Ball Drop Moments• It’s not the win itself that keeps people

coming back to the table

• It’s those tense seconds after the ball drops, the rush of endorphins…

• Anticipation of the win is more important than the result itself because it’s that feeling that you remember

My own ball drop moment- Rodney!• 4 night Caribbean group cruise • 4 friends • All first time sailors (1 very nervous first time sailor)Outcome:

• Follow up comms that referenced our state room attendant. Linked my on board experience with ongoing programmes.

• Memories Feature on Facebook acts as a yearly reminder • And while I wouldn’t say I am an active loyalty member in terms of

opening all comms sent I’ve since booked 7 additional cruises because the ball drop moment is ingrained rather than an email in my inbox or a text on my phone.

Why Emotional Connection is Paramount• With GDPR, it’s easier than ever for your guests to withdraw

consent

• If they’re indifferent, that’s going to be an easy choice

to make

• BUT if you’ve captured their ‘ball drop’ moment, it adds a

layer of emotion to an otherwise transactional relationship

“…the wiring of the brain at this point in our

evolutionary history is such that connections

from the emotional systems to the cognitive

systems are stronger than connections from the

cognitive systems to the emotional systems.”-

Joseph LeDoux, Neuroscientist, Center for Neural Science at NYU

Using Tech for Meaningful Data Collection• Focus on preferential data over personal data

• Interests, fav foods, important dates, reason for staying, connections to the community

• Strive for ‘consistency of experience’ • If possible, reference the team that interacted

with the guest during their visit, forge that personal touch

• Work towards 1-contact resolution and account ownership through automated routing and workforce optimisation

• Case routing, guest folios, email merge fields – use the tools at your disposal to personalize and reference those preferences

• Continually strive for 360 holistic system integration to avoid silos.

Documenting their Passions• Magnuson Hotel Alamogordo Suites is a pet-

friendly hotel. They regularly feature guests and their fabulous pups on their Facebook page • Tagged guests get reminders to

re-engage with the property after the visit via Facebook’s Memories feature

• Nationally covered on tripswithpets.com to a pet-friendly travelling audience, all fuelled by great capture of these ‘ball drop’ moments

Making The Service Personal • No one likes being passed pillar to post or handled by an impersonal ‘Service Team Member’ with no name

• With Magnuson Rewards, our guests have the same point of contact from start to finish when their email hits our designated inbox

• Using case management, routing and first names can be a great way to forge an emotional bond

Focus on capturing the ‘ball drop’ reasons why people choose your property

Remember that emotions motivate a desire to purchase and remain loyal to you

Invest in tech that makes direct connections between you and your guest in a manageable way

Make software and social work for you to re-engage guests after they leave

Key Takeaways