Hotel property management systems sit at the heart of every successful hotel operation.

The best software does this silently and without fuss, but in a way that drives efficiency, raises productivity, and creates the best possible guest experience.

If you’ve recently implemented a new property management system (PMS), or plan to later this year, you might be wondering how your team will adjust.

Let’s consider some of the concerns they might have:

1. “The new PMS will take ages to install.”
2. “Training on the new PMS will take me away from my daily tasks and mean I can’t service guests properly.”
3. “It won’t be as easy to use as the current system.”
4. “We’re going to lose features we rely on.”
5. “What if the support isn’t as good as our current vendor?”

While all of these statements are valid concerns, when choosing a PMS that is designed to work for your property instead of against it, you can offer these reassurances to your staff:

1. If you’ve chosen a cloud-based system, there’s no waiting around for your IT team. The PMS vendor does all of the heavy lifting regarding the installation, so when it’s ready, the staff just log straight in!
2. Training should always be ongoing, and PMS training is no different. Sure, there will be a few growing pains, but most cloud-based PMSs have online training that’s accessible at your convenience.
3. Even though most cloud-based PMS systems are extremely robust and feature-rich, they’re not designed to be complicated. Online training tools built into the software make ease of use an everyday term.
4. Cloud-based PMS systems are feature-rich and, with new technology being developed and pushed out daily, you will always have the latest and greatest features.
5. If you choose the right PMS for your property, support calls should go smoothly, because your staff will have been trained properly from the outset.

So, you’ve settled the team’s nerves, undertaken the implementation process and now you want to make the most of the new PMS. Here’s how you can lead from the top.

Tip 1: Become a master of it yourself

As the hotel owner, GM, or other key stakeholder in the business, you may not use the PMS on a day-to-day basis, but you still need to have a broad understanding of its features and benefits.

That means taking part in the training and becoming a master of the PMS yourself. This will demonstrate to the team that it’s an essential element of the business and will provide you with key insight into how it can be utilized.

Tip 2: Encourage self-learning

Most PMSs include some form of built-in training. It might be a knowledge base, video series or training mode, but whatever it is, encourage the team to dive in wholeheartedly.

The more they do this, the more they’ll realize how it makes their day-to-day work easier and more enjoyable.

So, champion the team members who demonstrate the most consistent approach to self-learning the PMS; shine a spotlight on them in team meetings (figuratively).

Tip 3: Prove it’s worth at team meetings

Your shiny new PMS should include plenty of reports. They’ll offer deep insight into business performance, guest behavior, and KPIs for staff.

Use these reports judiciously, and make sure they’re surfaced regularly at team meetings.

The more you say “hey, guys, the PMS revealed this yesterday”, the more you’ll demonstrate its worth.

Tip 4: Look past the PMS to the Vendor who designed it

The best PMS vendors go far beyond their software. They provide actionable advice via blogs and webinars and proactively contact you, rather than the other way around.

Take some time to dig into the content your PMS vendor publishes. Their blog is there for a reason – as is the monthly newsletter you receive. Share their content and illustrate the benefits it offers the entire team.

The more your team trusts the PMS vendor, the more they’ll throw themselves into the system and put it to work.

Wrapping up

Implementing any kind of new system is daunting, but our tips above should alleviate any fears your team has about a new PMS.

Follow our advice, and you’ll reap the benefits as the PMS drives higher levels of guest – and staff – satisfaction.