Upselling is a tactic used in all industries to enhance a guest’s experience and increase the organization’s revenue. In the hospitality industry, upselling is about offering your guests additional services, add-ons, or experiences that will enhance their upcoming or current trips.
There are many benefits for your property and guests of upselling. First and foremost, your guests will have a better experience. You will be able to get to know them better through increased communication and tracking their preferences, so when you make an upsell recommendation, it will be personalized to the guest. You will create loyal and repeat guests by increasing personalization and deepening your customer relationships. At the back end, you can increase your revenue by offering services or activities guests may not know about or wouldn’t have thought to book. Additionally, upselling may seem intimidating or too sales-focused for your resort; however, it can be easy and require little of your staff. It can be as simple as asking your guest if they would like a late checkout because you know they are here for a late-night event.
Examples of Upsell Items
- Room upgrades
- Premium Wi-Fi
- Toiletries – hair dryers, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant
- Continental breakfast
- Dry cleaning
- Parking
- Airport shuttle
- Activity lessons – golf, tennis, surfing
- Bike rentals
- Spa services
A few things to keep in mind regarding upselling are, don’t be too pushy by offering upsell items relevant to your guests. You won’t want to offer dinner at a seafood restaurant if your guest has told the property about a shellfish allergy. You don’t want to sound like you’re reading a script or having the same conversation with every guest. Further, be sure to track any preferences, allergies, or other notes the guest has mentioned so that you can build guest profiles to make recommendations better. If all staff contribute to these guest profiles, then the whole team can be equipped to upsell to a guest. Finally, always consider your timing, tone, and regularity. No need to bombard guests at check-in by listing everything they can add on. Instead, send them email offerings ahead of time, show options that pair well during booking, or a text a few days into their trip. You want to stay consistent and keep communication ongoing without seeming pushy.
Upselling can have many benefits to your property and your guests. It opens communication and helps your property and guests get to know each other better. You can increase your revenue while improving your guest’s personal experience.