Improve Customer Service with Social Media

Social media has proven to be a great tool for resorts to reach out to a wider audience online.  But not surprisingly, this marketing tool also has its way of extending its reach offline.

As most customer service still happens the moment a guest checks in, resorts can take it a step further by doing prior research about their guests’ likes, dislikes, hobbies or interests using social media.

Here are some practical ways:

Through Facebook
Facebook holds a lot of valuable information that can help any resort serve their guest better.  Since there are 9 million Facebook users in Australia, odds are these guests have a profile.  Search for their names in the Search field in the upper left-hand corner.  After you’ve found them, click on the Info tab in the guest’s profile and read up on his’ or her’s interests, activities and pages that he or she likes. 

If they happened to write that they like yoga or fitness activities, you may offer them a personal fitness trainer for the duration of their stay when they use the resort’s gym.

Through Twitter
Twitter offers more real-time information about your guests.  Search for their Twitter profiles and read up on what they have been posting lately.  They are tweeting about their craving for sushi or Thai food or wanting to eat in a fine dining restaurant.  Your resort can make use of that information by casually mentioning when your guests check-in that if they want to try out particular cuisines (like Thai), they have a list of recommended restaurants in the area for them.

Through Foursquare
Geolocation sharing can help resorts see the places that their guests frequent.  By looking at a guest’s Foursquare stream, they can get an idea what type of places their guest would like to visit.

If a guest always checks in at a basketball court, this can mean that he or she is fond of the sport.  Resorts can offer tickets to a local game or even vouchers in nearby sports gear shops.

Through Google
Google search results can show just about anything that your guest has been involved in, well, at least those that have been indexed online.  Guests might actually be renowned artists or musicians.  Recommend nearby art galleries, give them invites to a local art exhibition or introduce pubs that play good music.


The idea is to get to know your guests even before they actually check-in.  This way, you can give a more personalised customer service by only a little time and effort investment.  The rewards are great as your guests will feel more connected with you because you know and give what they want before they can even ask.  Indeed, this is what you call customer service in the time of social media.