IBM Case Studies Improving customer engagement with a highly personalized experience

Edit This Case Study Record

	Improving customer engagement with a highly personalized experience IBM

Improving customer engagement with a highly personalized experience

IBM

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Sales & Marketing
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. wanted to deliver a more customized travel experience to drive customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction levels. However, with its existing booking systems, it could be challenging to meet customers’ requests. The system allowed a guest to select a room type and rate plan. However, each type of room could potentially be available in many locations, such as on different floors of a hotel, and guests could not easily provide guidance on their location preferences. In fact, when booking a stay on the web, guests’ only option for requesting a specific location, such as on a high floor or near the elevator, was to enter a comment in a text field. But if a hotel associate didn’t see the comment or didn’t speak the customer’s language, Starwood would not necessarily meet the request. Plus, the company had no way to track how frequently it satisfied these requests. Read More
About Customer	Founded in 1991, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. operates and franchises more than 1,200 hotels, resorts and residences in nearly 100 countries under multiple brands, including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien and Sheraton. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Starwood employs approximately 181,400 people worldwide. The company is committed to delivering a more customized travel experience to help drive customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction levels. Read More
Solution	Starwood first undertook a major room cataloging effort to gather detailed information about all the rooms in its 1,200 properties. The company then identified around 80 criteria that it thought would make sense to ask its hotels globally, and then of those, it figured out which ones it wanted to enable for the properties. Starwood implemented IBM Operational Decision Manager software to design and execute a set of business rules that allows customers to select room location, features and preparation through a web-based interface. The software also pulls membership data from the company’s Starwood Preferred Guest program so that member preferences load automatically. With Operational Decision Manager software, Starwood can create rules to offer guests only the appropriate preferences for each property. For example, if a property only has one floor, the system will not offer customers preferences related to higher floors or distance from the elevator. The solution also allows Starwood to suggest preferences to patrons based on their membership status. For example, the system offers platinum members certain preferences not available to the general public. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Sales & Marketing

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. wanted to deliver a more customized travel experience to drive customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction levels. However, with its existing booking systems, it could be challenging to meet customers’ requests. The system allowed a guest to select a room type and rate plan. However, each type of room could potentially be available in many locations, such as on different floors of a hotel, and guests could not easily provide guidance on their location preferences. In fact, when booking a stay on the web, guests’ only option for requesting a specific location, such as on a high floor or near the elevator, was to enter a comment in a text field. But if a hotel associate didn’t see the comment or didn’t speak the customer’s language, Starwood would not necessarily meet the request. Plus, the company had no way to track how frequently it satisfied these requests.

About Customer

Founded in 1991, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. operates and franchises more than 1,200 hotels, resorts and residences in nearly 100 countries under multiple brands, including St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien and Sheraton. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Starwood employs approximately 181,400 people worldwide. The company is committed to delivering a more customized travel experience to help drive customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction levels.

Solution

Starwood first undertook a major room cataloging effort to gather detailed information about all the rooms in its 1,200 properties. The company then identified around 80 criteria that it thought would make sense to ask its hotels globally, and then of those, it figured out which ones it wanted to enable for the properties. Starwood implemented IBM Operational Decision Manager software to design and execute a set of business rules that allows customers to select room location, features and preparation through a web-based interface. The software also pulls membership data from the company’s Starwood Preferred Guest program so that member preferences load automatically. With Operational Decision Manager software, Starwood can create rules to offer guests only the appropriate preferences for each property. For example, if a property only has one floor, the system will not offer customers preferences related to higher floors or distance from the elevator. The solution also allows Starwood to suggest preferences to patrons based on their membership status. For example, the system offers platinum members certain preferences not available to the general public.

Impact #1	With the solution, Starwood business staff can dynamically change business rules regularly based on new business initiatives because of Operational Decision Manager software’s agility and easy-to-use rule authoring widget. The widget helps nontechnical users easily create and change business rules by providing an intuitive interface.
Impact #2	Now, the business is on track to meet at least one preference for 80 percent of guest stays globally.
Impact #3	Because guests have specified their preferences at booking, before they arrive at the hotel, the check-in process is much more smooth and efficient, further improving customer satisfaction levels.

Impact #1

With the solution, Starwood business staff can dynamically change business rules regularly based on new business initiatives because of Operational Decision Manager software’s agility and easy-to-use rule authoring widget. The widget helps nontechnical users easily create and change business rules by providing an intuitive interface.

Impact #2

Now, the business is on track to meet at least one preference for 80 percent of guest stays globally.

Impact #3

Because guests have specified their preferences at booking, before they arrive at the hotel, the check-in process is much more smooth and efficient, further improving customer satisfaction levels.

Benefit #1	80% success in meeting at least one customer preference

Benefit #1

80% success in meeting at least one customer preference

Download PDF Version

Overview

Improving customer engagement with a highly personalized experience

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit