Customer experience seen by Marion
Accommodation manager at Maison Mère

Marion Grelier, accommodation manager at Maison Mère, explains how to create a real customer experience and how to implement it in the hotel. 

Customer experience seen by Marion ©Customer experience seen by Marion Life@MM

How do you create a good customer journey/customer experience? 

I think it's important to put yourself in the shoes of different customers in order to offer a personalised experience to each one of them. Besides, you have to be able to do more than just what you have already done or what has always been done before to offer a unique experience. We are trying to push the boundaries of the traditional hotel industry. Inter-departmental communication and lack of information on customers are the main limits to overcome in order to really get to know our customers and adapt their stays according to their needs and desires. 

One of the challenges is also the transformation of the prospect into a customer and his or her personal support  during the booking process. To do this, we have chosen to establish a cross-channel strategy. We are present on different platforms to help customers in their purchasing process: Hera, Velma, Instagram, telephone, etc.)

Finally, in order to create a good customer pathway, we need to have lots of feedback from our guests. We give customers the opportunity to give their opinion: on our networks, on customer review platforms, but also through emails that we send during and after the stay. Indeed, a dissatisfied customer to whom we find a solution, will be more satisfied and able to come back than a customer who is happy with his stay. It is essential to understand customer feedback, we use semantics to analyse reviews and find areas of improvement. Our goal is to create a connection with the customer. That’s what makes a good customer experience: creating a strong bond between the customer and the brand, where the customer is listened to, understood and reassured.

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

What qualities and attitudes are needed to be able to link each department ? 

In my opinion, you have to be able to adapt to the knowledge of each person, to be pedagogical, not be afraid of not understanding and be curious. An important point is to be positive, when faced with a problem you should not close yourself off but find solutions with the departments.

In general, I think that adaptability, organisation and enthusiasm are qualities to have in work. People also say that I have ears everywhere… A good quality when you work with several departments and on different projects. 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

What is the one thing you have learned from working on this project that you wish you had known when you started working?

I don’t have much experience in the hotel sector, I think I would have liked to have more knowledge at the operational level. However, I was able to get a fresh eye and brought a different angle to digital, organisation and project management. Also, at Maison Mère the team members come from different industries. We each bring our own background from our previous professional experiences to create a perfect working synergy. Our team is also made up of people with more than 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, which allows a complementarity in our work. 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

What are the most important elements of customer experience to be considered in the hotel industry?

For me one of the key elements to take into account is hyper-personalisation. It is crucial to understand the expectations of a client, which vary according to each individual. The arrival is really important but also the pre-stay support. We offer packages and products for each type of traveller so that everyone can experience the holiday of their dreams, adjustable to their desires. 

At Maison Mère, we also want to highlight our neighbourhood. A more authentic Paris than the Champs-Elysées, perfect for a true Parisian experience. We therefore propose ideas for activities and some unmistakable things, which, for us, will help the customer to know Paris in the best possible way. 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

How digital is included in the customer experience Maison Mère?

Digital is an important element of our customer pathway. We have set up a chatbot on our website which allows our customers to collect information easily at all times. 

Our rooms are equipped with Bowo tablets and connected Eona TV where customers could stream their own Netflix and Spotify contents and find some information to organize their stay. Behind the scenes, we use tools such as DM Book and Roomchecking which allows better communication between departments and strengthens the reliability of our operations. Our wish is to offer a unique experience where the householder is really present for the customer. We have reduced repetitive and time-consuming tasks so that our employees can focus on high value-added tasks, by using Artificial Intelligence such as our Chatbot Quicktext, or our Booking Assistant Hera. 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

How do you integrate the DNA of a brand/hotel & its history into the customer pathway? Why are the two closely linked? 

Right from the website, our social networks and the way we communicate, the customer is immersed in the hotel's DNA and atmosphere. There is a common thread in the pathway. The customer finds small thoughtful touches such as the little personalised words, the tablet and the TV in the room with Maison Mère content. When you arrive at the hotel, the olfactory and visual identity are very strong. The staff of Maison Mère is just like its values: benevolent, invigorating. They are available for customers, responsive and adaptable to different needs. Our relationship with neighbouring craftspersons is also a strong point because customers benefit from discounts and advice on how to discover Paris differently or bring back unique souvenirs. 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

Which companies/brands have inspired you in the creation of the MM customer experience? 

The luxury hotel industry has inspired us a lot, this hyper-personalization of the palace experience is a real challenge and requires a lot of employees that we compensate with technology. 

More than the hotel industry, the fashion industry, restaurants and our personal experiences have nourrish the customer experience. Each of us is passionate about travel so we were inspired by our experiences in the world, in different cultures (Japan for example), in different types of hotels: guest house, palace, experiences in local homes... 

Maison Mère ©Maison Mère

What is the uniqueness of the customer experience at Maison Mère? 

The experience at Maison Mère will be unique to each customer. We seek to understand the needs, desires and travel objectives of our customers in order to offer them a true stay that reflects their image. The customer's pathway no longer begins when they arrive at the hotel, but from the moment they visit our website, make a reservation and arrive at the airport. Everything is designed to accompany the customer all the way. Our little extra is to welcome the customer with a little sweet or salty treat and a flower of their favourite colour.

Maison Mère - Customer experience seen by Marion

MM Family

Become a member

Guests, neighbours, artists, artisans, collaborators and personalities meet, share and exchange around exclusive events such as private parties, openings,
secret workshops and dinner with friends.

And, above all, each member of the MM family can benefit from extra-special offers that are exclusive to our community!