OYO launches its partner engagement programme: OPEN

OYO today launched its OYO Partner Engagement Network (OPEN) to ensure that the Gurugram-based unicorn continues to have stronger interaction and engagement among its asset owner community.

Aditya Ghosh, CEO of OYO India and South Asia, at a press conference, said OPEN was a series of year-long initiatives to help over 8,700 asset owner partners in India reach their business goals. In his announcement, Aditya said they were outlining six partner processes, an upgraded Co-OYO app for asset owners to monitor progress, and a dedicated microsite for interaction and engagement.

Aditya said OYO was the largest branded hotel chain in South Asia and had the widest network of asset owner partners, adding,

"With over 8,700 asset owner partners spread across nearly 260 cities in India and South Asia, our asset owners are a rich source of advice and suggestions that help us get better every day."

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He said with the launch of OPEN, the team intends to create a structured way of exchanging ideas, providing support, and building a relationship of trust on "which we hope to build the next several decades to come".

"We are doing this in several ways but in this fast-moving world, being in touch on a real-time basis is key and, therefore, for the very first time in the hospitality industry, we are proud to launch the Co-OYO app, which will transparently provide business metrics. At OYO, we are on a mission to create quality living spaces and make them accessible and affordable for millions of our customers. We cannot do this without the active support and encouragement of our asset owner partners,” he said.

Also read: How OYO is working to become the world’s biggest hospitality chain, one hotel at a time

He also announced the six core initiatives that will be a part of the programme:

1. Transparent payment protocols​: Asset owners will receive 18 percent interest on delayed payments and resolution for exceptions will be done before the due date.
2. Financial support: OYO will enable access to easier financing options for partners looking to make improvements through banks and other financial institutions with which it has forged partnerships
3. Multiple touch points to connect: ​OYO has launched a Central Response hotline (+91-9310777888) through which asset owners can directly share their queries and expect an expeditious resolution. This channel is in addition to existing access to the on-ground teams to address all queries.
4. Marketing excellence: ​OYO will provide asset owners prominence and assistance in leveraging various marketing channels, including content and design support.
5. Tech innovation: ​OYO’s technology capabilities are geared towards helping asset owners ​stay ahead of the curve with leading technology solutions such as OYO OS, a property management system, and other technology-led interventions
6. Regulatory compliance assistance: ​OYO will also help asset owners navigate regulatory and compliance requirements for business continuity and provide access to a pan-India list of local legal and accounting firms that specialise in industry requirements.

Durga Prasad Pattanaik, one of the asset owner partners from Bhubaneswar, said, ​“I started my first hotel Railview in Bhubaneswar in May 2017. Initially, the occupancy at my hotel was low due to lack of marketing and on-ground operations support. I partnered with OYO in September 2017. The OYO team helped Railview in all aspects - operations, guest service, laundry setup, etc. The occupancy level gradually picked up to 100 percent by December 2017. Then, the Average Room Rate (ARR) slowly increased from Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,700 along with consistent occupancy. Currently, I am happy to share that 30 out of the 40 rooms are occupied by repeat customers.”

Also read: I saw an opportunity to build a global brand that is truly from India, says Aditya Ghosh of OYO

The team also introduced the upgraded Co-OYO app - designed for partner franchisees to keep them updated on payment-related information in one place. Through the Co-OYO app, asset owners in India can have complete visibility on cash flows, business performance, pricing, customer reviews, and recommendations.

The key benefits of the upgraded app ​include advanced analytics that enables a deep dive into asset performance over time, an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate and make decisions regarding value-added services, and boosting performance by providing insights and easy-to-understand metrics and graphs that allow for daily monitoring of performance.

Aditya also launched a dedicated microsite hosted on the Co-OYO app. The microsite allows asset owners to avail support programmes for growth as well as engage with the OYO ecosystem and strengthen community building.

It includes success stories of asset owners, featured posts on get-togethers, new signings, anniversaries, information on helpline numbers, access to financing options, and other services. Additionally, there is also a section that provides an intuitive, on-the-go learning programme through videos that can guide asset owners on basics as part of a starter kit or refresher programme.

Last month, OYO said it would invest Rs 1,400 crore in its India and South Asia businesses. In India, the team intends to expand its reach this year to over 260 cities, 8,700 buildings, and 173,000-plus rooms. It added that close to 93 percent of OYO’s sales were from repeat or word-of-mouth customers.

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