How Seekom Helps Staff Stay Stress-Free at Spring Creek Holiday Park
Managers: Judy and Gert Theron
Running a popular holiday park is no small task, but Seekom’s property management system has made operations much smoother for managers Judy and Gert Theron.
Nestled just outside Blenheim, Spring Creek Holiday Park spans 5.5 acres with 74 campsites and 26 units, offering travellers a picturesque getaway in New Zealand’s magical Marlborough region.
A seamless booking system and efficient, warm guest communications are vital to the holiday experience, and thankfully Judy knows a good system when she sees one.
Judy says she immediately saw the value in Seekom’s software when she and Gert came on as the managers of the holiday park four years ago.
“The more you use the system, the more you get out of it,” she says. “Some users just use it for bookings, but you can utilise it for reporting, payments, and all your guest communications.”
One of the most recent Seekom features Spring Creek Holiday Park has implemented is SMS messaging, a tool that has quickly become an integral part of their day-to-day operations.
“We started using it in October or November, just after it launched, and now we use it every single day.”
From notifying late arrivals of their site numbers to sending gentle payment reminders, SMS messaging has transformed the way Spring Creek Holiday Park interacts with guests. Unlike emails, which can go unread while guests are enjoying their holidays, text messages ensure quick responses and seamless communication.
She says the park has found guests respond to SMS messages more quickly than email as a lot of people don’t check their emails regularly while on holiday.
Seekom’s PMS doesn’t just enhance guest interactions – it also frees up valuable time for Judy and her team.
“I can get things done quickly, which leaves me a little bit of time for a glass of wine in the evening.”
The system is also very easy to learn, which is essential for a busy team.
“It literally took me 48 hours when I first arrived, and I was up and running. And when I train my staff to use it, they pick it up really fast.”
Seekom plays a crucial role in keeping Spring Creek Holiday Park running smoothly, with three office staff regularly using the system.
“We are really happy with Seekom. You just have to get the right package that works for you, but when you do, it is really powerful.”
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How to make the most of Seekom’s enhanced SMS guest messaging
According to global SMS messaging company Modica Group, there are now more than 7 billion phones in the world, 91% of adults keep their phones within arm’s reach at all times, and 98% of SMS messages are opened in the first three minutes.
That’s a whole lot of reasons to consider using more SMS messaging to improve the guest experience and make life easier for staff at your accommodation business.
From before guests arrive to after they leave, our recent Seekom SMS upgrade can help ensure their experience is the very best possible.
Not only that, but it can save staff time and increase your business’ revenue by making guests aware of all the additional free and paid services you can offer.
Here are just a few ways you can harness Seekom’s new SMS messaging at your place.
Before guests arrive
First impressions matter. So why not send guests a friendly “We’re looking forward to having you stay with us” message, accompanied by some of the highlights of your local area, or accommodation, to whet their appetite and get them excited about their upcoming visit
For guests arriving outside of regular hours, automated text messages sent a day or so prior to their arrival can guide them through where to park and after-hours check-in processes, reducing stress and informing them of your normal reception hours.
Additionally, confirming contactless check-in services via text may be convenient for some of your guests, while also reducing reliance on your staff to complete the check-in process.
From an upsell perspective, a day or two before your guests arrive could be the ideal time to dangle the carrot of an enticing room upgrade.
During their visit
Consider continuing the smooth flow of information with a welcome text on the day of arrival coupled with those essential Wi-Fi details to set a positive tone for your guests’ stay and make them feel appreciated.
If there are any ongoing nearby roadworks or impending weather issues, a group SMS to all guests staying with you to pass on helpful logistics or safety information can go a long way. Proactive communication helps guests adjust their plans and avoid potential inconveniences, demonstrating your commitment to their comfort and safety.
You might also take advantage of the new SMS messaging feature to advertise all the upsell options you offer – your guests need to be aware of them to take advantage of them. For example, you might set up an automated text message to all guests staying with you alerting them to gear hire opportunities or offering them the option to extend their stay with a late check-out for an additional fee.
Lastly, informing guests about local attractions, events and seasonal activities is another way you can add value, positioning you as an insider resource for guests looking to get the most out of their stay with you.
After guests leave
When guests check out, it need not be the final goodbye. Why not use Seekom’s text system to request online feedback or a review to gather valuable insights and boost your online reputation? You could also encourage guests to follow your property’s page on social media or share favourite photos from their stay.
A charmingly crafted thank-you text can leave a lasting positive impression that may increase the likelihood of repeat bookings. Additionally, you could boost repeat business by offering a discount on a guest’s next booking to incentivise their return and build loyalty.
These are just a few of the many ways you can make the most of our new SMS functionality to enhance your guests’ experience, drive additional revenue through upselling, and distinguish your property as a customer-centric destination that goes above and beyond to ensure guest satisfaction.
The great thing about text messages is that the vast majority of people receive and read them almost immediately. And once you set the wheels in motion, the automated messaging takes care of itself – saving you time. The power is now in your hands.
How do I start using the new SMS feature in your Seekom account
To start making the most of automated and group SMS messaging, make sure to read our SMS upgrade help guide. Our support team is happy to assist you in getting things set up.
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Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2024 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Latest changes improve guest communications, save time and paper
American novelist Mark Twain is famously credited with saying “continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection”.
We wouldn’t claim to be perfect at Seekom, but we do aim to roll out regular enhancements that make our leading property management software that little bit more powerful, easy to use and effective for people running accommodation businesses around the world.
The past few weeks have seen the introduction of three small enhancements to help you improve your guest communications and save staff time (and paper!).
Schedule guest notification emails during event weekends or holidays
You can now set up and schedule emails to be sent to guests during select time periods. This will be useful for those who want to send messages to guests at key times, perhaps to inform them of visitor rules during event weekends or remind them to keep noise down after midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Scheduled emails can be set up in Seekom’s Email Scheduler.
Seekom users can now navigate to the Arrivals & Departures screen and use the Arrivals tab to
tick all vehicle registrations they want printed on a single page.
Multiple vehicle registrations can now be printed on one page, for those who want to save
paper.
Print multiple vehicle registrations on one page to save paper
Seekom includes a time saving feature that allows you to print the vehicle registrations provided by your guests, for display on their vehicle dashboards during check-in. This smooths the check-in process while also making it easy for you to keep track of which vehicles in your carpark belong to paying guests.
We’ve recently made a small enhancement to this feature to make it possible to print multiple vehicle registrations on a single piece of paper. You can still print registrations individually if you prefer, but this enhancement will be helpful for those who want to save paper by printing multiple vehicle registrations on a page before separating them using your cutting implement of choice to give to customers on arrival.
Multiple vehicle registrations can now be printed on one page, for those who want to save
paper.
Plus a small time-saving change on the finance screen
A small change has been introduced on the finance screen to ensure the ‘Paid in by’ field is pre-populated with the name of the lead guest by default. This can still be changed as normal but pre-populating it with the lead guest will save some time in the majority of situations where the guest making the booking is also the person making the payment.
The ‘Paid in by’ field will now have the lead-guest pre-selected on Seekom’s finance screen,
saving staff time when entering payments.
That’s all for now, but we will have some exciting further changes coming up in the months ahead. Stay tuned and we will be sure to let you know as further enhancements are rolled out.
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Recent Blog Post
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Contact Us
PO Box 9300, Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2024 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)