Guest Portal App
Imagine experiencing a natural disaster that displaces you and your family into temporary housing, where you struggle to quickly find nearby groceries or even identify the location for garbage disposal.
Premiere Suites
10 weeks
Project Lead & Lead UX Designer
First, let's understand the problem...
A Paper Binder
Common pain-points:
- Couldn't find basic suite & property information like the location of the trash and mailbox.
- Couldn't access schedules & booking information outside of the suite unless they take a photo of the printed "guest services" guide.
- Couldn't request immediate assistance & maintenance.
These challenges eventually resulted in…
- The lack of a comprehensive guest portal has resulted in guests being unaware of the full range of suite amenities and the various local services.
- Missed opportunities to generate additional revenue through targeted marketing efforts to guests
- Unsatisfactory guest experience leading to low guest retention
(Problem Definition)
Users found their long-term stay extremely confusing and frustrating, especially for those who experience emergency long-term placement.
The Solution.
An intuitive and accessible mobile experience that allows users to locate amenities, suite information, and local shops easily.
But how did I get here?
(User Research)
First, our team began by developing a deeper understanding of the users and their needs.
Understand Users, Define Pain Points, and Develop Empathy by conducting……..
Gathered all negative reviews & guest surveys.
Conducted internal 1-1 interviews to get insight into performance & communication.
Conducted miro workshops to understand the customer journey & booking types.
Who
Who are the users & why are they booking these long-term stays?
What
What is creating a frustrating experience?
- Difficulty managing guest requests: Keeping track of guest requests, especially if they come through different channels such as email, phone, or in-person, was difficult.
- Limited communication with guests: Limited communication leading to misunderstandings and delays in addressing guest concerns.
- Difficulty in managing room assignments and requests: They needed help with managing room assignments and tracking which rooms are available or occupied. Lack visibility was leading to errors and inefficiencies.
- Frustration and confusion: Guests felt frustrated and confused when they have to navigate multiple channels of communication (such as email, phone, and in-person requests) instead of having a central hub for all their requests and inquiries.
- Increased stress levels: Guests experienced increased stress levels when they have to rely on traditional methods of communication to make requests or ask for assistance. This led to feelings of frustration and anxiety, especially if they need help urgently.
- Inconvenience: Without a guest services app, guests may have to spend more time waiting for a phone call or filling out paperwork, which was inconvenient and frustrating. This led to feelings of irritation and annoyance, especially if they are already feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
I facilitated brainstorming sessions to understand: booking types, the volume of users per type, and the types of information that were considered a priority for the user to have access to.
Just a few snapshots from the sessions….
What's everyone else doing?
(Competitor Research)
I wanted to know how other companies got critical information to and from their guests. I analyzed similar long-term stay rental companies, cruise companies, hotels, and other competitors specializing in the “homestay” experience.
Just a few key findings…
- 85% of the companies researched had an app or website that guests could access to request assistance, view booking & property details, and even find local activities.
- Accessing the "current" booking information was a primary function. There was always a CTA that would lead the user back to their booking details. (Not because guests are idiots, but because they are extremely forgetful).
- Having a search functionality with quick links is the key to user- happiness.
- Multiple menus aren't best practice.
- Carousels aren't helpful and are frustrating for older guests.
Don’t judge my whiteboard, my brain LOVES the messiness….
Let's start designing....
(Ideate & Design)
Using research and information from our brainstorming sessions, we put together an ideal user flow that was used to create the wireframes.
Click image to view.
The Results.
- Improved guest experience: With a robust guest portal, guests can now easily access information about the suite amenities, local grocery stores, and more. This has significantly improved the guest experience, resulting in higher guest satisfaction and loyalty.
- Increased efficiency: The new guest portal has streamlined many processes and has made it easier for staff to manage guest requests and inquiries. This has increased efficiency and productivity, freeing up staff time to focus on other important tasks.
- Enhanced reputation: The new guest portal has helped to strengthen the reputation of Premiere Suites as a modern and tech-savvy company. This has helped attract new guests and also helped to differentiate Premiere Suites from its competitors.