Providing Your Customers With Visitor Information

Why is it a good idea?

The better the information a visitor has, the more likely they are to find places that match their interests, likes and dislikes. Customers who are provided with really good information and recommendations are more likely to have a very good experience and to spend more. They leave with a sense that North East England is packed full of great places to stay and go, they are much more likely to make repeat visits and they make strong recommendations to friends, family and through review sites. If you are recommending other businesses to your customers, and other businesses are doing the same for you, the whole region benefits from increased marketing.

How does your business benefit?

You benefit in a number of ways:

your customers are impressed by your levels of customers service, knowledge and helpfulness and are more likely to give you repeat business and recommend you to others
you benefit from further increased business by the recommendations that other businesses are making about you and your services

A powerful tool

Don’t underestimate how powerful this can be. Personal recommendations carry a lot of weight, much more so than ordinary advertisements or leaflets. There are thousands of tourism businesses in the region, if only 200 of them were to recommend you to just twenty of their customers, that’s 4,000 customers that have been reached with a positive message and clear recommendation, at no expense to you. How many of your existing adverts could you say, hand on heart, reach half that many or as effectively?

How to go about it

You can encourage visitors to get the most out of their time here by helping them to find great places to stay, great places to eat and drink at and things to see and do that really match their interests. You don’t have to recommend businesses that are competitive to yours, if you don’t wish to, but, on the other hand, if the nature of your establishment makes it unlikely that customers will make high repeat visits to you, you are more likely to benefit by recommending those businesses (through positive customer impressions and experiences, and through those businesses doing the same for you) than by pretending they don’t exist.

Different types of business have different opportunities for interacting with customers, so from the section below, choose the ways that fit with your establishment. However, in all cases it is very important that:

you keep the information up to date. This is essential, poor information can have a damaging effect and lead to visitors getting nasty shocks – establishments that are closed, pricier than the details suggested, or no longer suited to their needs or interests.
provide high quality, well organised information – messy piles of leaflets, old brochures, poorly printed factsheets or jumbled information do not make a positive impression.
communicate enthusiasm for and pride in for your local area and region. In face-to-face surveys, visitors rate the warmth, welcome, passion and pride of the region as one of its greatest strengths (see key facts for more)

Types of visitor information

Staff recommendations
This is one of the most effective ways to influence customers, partly because a personal recommendation carries a lot of weight, but also because staff can talk to customers, find out their interests and then recommend businesses/places that match these. This provides the ultimate level of customer service and is the perfect medium to reveal the warmth, passion and pride of North East England inhabitants.

Train staff in what the local area and the wider region has to offer, but also show them how to engage customers in conversation, explore their experiences of the region so far and discover their likes and dislikes. Incidentally, exactly the same techniques can be used to increase sales at your own establishment by encouraging customers to get more and buy more from your own business.

If this is an area you struggle with, and feel that you’d like external training help, contact Train to Gain to get help finding customer service and sales courses that meet your needs.

Browsers
Use existing guides or brochures produced by your local Area Tourism Partnership or make up your own in folders. Place these in places where customers wait or spend time: serviced bedrooms, self-catering units, receptions, cafes, queueing places etc. If possible include leaflets, guides, write-ups, maps and personal recommendations and cover all kinds of activities, attractions, wet-weather ideas, eating and drinking, nightlife, events, beauty spots, walks, cycle-ways and so on. Include things that are nearby, but also must-see and iconic places that are further afield. If you are an accommodation provider include useful information such as taxis, chemists, doctors, banks etc. And don't forget to include information about your own establishment too.

Eating and drinking
All visitor surveys show, unsurprisingly, that eating and drinking is a top activity for both staying and day visitors, and that food and drink is a big factor in how positive an experience is. With this in mind, keep an eating out guide (if one is produced by your ATP) or better still, make up a list or folder of nearby places to eat and drink at. Really good examples of these include the type of cuisine, price range, child friendly, opening times, contact details and even sample menus. And, if at all possible, for each one write a comment of your own experience there and leave a space for other guests or customers who eat there to do the same.

Depending on your type of business you may also wish to include section on take-aways, local shops and supermarkets, local producers, farm shops, delicatessens, establishments that deliver and local food festivals and events.

Maps
Maps are essential for visitors as they help them get orientated, judge distances, plan itineraries and work out locations. Contact your local Tourist Information Centre or ATP to see what maps are available to distribute to customers, place them at reception, in bedrooms etc, and include them in your browsers. If free maps aren't available, consider purchasing local maps that can be borrowed or bought by customers.

Events
Because visitors don’t generally buy local newspapers, browse the internet or tune in to local radio when they are here, they aren't naturally exposed to details of events. Make an up-to-date list of nearby events, and bigger ones that are further afield, available at reception, in bedrooms, in your restaurant, lobby etc.

Weather and tide times
As with events, these can be difficult for visitors to access. Download and print forecasts from sites such as www.bbc.co.uk/weather and make these readily available.

Leaflet display racks
There are a number of firms in the region, such as AHA Marketing, Northern Print Distribution and Border Events, that, for a fee will take and distribute your leaflets. They will also provide you with, and usually maintain and top-up, display racks of leaflets. Place these in high-footfall locations.

Visitor information screens and interactive kiosks
If you are thinking of installing display panels or kiosks, talk to your local ATP and your local TIC about which options to choose and sourcing content - you may be able to get a feed from your regional tourism database and there may be images, videos and other audio-visual resources you can tap into.

Information at your website
This should be an essential part of your marketing strategy. Research shows including information about the area on your own website and, as appropriate to your business, details of where customers can stay/visit/eat if encourages customers to go from browsers to bookers. Put details of businesses that complement yours at your website and include events, walks, cycle-ways etc. To cut down on the need to update the information, contact your ATP or the Desti.ne team to see if you can take a feed from their website or from www.visitnortheastengland.com . And don't forget to include links to the information on your website in the signatures or footers of your emails.

Where to find more information

Try these excellent sources to get the best quality information:

the regional website: www.visitnortheastengland.com
the area websites: www.visitnorthumberland.com , www.visitdurham.com , www.visitteesvalley.co.uk and www.visitnewcastlegateshead.co.uk
the region’s Tourist Information Centres (take leaflets and talk to them about your business too – they also provide powerful recommendations to customers)
the area tourism partnerships – many of whom provide printed guides for the area and for shopping, eating out, attractions, events etc
annual distribution days (leaflet swap and information days for tourism businesses to attend and exhibit) – check the training and events calendar to see when they are, but click here for an example
local business directories
visits and networking – get out there and visit other businesses, talk to their owners and discover their services and facilities for yourself

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