The Crystal Cove Beach Resort located in Tofino, British Columbia is a collection of 34 modern log cabins, private RV sites, and trendy “Glamping” units. The resort boasts some of the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and almost every unit on the property is only a few yards from the shoreline. This amazing property is nestled among the cedars and fully embraces the Pacific Northwest landscape that surrounds the space.

The Crystal Cove Beach Resort launched Kipsu in May of 2017 and have seen dramatic changes in how guests communicate with staff at their property. We spoke to JJ Belanger, the General Manager, to learn more about how exactly texting has influenced their resort operations (and of course, how to book one of those Glamping units)! JJ first explained that before Kipsu, the resort did not have any in-unit phones, meaning guests needed to walk to the front desk at the entrance of the property whenever they needed anything or had any questions. In addition, with separate units scattered among the property, it made it difficult for guests to easily access the front desk, especially when the weather wasn’t in their favor. After implementing Kipsu, it truly revolutionized how guests got in contact with the staff and how the resort captured feedback.

In addition to giving guests and staff easy communication via texting, JJ also discussed how Kipsu has “changed the game” when it came to how they recognize and perform service recovery. When the staff checks in with the guest during their stay, if it is anything less than 100% satisfaction, they make sure they deal with the problem immediately, opposed to learning about the problem after the guest has left for home and potentially resulting in a negative post-stay review. This crucial feedback was hard for the staff to capture before Kipsu, as the main points of contact with guests were during check-in and check-out, making it difficult for the staff to fix problems in real-time. With this influx of real-time feedback, JJ and the team have not only noticed a decrease in negative online reviews but numerous positive reviews that mention how guests love the ability to text message the staff whenever, wherever!

“Fantastic place. Our cabin was spotless. The bed was comfortable. It felt like a rustic, cozy place yet still had modern convenience. The staff was very friendly and I liked that they sent a text to make it easy to request anything we needed. Great experience.” - TripAdvisor Guest Review in May 2018

“The staff are very nice and helpful, the cabin was amazing as always. We had everything we needed, and were checked on through texts to make sure of it.“ - TripAdvisor Guest Review in July 2017

Along with guests, the Crystal Cove Beach Resort staff love the ability to interact with guests via text message guests. They have seen a reduction in front desk traffic and a large increase in the number of touchpoints they have with each guest on site. JJ recognizes how the team has truly embraced Kipsu and have bought into the tool 110%. The team attributes this dedication to the positive results they have noticed after implementation, from increase TripAdvisor scores, guest satisfaction surveys, and even internal team communication.

The team also had an idea to utilize Kipsu in a unique way to aid in their reservation and group bookings. They asked the Kipsu Customer Success team to provide an additional texting line that they could use for sales and group bookings. The Kipsu team jumped on the task and within 48 hours, the Crystal Cove Beach Resort had a new number up and running. Now prospective guests are able to easily find a text-ready phone number on the property’s website and inquire about reservations or events via text. JJ describes this as one of “the biggest game changers in anything we have done within the last couple years,” because of their increase in the number of inquiries and transparency they have with potential guests.

[Kipsu] is creating relationships with the guests that we really never had beyond Crystal Cove and allows us to make connections with the guests we otherwise would not have been able to make.

- JJ Belanger, General Manager

One of the most rewarding things the staff has seen after the implementation of Kipsu is creating lasting relationships with guests. Every once in a while, the team will even get a text from someone who stayed at the resort in the past asking them how it is going in Tofino, BC! JJ further notes, “[Kipsu] is creating relationships with the guests that we really never had beyond Crystal Cove and allows us to make connections with the guests we otherwise would not have been able to make.” We asked JJ to discuss what top-notch customer service means to their team at the Crystal Cove Beach Resort. He replied with words of wisdom, “It’s not exceeding their expectations, it is giving them what they don’t know they already want. The better the memory you can create, the more the guests are going to return. So ease of communication is one of the bigger things specifically for us, and Kipsu has done that for us. We are happy that you came into our lives!” We are too! Thanks JJ and the entire Crystal Cove team!

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If you're interested in sharing your own story about using Kipsu, send us an email at hello@kipsu.com