While in Penang this week, the second leg of our WIT Hospitality Roadshow, I downloaded the HotelQuickly app to quickly check what rooms were available and at what price.
Pool table as working space at China House Bar and Cafe
The company had just raised US$4.5 million in a second round of funding and they were part of our panel of speakers at this roadshow designed to update hoteliers in Bali, Penang and Phuket on the latest customer trends.
I found a surprisingly good choice of hotels – from more budget hotels such as Eastin to the higher range Eastern & Oriental and Lone Pine hotels. The prices weren’t bad and they promised me a discount on top of rates advertised if I signed on as a member.
A few hours after I downloaded the app, I received a message from HotelQuickly thanking me for doing so and asking me for feedback.
That same evening, Douglas Khoo, one of the co-founders of Qunar, got visibly excited at dinner after taking a phone call. “You won’t believe who that was from? MyTeksi.”
Khoo had used the Malaysian taxi app twice that day and had encountered a slight problem. “They wanted to find out what the problem was and if they could do anything to help,” he said. “I am very impressed.”
Indeed, these new tech companies are showing the way in customer service because they know that is the fastest and surest way to gain consumer trust – the biggest fear of booking online or on mobile is thinking you’re going to be left alone after the purchase.
To have someone follow up, whether with an email or telephone call, is highly reassuring and gives young tech companies a gravitas that goes a long, long way.
Last week, I encountered a problem booking on the Jetstar website. I gave up after several attempts and finally called the call centre. The staff, who assisted me with the booking, apologized for my problems and said she would send me a $50 voucher to compensate me for the inconvenience.
Venue of WIT Penang / Image credit: China House Bar and Cafe
What all these means is that it is truly the golden age of the customer. Competition is making suppliers hungrier for customers, and making them more eager to please us and keep our custom.
Taxi apps such as MyTeksi in Malaysia (same people behind Grab Taxi in Singapore and Indonesia) are solving the pain points of public transportation in cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang for both locals and tourists.
For years, we’ve had to put up with the bad taxi situation in Penang – drivers do not cruise, they do not use meters because the island is too small – all these being reasons why it’s so hard to flag down taxis and why they don’t use meters.
Apps like MyTeksi have introduced some form of agreement over taxi fares and in fact, my friends in Penang are surprised that drivers have taken to these apps as well as they have.
Just goes to show, when you offer people alternatives and solutions, they will welcome them …
Similar with hotel choices – these days, the customer is spoilt for choice as to which hotel to book and with whom. There are so many ways to search for the best prices, compare hotels – and you know what, you are no longer limited to just hotels – you can now stay in other people’s homes, rent other people’s cars and go on other people’s tours.
Hotels therefore have to become smarter not about where they sell themselves but how and when. Staying informed and updated about the new channels is the smartest thing hotels can do these days and senior management needs to realise that this “information updating” and “knowledge gain” are as important as technical skills.
If you believe the adage that knowledge is power, well consumers today have become all-powerful.
How do you keep these customers happy? Be better informed than them. It’s as simple as that. That way, you gain their respect and trust, and custom.
