{"id":117200,"date":"2019-07-16T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/caring-isnt-creepy-personalization-in-the-travel-industry\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T16:42:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:42:41","slug":"caring-isnt-creepy-personalization-in-the-travel-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-ca\/insights\/blog\/strategy\/caring-isnt-creepy-personalization-in-the-travel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Caring Isn\u2019t Creepy: Personalization in the Travel Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a recent business trip, I was greeted at my hotel check-in desk with a pleasant surprise:<\/p>\n

“Thanks for staying with us again, Ms. Stein. As usual, we\u2019ve provided you with a feather-free room on a high floor away from the elevator. Also, since it\u2019s your fifth stay with us this year, we have a special welcome gift for you. We know you love chocolate, so our waiter will be right up with a plate of hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Did somebody mention chocolate? I was instantly won over.<\/p>\n

Making customers feel special<\/h2>\n

This is a hotel I have stayed at in the past, but never with any particular feelings of loyalty. That all changed, thanks to something that cost the hotel almost nothing\u2026 well, nothing but a simple plate of strawberries and a bit of a personal touch.<\/p>\n

In short, I felt special. I felt like a VIP. And I immediately opted to book with them again for my next stay. All because they had taken the time to go that extra mile.\u00a0It didn\u2019t matter to me that they were using data I had provided to them in the first place, via my online booking profile. It only mattered to me that they used this data in a way that improved my overall experience.<\/p>\n

\"Hotel<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not alone in this. Research conducted by Yieldify shows that, while 35% of consumers are uncomfortable with brands collecting personal data, 8 in 10 are actually in favor of providing personal data when booking travel<\/a>\u2014as long as they get something in return. That \u201csomething\u201d could take the form of a loyalty discount, a special service, or a more personalized booking or travel experience.<\/p>\n

In other words, travelers will share their data with you as long as you make it worth their while.<\/p>\n

Personal data: A fine line<\/h2>\n

But there\u2019s a fine line. Collect too much personal data\u2014or use it irresponsibly\u2014and you\u2019ll scare off your customers and probably lose them forever. When it comes to collecting and using personal data, there IS such a thing as overkill: use too much of it and you\u2019ll come across as creepy rather than caring.<\/p>\n

So how can major airlines, hotel chains, and other travel and tourism businesses bridge this gap? Obviously there are a lot of things to consider, but here are the five that are first to our minds:<\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    Be transparent<\/h3>\n

    Let your customers know what kind of data you\u2019re collecting, and exactly what you plan to use it for. Don\u2019t bury this in the fine print; be up front and conversational about it in your messaging.<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Communicate the incentives up front<\/h3>\n

    Want to know my birthday? Promise me a card, a booking discount, or a piece of cake, and I\u2019ll happily provide it. (Yes, I will sell my soul for chocolate. We\u2019ve established this already.)<\/li>\n

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