email which is sent to each guest after their departure. I have tried to make it as UNcanned as possible but do use it. (I commend Maddie for taking the time to make each personal)
We use Mail Chimp for our email marketing, which we send out quarterly. DH has developed 3 lists of email addies and we send out to one list per month. This keeps us under the # of max per free use. So far so good..
Click to expand...
I only personalize if I can remember something about them! I send them out usually 2 weeks after they leave. (Lots of people here are on really long vacations and I don't want to get lost in the 'great email purge' when they get around to the emails again.)
There are definitely guests who think I type these out one at a time. I have had to change the phrasing because they were emailing me telling me that they already get my newsletter and don't want to get more than one copy.
I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper, happy email when the last I saw of them they were slamming the door.
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine I'm leery of auto emails in case someone was really unhappy. I would prefer not to send them a TY without it being personalized. Especially a chipper said:
Completely understand and agree. For those few, I go in and manually remove the mailing.
.
Click to expand...
Like the one that went out this morning because I forgot to delete it? It thanked the couple from MD who decided they were not staying after booking my best room for Saturday of Mem Day weekend. Oh well, I got their money.
.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a bug. If the rez is canceled why would an auto TY email go out?
.
Click to expand...
It wasn't canceled. I marked it as a checkout because they checked in, went up the block to get dinner and booze, could not get booze, so decided to leave. I do not think they were here more than an hour - so I marked them as a check out which they were.
Click to expand...
 
Hmmm. Is there a way to turn off those e-mails in ResKey on a case-by-case basis? I've never seen that, but never looked for it.
 
Arkansawyer said:
Hmmm. Is there a way to turn off those e-mails in ResKey on a case-by-case basis? I've never seen that, but never looked for it..
Click to expand...
Arkansawyer said:
Hmmm. Is there a way to turn off those e-mails in ResKey on a case-by-case basis? I've never seen that, but never looked for it.
Click to expand...
You can just delete them from the queue - click on 'history and queue' and you can edit or delete messages already set up.
 
muirford said:
Arkansawyer said:
Hmmm. Is there a way to turn off those e-mails in ResKey on a case-by-case basis? I've never seen that, but never looked for it..
Click to expand...
Arkansawyer said:
Hmmm. Is there a way to turn off those e-mails in ResKey on a case-by-case basis? I've never seen that, but never looked for it.
Click to expand...
You can just delete them from the queue - click on 'history and queue' and you can edit or delete messages already set up.
.
Click to expand...
muirford said:
You can just delete them from the queue - click on 'history and queue' and you can edit or delete messages already set up.
Click to expand...
Ha! Thanks! I'd always thought that was a heading that didn't make much sense. Didn't know it was clickable!
Wonder what else is hidden under the ResKey hood that I've never discovered!!
 

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