Trust International´s customers are off to a positive start in 2015 astride a wave of new technologies and specialized services that have spawned growth in new business and increased bookings across multiple channels.
Growth in Bookings and Revenue
Trust customers wrapped up 2014 posting solid growth via all channels and are on track for continued growth. “In 2014, we grew total bookings and revenue by 25,2% for our customers,” noted Richard Wiegmann, Managing Director of Trust International. “The first months in 2015 see continuous growth via all channels, with excellent growth of 49% via the OTA channel and 39.5% via the hotel groups´ own websites. Our growth in bookings is largely a symbiosis of the great distribution strategies our customers are implementing using the tools and services that we developed in partnership with them to increase productivity and conversions and help hoteliers maximize occupancy. ”
Some of the recent technologies and services Trust has developed to help hoteliers organize and improve their operations include:
• Trust|Campaign automates the complex, risky process of bidding for position in metasearch. It optimizes the hotel’s metasearch position within a certain budget to capture potential guests’ attention and drive resulting business to the hotelier’s booking engine rather than to an OTA.
• Interfaces to the hotel group´s own CRM system or to Trust|CRM content management solution give access to detailed profiles and guest recognition through centralized profile management from any point of sale to provide travelers with the exceptional service they are seeking, ultimately strengthening sales and improving revenue. I.e., hoteliers can have a guest’s desired amenities waiting upon arrival or offer the option to order them in advance or onsite. Hotels may also tailor special offers to the right customers at the right time to increase the return rate.
• Trust|Corporate helps hoteliers service corporate guests or guest groups with latest Internet booking technology to access exclusive negotiated rates, real time availability with online booking capability, immediate confirmations and tailor-made database information. The IBE is customizable to the client’s corporate design, all in a secure environment. Efficient, cost effective and convenient for business travelers, it offers control for travel managers and cost savings for the company and hotel.
• Through CRS interfaces to payment gateways such as ATOS, Concardis, Computop or Globalcollect to offer pre-payment and voucher solutions or an interface to travel insurances for guests booking a hotel or latest Internet booking features for the company´s web site, Trust tailors the technology for the hotel groups´ guest needs.
Although a Feb. 17, 2015 TravelClick hotel industry report noted a 5% decrease in calls directly to properties, the hotels’ 800 numbers and walk-ins, Trust is seeing more hoteliers using its voice services to offer the highest level of personalized service with excellent ROI. In 2014, Trust clients using dedicated agent voice services produced 20% higher revenue per booking and a 2.7% higher conversion rate.
“We believe the specialized training program for call center agents is an important factor in boosting the results for hoteliers,” remarked Mr. Wiegmann. “This has led a number of hoteliers to contract our voice services, including Commune Hotels & Resorts, an international, multi-brand lifestyle hotel management company, that went live with our dedicated global voice services in January and are already generating very positive results.”
