Any hotelier trying to boost incremental revenue with upsells has witnessed the process operate less than ideally:

Front-desk agents essentially “yielding down” offers rather than “yielding up.” Which defeats the entire purpose.

The all-too-common scenario typically unfolds when agents – who feel they’ve already earned enough money during their shift through upsell commissions – begin selling offers at a discount. In other words, as their motivation to generate sales goes out the window, so too, does your hotel’s opportunity to fetch top dollar.

It’s no way to run an upsell program, especially in a post-pandemic marketplace when the pressure to generate revenue has never been greater. That’s why at Fairmont Tremblant, our acclaimed resort in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, we switched to Oracle Nor1 upsell solutions – and the results have been nothing short of startling.

Within a few months of adoption, we became Oracle Nor1’s second-highest upsell revenue producer among all its customers for the month of August.

Much of our success is attributable to Nor1’s simplicity and efficiency. Integrated into our OPERA property management system, Nor1 literally places all available inventory at agents’ fingertips, automatically recommends the “right offer for the right guest” for greatest conversion, and standardizes pricing based on real-time demand to maximize revenue.

As valuable as the additional revenue might be, Nor1’s ability to simplify work and increase staff productivity is just as important, especially amid an intense labor shortage. We all need to do more with less, and Nor1 makes it possible.

For starters, Nor1 greatly shortens the learning curve required to become a proficient salesperson. In the past, agents needed to know all the room categories perfectly to be able to suggest the correct one for any particular guest. With Nor1, the platform selects for agents the best offer to make. All they need to do is click on it. As a result, even a new employee is now able to sell upgrades right away. (At Fairmont Tremblant, we provide incentives to encourage staff to use Nor1 effectively: typically, a 10 percent commission and an opportunity to earn even more if they reach certain sales targets.)

Automation provides other benefits as well, according to my team members.

“At the end of the month, in order to pay commissions, we had to enter every guest folio to make sure the guest had paid for the upsell. With Nor1, it’s done automatically,” said Genevieve, revenue manager.

As the hotel’s director of revenue, Nor1’s value manifests in the form of better reporting and analytics. In the past, I could only obtain updates on upsell performance when we did month-end reporting. Now, I can gain visibility whenever I want it. Such access is invaluable not only to monitor progress but to make adjustments. I can ask critical questions and take action: Is the objective we created for staff at the beginning of the month realistic based on their current pace?

Most importantly, I can track KPIs – What’s the conversion rate? What’s the engagement? – that can help identify challenges within any given month. By analyzing them, I have an opportunity to see if there’s anything that can be done to improve performance.

When I discuss Nor1 with my team, its impact on a variety of roles becomes evident.

“Its value would be the way it all connects together,” Genevieve said. “I only need to click one button; everything’s already in the system. You cannot forget anything.”

“What I appreciate about Nor1 is the friendliness of the platform to train staff,” said Julie, front desk manager. “I also like its leaderboard feature, which makes it easy to see the performance of every agent – who’s doing well and who isn’t. If they’re struggling, we can address the situation with the agent. If they need more training, we can help them.”

With success hinging on so many unknown variables in an altered marketplace, Nor1 provides me with a sense of control. In the times that we’re in, that’s priceless.

About Oracle Hospitality

Oracle Hospitality brings more than 45 years of experience in providing technology solutions to independent hoteliers, global and regional chains, gaming, and cruise lines. Our hardware, software, and services enable customers to act on rich data insights that deliver personalized guest experiences, maximize profitability, and encourage loyalty. Cloud-based, mobile-enabled, with open APIs, Oracle's OPERA Cloud property management and distribution, Simphony point-of-sale, reporting and analytics, and Nor1 upsell solutions accelerate innovation, increase revenue, lower IT cost, and maximize operating efficiency. To learn more, please visit www.oracle.com/Hospitality.

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