Suggestions

Marriott International currently holds a major portion of the market share within the hotel industry. In order to retain their clients, they need to remain consistent with their service as well as continue to improve their use of the technology. MARSHA has been in use for just a few years short of two decades and changing this system would be difficult. But a change is necessary when the case is that Marriott has received several complaints about the way reservations are handled after booking.

A majority of complaints were received by Marriott Rewards customers. While booking is easy and the use of Marriott Rewards has improved customer retention, it has also resulted in many unsatisfied customers. Some customers holding Platinum status within the Rewards program felt that their reservations should be flagged. By improving MARSHA to automatically identify these Platinum or other high tiered customers, Marriott employees could be better prepared to accommodate them.

One of the major goals of Marriott has been to retain their most valued customers, yet the same valued customers complain about wait times when arriving at their respective properties, a lack of upgrades, and poor customer service overall.   

MARSHA is already integrated with Marriott Rewards, so it should be able to automatically identify Platinum rewards members. On the date of these customers’ check in, their rooms should automatically be upgraded by the system, rather than the customer having to ask for one. By doing this, Marriott will be able to satisfy the customers that use their properties most often.

Marriott should utilize online comment cards with all customers that book rooms through their online booking system. Some customers complained that when requesting comment cards, they were told that the property had run out.

Many businesses which offer some sort of online shopping experience or rewards program automatically sends out an email within a few days of the transaction which gives customers the option to complete a survey. By using this simple tool, Marriott can guarantee that their customers will have the option to leave feedback for their stay. When surveys are completed, high scores can be used to reward hotel employees for being ambassadors for the Marriott brand name. When low scores are received, customers can be contacted by the hotel to discuss the negative aspects of their stay which can in turn be remedied through being offered additional points, free nights, or other incentives to return to Marriott regardless of their poor experience.

Finally, because Marriott already has a smart phone application, they can eliminate or reduce wait times for customers when checking in by adding a feature which will identify more realistic check in times. While all hotels offer a certain check in time, most customers tend to check in later or sometimes earlier than the times listed by the hotel. By allowing customers to send their estimated check in time or using the location services of a smart phone to automatically alert the hotel when a customer is within a certain distance of the hotel, hotel staff can be better prepared to handle arrivals.

These simple measures are all achievable at minimal costs and can greatly improve customer and employee experiences.