One automated strategy to turn ‘No availability’ into direct revenue

If someone asked you how often a customer sees no availability for their search dates on your website, could you answer correctly and confidently?

Chances are, the answer is no.

Right now, an average of 20% of customers who want to book your hotel room are shown a no availability message and forced to look elsewhere. But according to Triptease clients, identifying when a customer has seen no availability is near impossible. Not only is availability data hard to get, but getting a system in place to automatically notify customers when a room becomes available is not easy.

The solution? An always-on ‘Back-in-stock’ email sent automatically to customers who’ve previously seen no availability. Read on to find out how they work and why they’re fundamental to your direct booking strategy.

Here’s how not having a No availability strategy is hurting your business

1. It’s a booking dead end for your potential guests

   Without an effective re-engagement strategy in place, your high-intent customers are left with no option but to look elsewhere. Despite this, Triptease data shows that one in every five customers see no availability when searching for a room - that’s a big chunk of potential guests who face a poor experience on your website!

2. No booking is safe from cancellations

   At first glance, having no availability looks great as you’ve successfully sold your inventory, but it’s important to look at the broader picture. With average cancellation rates sitting at 20%, the rise of booking trends such as ‘Trip Stacking’ and OTAs offering free cancellation policies means that no sold out hotel is ever totally safe from a last minute cancellation.

   Follow in the steps of eCommerce giants: Triptease’s ‘Back-in-stock’ emails

   There’s a number of reasons why hoteliers look toward eCommerce for best practices and one of them is their success with back-in-stock email campaigns. This type of email allows eCommerce businesses not only to keep customers engaged by notifying them when an item is back in stock, but also provides an effective way to build an email database of high-intent contacts.

   
   Hotels working with Triptease can now send automated cancellation alerts to customers who saw no availability using 'Back-in-stock' emails. These emails are triggered automatically in the event of a cancellation.
   

How it works (hint: there’s no work required from you!)

1. Triptease collects potential guest emails when they’ve seen No availability for their search

When a potential guest can’t find an available room for their search and is about to leave your website, a Full Screen Email Capture Message is triggered, giving them the opportunity to get cancellation updates.

2. Triptease monitors for inventory changes in your booking system

By integrating with your hotel's booking system, Triptease automatically knows when a room becomes available and whether it matches the selected dates of a customer who signed up for ‘Back-in-stock’ emails.

3. Triptease automatically sends a 'Back-in-stock' email

Once Triptease confirms that a room is available for the same dates the guest was looking at, an email is automatically sent to let them know there's now a room available.

4. Guest data is automatically synced to your CRM

If you’re already using a CRM, then you’ll be collecting data from guests who’ve already booked and stayed at your hotel. With CRM connectivity Triptease can provide contact details and enriched behavioral data for customers who have have signed up for cancellation alerts too. This gives you an amazing opportunity to use hard to reach data to create a bespoke ‘Back-in-stock’ campaign that suits you.

Three ways 'Back-in-stock' emails will make your life easier

1. Re-engage potential guests who saw No availability on your website

When you collect customer emails while they're genuinely interested, you're creating a list of engaged customers who want to know more about your hotel. Plus, all the data that Triptease collects on your behalf is GDPR-compliant, meaning you’re free to communicate with these potential customers confidently and securely.

2. 100% automated, including all the tricky and complicated tracking

A hotel’s CRM typically links to the PMS, but not directly with the booking engine. That has historically made it incredibly difficult to send back-in-stock emails simply and quickly. However, this complicated process is completely owned by Triptease, including a customizable email template. This way, you can regain lost revenue without the extra effort.

3. Set and forget so you can focus on what matters

You can set up this campaign in the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee. That means you'll not only see a return on investment in terms of revenue but also in time saved.

Book a coaching session with our team to automate your email marketing strategy

To find out more how a ‘Back-in-stock’ campaign can take your email marketing strategy to the next level - without the manual work - then get in touch with a member of our team today.