RMS launches online community to foster customer connections

Online communities have long been one of the most powerful tools in a brand's arsenal. Long before the internet, people found ways to connect and share genuine experiences, and when digital platforms emerged, communities like Facebook Groups and MSN Groups became the go-to spaces for exactly that kind of peer-to-peer connection.

For brands, online communities have proven effective at three core things: fostering peer-to-peer engagement, helping people find their own solutions without always needing to go through support, and turning loyal customers into vocal brand advocates. At RMS, we've believed for a long time that we were ready for a community of our own, and now, we've built one.

Why RMS is a natural fit for a community

Well, there are several reasons.

The first is the global distribution of our customer base. Our clients span Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the UK, the USA, Canada, and South America. At that kind of scale, delivering meaningful, timely communication to every customer through traditional channels becomes genuinely difficult. A community changes that equation: it creates a shared space where customers across every time zone can connect, contribute, and learn from one another, without everything having to flow through us.

The second is the remarkable degree of similarity between our customers. Whether you're running a hotel, a motel, or a service department in a park, operators tend to share the same three core challenges.

1. How do I make my guests happier and improve satisfaction scores?

2. How do I run my property more efficiently?

3. How do I grow my business profitably?

These are the questions RMS is built to help answer. And because our customers face so many of the same pressures, a safe space where they can share solutions and strategies is an incredibly natural fit. You're not just talking to people who understand the hospitality industry in general; you're talking to people who understand your industry, your scale, and often your exact challenges.

The third factor is the sheer breadth of our platform and ecosystem. RMS is highly customizable and supports numerous integrations, each with different configurations and levels of connectivity. That complexity means two RMS customers might have tech stacks that look quite different from one another, even though RMS remains the central operating system for both of their businesses.

Documenting every possible configuration comprehensively is a significant challenge for any software company. But a community of experienced RMS users? That's a knowledge base that grows on its own. Customers who have navigated a particular integration or configuration challenge are often the best people to help others facing the same situation. An online community gives them a place to do exactly that.

Enabling our most engaged customers to lead

We also know that many of our longest-standing, most loyal customers have wanted a way to share their expertise and give back to the broader RMS community. Until now, we've facilitated that mainly through customer advocacy work and success stories. It remains very valuable, but limited in scope.

The RMS community creates a new kind of role: customers who want to take on a more advisory function, helping others succeed with the platform, now have a place to do that. It's a meaningful shift, from customer to community contributor, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

What else will you find in our community?

Beyond peer-to-peer support, the community is designed to grow into a home for several other important use cases.

• A space for partners to connect. Our partner ecosystem is central to both our go-to-market strategy and our vision of giving customers the widest possible choice of integrations and services. The community will become a place where partners can connect with one another and share best practices around connecting to RMS — strengthening the ecosystem as a whole.

• Early adopter and pilot programs. RMS is constantly innovating, and we want customers to have the opportunity to get involved early. We'll be launching early-adopter and pilot pages in the community soon, where you'll be able to raise your hand and help shape new features before they go live.

• Exclusive events and activations. Community members will have access to content not available elsewhere, including Q&As with RMS leadership and sessions with external thought leaders. Being part of the community will genuinely pay off.

• A place to take the pulse of the industry. Running a hospitality property can be an isolating experience. When you're focused on the day-to-day of your own operation, it's easy to wonder whether your competitors are moving faster, adopting new technology sooner, or finding efficiencies you haven't discovered yet. The community will be a place to check in with peers, sense-check your strategy, and stay on top of what's happening across the industry — including conversations around emerging topics like AI.

How to get involved

The RMS community is accessible directly from our website via the top navigation, and will soon be available from within RMS itself. It's free to join. All you need to do is sign in.

We want to hear from you. Share what's on your mind. Post your questions. Tell us what you'd like us to work on. If you've struggled to get feedback through to RMS, the community is here to change that. This is your channel, built for customers, run for customers, and we're committed to being present and responsive within it every day.

We genuinely hope you'll get on board, get active, and help make this community work for everyone.