![New Booking Trend [THUMBNAIL]](https://boostly.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/New-Booking-Trend-THUMBNAIL-1024x576.jpg)
Are you taking advantage of the new booking trend? If not, you're missing out! More and more businesses are using chat services to take bookings from their websites. This is a great way to boost your sales and increase customer satisfaction. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of using chat services for booking appointments and reservations. We will also provide tips on how to get started. So don't wait any longer – start using chat services today!
Benefit of using chat services
One of the great things about using chat services for bookings is that it's a very convenient way for customers to make appointments. They can do it at their own convenience, without having to call or email you. All they need is an internet connection and they're good to go. This means that you're more likely to get bookings from people who wouldn't have otherwise made the effort to contact you.
Another benefit of using chat services is that it allows you to provide a more personalised service. When customers make a booking through a chat service, they are typically given the option to leave their name and contact details. This means that you can follow up with them afterwards to thank them for their booking, or to offer them a discount on their next purchase. This personalised service is sure to impress your customers and keep them coming back for more.
If you're not already using chat services for bookings, now is the time to start. It's a great way to boost your sales and increase customer satisfaction. Follow the tips above to get started, and you'll be reaping the benefits in no time. Using chat services for bookings is a great way to boost sales and increase customer satisfaction.
Do you use chat services for bookings? What are your thoughts on this new trend? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to Boostly Podcast Episode 462. In this podcast I'm going to be talking about how Instant Bookings have changed the game for the hospitality sector, and providing advice on how to secure more bookings using a chat service on your website.
Looking to build that trust factor with your customers? Check out www.boostly.co.uk/trust
Here's the audio for this episode:
Here's the video for this episode:
Timestamps (audio)
00:27 – Instant Bookings
03:18 – Why you should use Whatsapp or live chat on your website
04:47 – Keeping you ahead of the game
Whilst you’re here
Follow Boostly on the following channels to get more tips, tactics and knowledge on how you can increase your direct bookings
Visual – YouTube
Audio – Boostly Podcast
Transcript from the Episode
Introduction
[00:00:00] Mark: And this is something that I've been noticing, um, from speaking to a lot of people and what I'm noticing in, in, in trends as well, is that at the present moment in time, the direct bookings are coming in. They are on the back of an inquiry. So 10, 15, 20 years ago before booking.com, Airbnb Expedia, everybody who has had a business back then you will know that every single list insight had a phone number on it, or had an email inquiry.
Instant Booking
[00:00:27] Mark: There was no instant book because 10, 15, 20 years ago, what you'll know is, is that people want it to ask a question before booking, obviously instant book changes. And it went for a time where everybody was just instant booking, wherever that may be. But what we're noticing, and I've noticed this from speaking to quite a few people over the course of the last week, and not only that, but looking at trends that are going around and this could be for a number of reasons, nobody's actually dug into why, but you can just maybe draw your own conclusions.
[00:00:55] Mark: I mean, you're speaking to the guests, you know what the questions are coming in. But ever since the pandemic, people are much more likely to ask a question before booking.
One of the biggest problems when it comes to converting a looker, into a Booker for a direct booking is the trust factor. Whether you like it or not, your guest is looking to make sure that you are who you say. So, how can you do that? Well, the number one accreditation and recommendation certification service in the industry is I prac and I'm so happy to say that I prac is sponsoring this podcast and is the lead sponsor for all Boostly content
The reason why we partnered up is that I have been working alongside I practice for many years. I recommend them to every Boostly customer, client, and team boostly. The reason being is that, unlike other accreditation services, they are not just country specific. It is global and it is worldwide. They've got over 10,000 members and they've got over 250,000 properties, which means that you can display your AIPAC certificate on your website and on your socials and know that you are going to be providing that trust that your future potential guest is looking.
I reached out to I prac and I asked them if they've got a special offer for boostly members. And so if you go to boostly.co.uk/trust T R U S T, you will go to a special boostly landing page where you can book in a call and a demo. And if you sign up, you get a very special exclusive discount that’s only for Boostly members.
So thank you. I prac, for being our sponsor. Thank you for listening to this very short message. I hope that you go and check out I prac today. I hope that you go and join them just like hundreds of other members have done, because it will help massively with you increasing your direct bookings. Right? Let's get back to the show.
[00:02:51] Mark: And there was a stat going around about 2017, 2018, and 2019 where it was 76% of people will want to ask a question at the point of booking. So. This is where I want to give a little bit of a quick win for everybody. And this is something that we're doing at Boostly, moving forward is install or add in a live chat or a WhatsApp link to your website.
Why you should use Whatsapp or live chat on your website
[00:03:18] Mark: So just to give you a quick example of what one looks like, so I've got one up on the screen. We've got, Luke stays here. You can see Luke's days. You can see on the bottom right hand corner, it's got the, it's got the live chat option. And as well, he's taken it one step further. You've got the WhatsApp link here.
[00:03:33] Mark: You've got emails, you've got phone calls. So, you know, as you scroll down, it's sticky, it stays at, it shows that it's there. So if any time that there's a question they want to go there. It could be a number of reasons why, but the main thing to do is to go and get yourself a live chat in our boost. The beauty of having a WordPress boosted website is that it's so simple and easy to do easier than any of a form of software that salvage.
[00:03:57] Mark: So talk is one that's recommended T a w K dot T. Um, you can also as well go and grab plugins, uh, for WhatsApp button again, super simple to do. Uh, you've got social chat plugin, which is right there. And again, you can add these into your WhatsApp site. Moving forward, all booster websites are going to have this, uh, installed, which is, uh, which is good.
[00:04:22] Mark: But if you all currently got a boostly website and you have. Um, got a live chat free, and they're simple to add in, just go to talk dot T O you got to sign up, you'll get a, a little plugin. Um, and what we'll do on the backend is that we'll show you how to install the plugin. I mean, it's super simple. We'll get some open to group, but Boostly academy people again, go and go and get something like this, because it will be much beneficial to you in, in the, in the short, medium and long.
Keeping you ahead of the game
[00:04:47] Mark: Again, the whole point of this group and the whole point of you being here is that I try and keep you ahead of the game. This is something that we're noticing massively. This is where I throw the conversation over to you in the comments. Are you noticing this as well? Are you noticing that more people are wanting to call, wanting to ask a question, um, or even as a WhatsApp or a live chat, et cetera.
[00:05:04] Mark: Now you may be thinking, well, this is a little bit extra work. Well, I think you'd much rather get ahead of this now and get this sorted now then have to basically lose the booking or then go to a back to back to the OTA, to do the actual booking. I mean, obviously you're still going to need the direct booking aspects on your website because after you've had the chat with them and say, right, well, go to this link, make the payment, make the booking, et cetera.
[00:05:26] Mark: And in the medium to long-term. How can you look to maybe automate automatize this? Or is this something that you're gonna have to hire for, get somebody in to be able to answer these questions? This is some really good food for thought, but make sure you're ahead of the game. Make sure you get a live chat feature on your website.
[00:05:40] Mark: Whether it's talk, whether it's just a WhatsApp button, whatever you're going to do. And if you've already got this set up, leave those examples in the comments below.
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