What is the difference between a B2B and B2C hotel CRM system?

In the era of relationships and personalization, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become king. And especially in the hotel industry, this type of software is becoming a key part of every hotel’s technology stack.

Why? Because it helps brands build relationships with guests, communicate better, in a more personalized and timely way, and of course, stay organized, which is key in a hotel environment (which can sometimes be a bit chaotic).

There is, however, a key difference to keep in mind when discussing CRM for the hospitality industry, namely whether it is B2B (business to business) or B2B (business to consumer). Hospitality brands sometimes need both systems, although each has different characteristics. Why? Read on to find out.

Understanding B2B and B2C Interactions in the Hospitality Industry

The first thing to remember is who we are referring to when we mention the B2B segment in the hospitality industry. We are talking about corporate clients such as travel agencies, the healthcare sector, educational institutions, large companies or organizations, and many others.

Here you won’t be dealing with 1-to-1 bookings, on the contrary – it’s about bulk bookings, tailored packages, frequent stays, contractual agreements, event planning and much more.

On the other hand, when discussing the B2C focus of hotels, we are referring to the regular business of shorter sales cycles, individual decision-making and the relationship between the hotel and the individual guest. In the case of hotels, this can be called B2G (business to guest).

Building relationships: B2B vs. B2C hotel CRM

CRM systems are used to manage relationships between a company and its customers (as the name suggests), but the nature of these relationships will differ depending on whether the customer is B2B or B2C.

In the case of a B2B client, this will be building long-term relationships. Why? Because it usually involves larger transactions, not individual or group bookings. It also includes account management and personalized service, where packages and offers can be highly customized depending on sales volume.

In the case of the B2C customer, even though the sales cycle is shorter, there is a need to offer personalized experiences, loyalty programs and remember individual preferences. At the same time, for this customer, reviews and social proof are very important.

Each segment has different needs, so the hotel CRM system you choose will be designed to meet the requirements of a specific segment and provide the features necessary to build specific relationships.

Different marketing strategies for each segment

A hotel CRM designed for the B2B segment will allow you to develop Account Based Marketing (ABM) activities, targeted campaigns and lead nurturing across multiple touchpoints. It will also help you track a clean and organized sales channel.

On the other hand, CRM designed for B2C segment, the most common approach, focuses on managing guest relationships, creating guest travelmulti-channel campaigns, Email Marketingpersonalization and automation, and the use of data analysis to predict guest preferences.

Get inspired: The Complete Guide to Implementing CRM in Your Hotel for the First Time

What are the key metrics for B2B and B2C hotel CRM systems?

It doesn’t matter if your hotel CRM is B2B or B2C, it will have to give you the right metrics in each case. Of course, they will be different in each case.

In B2B, tracking key account metrics is fundamental. Other important metrics include customer retention rates and sales funnel performance.

On the other hand, metrics from a B2C CRM system focus more on the individual guest and include, for example, measuring the open rate of marketing campaigns across channels, campaign effectiveness, return on investment per guest, returning guests or rebooking rates, online check-in rates, and much more.

B2C CRM will also integrate with various systems to provide even more metrics. For example, guest feedback management systems that will provide metrics on guest satisfaction and reviews.

If you are looking for a CRM system for B2C hotels, i.e. a CRM system for communicating with guests, read this to find out features you should pay attention to.

Bookboost, B2C CRM software designed for the hospitality industry

Bookboost CRM belongs to the B2C sector and was designed specifically for the hospitality industry, which means it focuses on the 1-on-1 relationship with the guest, has shorter sales cycles and places a strong emphasis on satisfaction and loyalty.

Bookboost CRM helps hotels manage all aspects of the relationship with the guestenabling hoteliers to create guest journeys from scratch and personalize communications as much as they want. They will use their data to create limitless segmentation, being able to reach guests with messages that resonate with their specific needs.

It places great emphasis on team efficiency, which is why CRM offers many automation features, thanks to which campaigns can be run independently, and hotel staff can reduce the amount of manual work and repetitive tasks.

Hotels using Bookboost CRM can expect such effects as time savings in guest communication, increased campaign conversions, guest satisfaction, guest loyalty and repeat purchases.

Bookboost helps hotels send the right messages, at the right time, through the right channel, and to the right guests.

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