Omni Hotels Wants to Wow You with Twitter Outreach

by Summer Boone on May 20, 2010 Follow @summerjoy

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Omni Hotels has a presence online but each individual location has a key individual who handles guests specifically at that hotel. Kelly Burnett is the rockstar who manages the presence of Omni Orlando and I was lucky to grab an interview with her. It was this tweet that caught my attention and got me asking, “What ARE all the right reasons to use Twitter for a brand?”

Omni gets it. They have a clear understanding of why they use platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. They do not use these tools for the sake of jumping on the bandwagon. They focus on the customer service driven culture they have developed. For Omni Hotels and Kelly, the right reasons to use Twitter are for engaging customers on a proactive level.

Kelly tells us in the video below that social media for Omni is focused on customer service before marketing.

Watch video here if you are unable to play.

Of course, when done right, really good customer service IS strong marketing. Omni wants to meet the needs of guests staying at her hotel before they ever have to ask. Social Media, especially Twitter and Facebook, is a tool to help them do just this. They are targeting the guest who has already decided to stay at her hotel.

Does it eventually lead to more sales and more revenue for Omni? Yes, but the focus is to create brand champions and a client base that will do the marketing on behalf of the brand. Because social media allows this process to be so personal, it makes it more than a job for Kelly, it is her passion.

Is Your Brand Translating the Company Culture through Social Media?

1. Clearly define your company’s culture.

2. Choose the platform(s) where your customers are and fits this culture.

3. Find the right people, the ones who are passionate about the company culture AND social media.

Summer Joy works for 3 Screen Productions. She carries a passion for community, brand evangelism, and social media.

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Summer Boone

Summer works for 3 Screen Productions. She is a brand evangelist who is passionate about building community through social media. Offline you can find Summer investing in local teenagers and serving as a mentor in their lives.

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http://www.obsessedwithconformity.com Jim Mitchem

Great post, Summer. We had a conversation this morning on Twitter about how you can't directly measure ROI in customer service or public relations, but that these components go into the overall ROI of a company. It seems as though there's a disconnect between those who want measurable return NOW for their investment in SM, and those who get it.
thejasonsadler

Great stuff! The Omni Hotels folks really get it and are using social media the right way.
Summer Joy

Exactly. Most measure results based on number of “followers” or “fans (likes).” It only takes a simple click for someone to follow you. This mentality lends itself to the “it's all about me” syndrome that is consistently frowned upon in social media. Omni has a culture of service that not only results in targeted followers but loyal brand evangelists. The ultimate goal.
Summer Joy

The culture of service at Omni is clear. Their presence in social media is simply an extension of that. THIS is what makes what they are doing so successful. Thanks Jason.
http://blog.douglaspaul.net douglaspaul

Great work Summer (@summerjoy). I'm impressed with Omni although I've never stayed there. Might change that now on the next trip I take.
Summer Joy

It was my first time there as well. Customer Service was clearly embedded into the work ethic of everyone who worked there. If you check them out, I'd love to hear about your experience. Mine was stellar.
http://twitter.com/JoycyAnn JoycyAnn

This did WOW me! Any company that takes the time to reevaluate their approaches in order to fit the needs of their clients, is going to thrive despite the economic climate. I love how Omni thought to be “multicultural” in how they communicate with their consumers. They learned our language — how personal!! This direct approach not only reaches the individual, but it is on such a public platform that it has the potential to draw in new guests for all the right reasons. Customer service trumps price nearly anyday in my book. Thank you for the insight!!
Summer Joy

Good point Joycy. Customer service trumps a lot of things and it's the one thing you can control in an unstable economy. Omni chose wisely and executed brilliantly.
http://www.emilyhaughey.com/ EmilyHaughey

What a great example of a company who understands that they do business with people, not numbers. Omni really gets the human side of business. While it seems obvious that this – relationship building – is the advantage of social media, we can't take it for granted. There are plenty of companies looking for a quick fix solution. It's encouraging to see Omni Hotels getting it right, providing great customer service, and building relationships with their customers. You said it best in your first comment reply about loyal brand evangelists. Thanks Summer!
Summer Joy

Tons of companies out there looking for a quick fix. Brand evangelists are won over one customer at a time. The funny thing is, I was connected to the online presence of Omni through a self confessed “Omni Fanboy” (@iwearyourshirt aka jason in the comments below). A true example of how powerful the voice of one loyal customer can spread like wildfire. Just another reminder to be aware of how you treat each and every customer. Thanks Emilly!
http://shawnmcpike.wordpress.com Shawn McPike

Great post Summer and congrats!!! Well deserved and written.

It's great when companies who need to do customer service before marketing recognize that fact. Then they must guard for when marketing recognizes the success that effective customer service through social media can have. Be prepared to defend against the propensity to utilize your hard-earned capital and “sell, sell, sell”. Do not get blindsided – it's easy to deflect and to direct appropriately if you are prepared, after all – it's not like it's brain surgery.
http://htto://socialfresh.com sofresh

Shawn, would you compare what AT&T does to a customer loyalty effort? I
imagine, ultimately, that is what any service effort is geared toward.
Summer Joy

Shawn, great insight. Sounds like maybe you've experienced a bit of this with AT&T…and who better to know the comparison to brain surgery? ;) Care to share?
http://jessicarmurray.com/omni-hotels-gets-it-by-using-twitter-outreach Jessica Murray's Blog | Omni Hotels ‘Gets It’ by using Twitter Outreach

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