Customer Relationship Management and hospitality industry

This paper researches the extent to which Mexican hotels have to develop a relationship with their customers using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) strategy. The research identifies the practices that frequently appear in the marketing process of a company to achieve a proper relationship with their customers through traditional means or via the Internet, mainly handling "personal information" and "Information supplies products and services." We also research the effects of a CRM in customer loyalty and satisfaction, and the impact of retention practices and acquisition of new markets and buyers. Companies understand the importance of using electronic channels instead of the traditional ones to implement their marketing strategies. Therefore, establishing the basis for a relational strategy, later supported by an electronic support tool that undoubtedly helps the hotel business to more effectively manage services, products and reserves, to provide its customers with as fast and efficient a service as possible. In Mexico, especially, SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) hotelier seems not able to apply guidelines as those offered by the CRM strategy to establish suitable relations for the company and customers, emphasizing customer retention and continued satisfaction due to difficulties in training staff; hence the importance of the implementation of this type of business strategy.