In the world of venue and event management, delivering exceptional customer service is paramount to ensuring long-term business success. Why? Well, if guests don’t have a positive experience, it is unlikely they will rebook, or worse, they could leave a negative review impacting future bookings. With that in mind, venue and event professionals must continuously evaluate each aspect of their service delivery to ensure they provide the best possible experience for their customers, which is why many are turning to self-service solutions.
The Myth Surrounding Self-Service, Human Involvement & Customer Satisfaction
Often there is a misconception that when businesses replace manual processes with automated or self-service alternatives, the customer experience will suffer from the lack of human involvement. This myth was perpetuated by early adopters of self-service systems using technology purely as a cost-saving measure; however, this notion is outdated. Nowadays, most businesses implement self-service solutions to improve the customer experience by automating workflows and increasing operational efficiencies.
Top 8 Benefits of Self-Service Solutions
In working with our customers, we have seen first-hand the benefits that self-service solutions can bring to venues and event teams. Here is a list of the top benefits experienced by Ungerboeck customers using our self-service tools, including Online Space Bookings, Event Portal, and Ungerboeck Payments.
1. Exceed Customer Expectations
Customer expectations have changed. Consumers want the freedom and autonomy to get things done quickly and easily at a time that suits them. As a result, manual processes and long wait times can significantly impact the customer experience – especially when it comes to online bookings and orders. Self-service solutions let customers do what they need to, like make a booking or process a payment, without help from your staff, which makes for a better experience overall.
2. Deliver Consistent Experiences for Every Customer
Self-service solutions allow businesses to support multiple customers simultaneously and ensure they offer all customers the same high-quality customer experience (CX) and real-time information. In doing so, self-service platforms significantly increase productivity levels and the capacity for venues to provide great customer service experiences to a larger customer base. As a result, venues and events teams can improve customer satisfaction and nurture considerable growth. For example, one of our customers recently reported a 48% increase in venue occupancy since adopting online booking portals.
3. Reduce Errors with Real-time Data
Successful businesses integrate all of the applications within their technology ecosystem to ensure all data updates are real-time. In doing so, they can rest assured that customers can access accurate and current information, reducing the potential for errors and booking conflicts and ensuring a seamless experience.
4. Increase Operational Efficiency
By replacing manual processes with automated, self-service solutions, venue and event teams can streamline their workflows, allowing them to increase their operational efficiency. For example, Hurst Convention Center saved approximately 4,000 man-hours annually since digitising its event management processes.
5. Spend More Quality Time with Customers
By reducing time spent on administrative tasks, venue and events teams benefit from having more quality time to spend with their customers. This time can be used to build rapport with the customer and better understand their expectations to deliver memorable events and great customer experiences, encouraging brand loyalty, word-of-mouth promotion and better Net Promoter Scores (NPT).
6. Improve Employee Satisfaction
As well as having more time to spend with customers, self-service solutions also improve employee satisfaction by relieving them of repetitive, time-consuming tasks and allowing them the freedom to be more innovative and creative and focus on how to perform their jobs and serve customers to the best of their ability. Not only does this translate into positive customer experiences, but it also improves staff engagement and retention.
7. Provide Accessible Service Experiences
As part of their overarching customer experience strategies, all businesses should consider how each touchpoint can be more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities and other diverse needs. For example, venues should configure self-service bookings sites and payment portals to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to make them more accessible to the broader community.
8. Encourage SustainablePractices
Self-service solutions make it easier to encourage customers to choose sustainable options while maintaining a good customer service experience. For example:
- Promote Paperless Alternatives – Reduce paper wastage by promoting paperless alternatives like digital tickets/e-tickets to replace physical tickets and online contracts, invoices, and receipts to reduce the need for printed documentation.
- Offer Hybrid Options – Expand your guestlist by offering hybrid options for customers who want to attend virtually rather than in person, resulting in fewer travel emissions and less potential waste.
- Upsell Eco-friendly & Carbon Offset Packages – Encourage customers to consider eco-friendly choices for upcoming events and bookings. For example, offer sustainable menu choices (e.g., meat-free or plant-based options) or carbon offset packages to give customers the freedom to control their impact at the event.
- Reduce Waste – Empowering customers to manage their event details using self-service portals means venue teams can access the latest information and avoid potential catering and energy wastage at the event.
Want Advice from a Self-Service Expert?
Our team of experts are available to help you find effective ways of transforming your booking processes with self-service solutions. Contact us today to find out how online bookings can help streamline your booking processes.