Contact Center Optimization for Hotels: How to Turn Calls into Revenue
Let’s break down how ignoring your contact center costs you and what to do about it.
Guests Don’t Want Voicemail. They Want Answers.
The call comes in. No one picks up. Or worse: a robotic voicemail message. That right there is money walking out the door.
“Every missed call is a missed opportunity to book, upsell, or simply reassure your guests,” Sofya says.
Think about the intent behind a guest picking up the phone—they’re usually ready to act.
Maybe they want to know if early check-in is possible or if there’s availability for a weekend spa package. If you’re not there to answer, that opportunity dies instantly.
In a market flooded with choices, they will move on to the next hotel with a working phone line and a live human on the other end.
Automation helps, but it doesn’t replace attentiveness. The solution is consistent, centralized availability through a trained team that understands how to handle real-time inquiries—no delays, no dropped balls, and no voicemail purgatory.
Unlock Hidden Insights with Contact Center Optimization
While hotel teams obsess over Tripadvisor reviews, Instagram comments, and post-stay surveys, there’s a mountain of guest insights hiding in plain sight: your call center.
“Every guest interaction is a gold mine of intel. How are you using that data?” Sofya asks.
Call centers are your best source for finding hidden insights. They capture unfiltered, immediate concerns, from confusion about fees, to frustration with your website, to recurring questions about amenities that your FAQ page doesn’t answer well enough.
These are not just isolated calls. They’re patterns.
Are you noticing that guest communication? Such as asking if your restaurant is open? That might mean your digital presence is unclear. Are they calling to ask about the pet policy?
That could signal an opportunity for a new revenue stream. Yet very few hotel brands tag, categorize, or mine these calls for strategic insights.
Start treating call data like voice-of-customer gold. Funnel it to operations, marketing, and leadership. Let it inform your training, your website copy, and even your room packages.
Did You Know?
Nearly 70% of guests say they’re more likely to book when they can speak to a live person on the first try.
Burnout at the Front Desk Is Real
Imagine this: a guest has just arrived after a delayed flight. They’re exhausted. The front desk agent is helping them, but the phone is ringing off the hook.
That agent has to choose between ignoring the phone and neglecting the person standing in front of them. Neither is a good option.
“Let’s offload those calls to the contact center and free up your front desk agents to do what they do best—delight guests,” says Sofya.
This isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about optimizing them. When contact centers take the pressure off the front desk, those staff members can focus on high-touch, high-impact guest interactions: making dinner recommendations, resolving service issues, or upgrading a loyal guest.
Meanwhile, trained contact center agents who aren’t interrupted by lobby chaos can handle calls calmly and thoroughly. That improves guest satisfaction on-site and on the phone, reducing staff turnover by minimizing burnout. It’s a win-win that smart operators can’t afford to ignore.
You’re Missing Out on Passive Sales
Sales in hospitality don’t have to be aggressive or awkward. Done right, it’s almost invisible but incredibly effective.
“A great contact center agent knows when and how to make the ask,” Sofya explains. “They know when to go for the close.”
Think about it: when a guest calls to confirm their reservation, that’s a moment to offer a room upgrade. If they’re asking about nearby dining, that’s a chance to book them into your own restaurant.
These are not cold leads—they’re hot, inbound opportunities with guests who are already halfway through the sales journey. Yet most call centers function like customer service clearinghouses, not commercial engines.
With the right scripting, the right tech, and the right training, your agents can pivot smoothly from question to conversion.
And here’s the kicker: it doesn’t feel like selling. It feels like anticipating needs and offering convenience, which is exactly what great hospitality is all about.
Your Service Is Inconsistent
Guests don’t care if it’s peak check-in time or 3 a.m.; they expect the same level of service. And when they don’t get it, loyalty suffers.
“Whether it’s 8 o’clock or 11 o’clock at night, your guests should be getting the same quality and the same level of service,” Sofya says.
Inconsistent service is a brand killer. If your night shift can’t answer basic questions, or your weekend agents are undertrained, you create friction that turns into bad reviews and lost future business.
The fix? A quality assurance (QA) program that treats your contact center optimization like a frontline department, not a forgotten cost center.
That means regular call audits, mystery calls, real-time dashboards, and clear KPIs. It also means training agents not just on policies but also on tone, empathy, and brand voice. A great contact center creates reliable hospitality—something guests remember long after their stay.
Make Your Phones Work Like a Profit Center
Sofya McIntosh isn’t mincing words. “Let’s make [the contact center] an effective secret weapon that the property can use to go after those commercial wins.”
The era of thinking about contact centers as reactive, back-office operations is over. Done right, they’re proactive, revenue-driving machines. They reduce operational strain, unlock guest intelligence, and boost conversion rates with zero awkward sales tactics. Whether handling overflow from the front desk, identifying service gaps, or nudging a caller into a suite upgrade, contact centers can be your stealth MVP. But only if you build them to be.
The “please hold” era is over. It’s time for hotels to hang up on missed revenue and answer the call to rethink the guest journey.
Ready to unlock yours? Talk to ComOps about how to turn calls into conversions and conversations into commercial wins.
Frequently Asked Questions About Contact Center Optimization
Q: What is hotel contact center optimization?
A: Hotel contact center optimization is the process of improving your call center’s efficiency, guest experience, and revenue-generating potential. It includes better agent training, scripting, QA, and data analysis.
Q: Why is contact center optimization important for hotels?
A: It ensures 24/7 guest support, reduces missed booking opportunities, enhances service consistency, and turns every phone call into a commercial win.