Hotel upselling: training and incentives for staff
Hotel upselling is not merely a transactional exercise to boost revenue—it’s an opportunity to enhance the guest experience.
At the heart of this strategy—beyond technology and offers—are the people: your staff.
They are the face of the property and the main builders of guest relationships.
Engaging and empowering staff is therefore a cornerstone of successful upselling.
Training: the key to recognizing and seizing opportunities
Often, the biggest obstacle to upselling arises simply because staff fail to ask guests if they’re interested in upgrades or other offers.
This isn’t necessarily due to a lack of willingness but may stem from insecurity or an incomplete understanding of the value of upselling.
Training is essential to overcome these barriers.
It helps staff:
- Understand the value of the services and offers they’re presenting. It’s not just about “selling,” but about offering something that genuinely enhances the guest’s stay.
- Recognize upselling opportunities—whether it’s a direct clue from a guest mentioning specific needs, or more subtle hints, like the use of elite credit cards that may indicate potential upsell candidates.
- Present offers effectively, focusing on guest benefits rather than just service features. For example, describing the experience of a higher-category room—like the comfort of the bedding or the serenity of a private balcony.
- Handle objections or rejections calmly and professionally, without pushing. If a guest declines an offer, they can propose an alternative or try again later.
- Read the guest’s mood and use open-ended questions to gather relevant insights during interactions. This is especially important at check-in when guests may be tired.
Front Desk staff, in particular, are in a “golden” position for direct guest interaction. They should be trained to make proactive suggestions using phrases like:
“For just €20 more per night, you can enjoy a more spacious room with a balcony and sea view.”
Training should make them comfortable and confident when recommending various services and add-ons.
Additionally, training can be supported by technology.
Incentives are an effective technique for driving upselling and motivating staff.
A robust and transparent incentive program can be a competitive advantage in retaining valuable employees and increasing sales.
Incentivizing Front Office staff or sales agents with bonuses or a small percentage of the extra revenue is a recommended practice.
One source suggests a 5–10% commission on successful upselling. It’s crucial that the value of the incentive is clear and transparent to the employee, so they feel motivated to upsell for their own financial benefit, as well as that of the hotel and the guest.
Traditionally, manually tracking upsells to calculate incentives has been a time-consuming and error-prone process, often creating friction between staff and management.
The automation provided by upselling software solves this issue, simplifying tracking and calculation of incentives, and ensuring transparency for both staff and management.
Integration and culture of upselling
For upselling to become a consistent routine rather than a sporadic activity, it must be embedded in the hotel’s culture and operating procedures.
This can be achieved in several ways:
- Integrate upselling into SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures):
This ensures that upselling techniques are standardized and applied consistently across all guest interactions. SOPs also provide a framework for measuring team performance and promoting accountability. - Make upselling part of daily briefings: Discussing upselling opportunities, goals, and techniques during team briefings keeps everyone aligned and motivated to reach targets.
- Appoint an “Upselling Champion”: Identifying a team member who excels at upselling can serve as a role model and inspiration for others.
- Use gamification: Adding an element of healthy competition among team members can boost engagement, encourage effort, and provide a way to celebrate successes.
A successful upselling program relies as much on technology and pricing strategies as it does on a motivated, well-trained, and empowered staff.
Investing in training—to help staff understand the value of upselling, recognize opportunities, and make effective suggestions—and supporting it with transparent incentives and automated tracking systems, transforms Front Office personnel from simple check-in clerks to true ambassadors of the guest experience and key value generators for the hotel.