Opinion Article5 July 2021The F&B business side of a hotel group is more than a revenue stream. It has become a channel for customer acquisition. The restaurant gives diners a glimpse of what to expect from the brand. Positive experiences are more likely to make future stays at the hotel.AdvertisementsF&B managers have now the tools to make the most of this first phase of the customer journey. Restaurants can now use table management systems and CRMs to collect data about their guests, such as their spend history, number and preferences for food, and then use that information to delight and retain customers with targeted marketing campaigns and personalized service.Their seamless experience has been disrupted by regular diners becoming new customers. They see staying at the hotel as an extension of their existing relationship with the brand. The staff at the restaurant would be able to remember their names and keep a bottle of wine for them, but when they get to the reception desk they discover that they don't know much about the hotel.This is due to a lack of data integration between the PMS groups and the table management system. Although hotel CRMs are increasingly integrated worldwide, residents and diners still have their own customer journeys and each has its own technology stack.This trend is now reversed and integration between PMS data and F&B data has begun to take shape. It's becoming a necessity in many hotels.Revenue is generated by F&B and PMS integrationHospitality groups can share hotel and F&B data to fix broken guest experiences. Instead of having several profiles in different systems, they can now have a single 360 view. They can also cross-reference data or monitor customer satisfaction to create a seamless brand experience that guests enjoy, no matter how they were acquired.This integrated approach opens up opportunities for more revenue.New residents can enjoy a customized experience in hotels if they come from the restaurant channel. A hotel can offer special events to diners who book a room.This type of integration also has benefits in the reverse direction. Post-stay communication can be used by hotels to encourage their guests to visit other local restaurants. A resident can become a diner and the restaurant can use their previous stays to personalize their experience.Restaurant data can also be used to delight regular residents and keep them coming back. This was especially important in the context of the pandemic. Many hotels were unable to accommodate transient tourists due to travel restrictions. They had to focus on a smaller group of staycationers.Hotels face challengesGlobal hospitality companies face many challenges on their journey to integration. Because guest data can be personal and sensitive, they must first adhere to local privacy laws to ensure high levels of security.However, there are also internal challenges. Hotels can be large ships, which require enormous engine power to turn. It is not always easy to get from A to B. They can have a complex structure that includes different departments that must align around a particular tech solution or strategy.However, the integration of PMS and TMS data can ultimately drive up revenue per room. This emerging trend will be a standard in the hospitality industry once it is established.
