Today’s blog is written by Monscierge Marketing Coordinator, Angie Ford. Early 1990s – Phones fit in your pocket! Late 1990s – Send text messages from that tiny phone. Mid 2000s – Magic internet phone. Roughly 3 seconds later – Everything on the device (even your wallet!)- can we still call it a phone? Technology is moving fast. It seems like as soon as you think up a new mobile app feature, 10 others have just taken it to market. In business school, we learned not to create a product or service unless it was new or improved something that exists- cheaper price, better design, improved function, etc. This is why so many small businesses fail- they do what others are already doing, but they don’t do it better. People often dream of running their own company, but finding a demand that’s not already being met is difficult. A gift shop down the road went out of business, most likely because we could purchase their items at half the cost online. A beef jerky store opened recently in the same shopping center. I have low expectations for this place. Your community’s desire to support a local business just isn’t enough. Are …
Not every member of a team is meant to be a leader, but there are some oft-hidden traits you can seek out when you’re looking to bump someone to a leadership or training role. Most successful leaders have a way about them that makes people pay attention to what they have to say, but not all great leaders are talkative. One way to find hidden leaders among your silent types is to look for deference among the rest of the staff. While many quiet people can be talked over in a group setting, hidden leaders tend to have the final (very few) words. Good leaders focus on the important. If you have a guy who seems to be great at getting people behind him, but then wastes hours on minutia, he may not be the kind of leader you want. Find someone who has a clear view of the goal and intentionally works toward it without getting bogged down and distracted with things that really don’t matter. They know how to prioritize on the fly. The front desk is a great place to practice this skill. They often deal with situations that involve multiple tasks getting done while changing people …
A soon to be released study of over 70 hotels across a 15-month period show significant increases in both GSS and RevPAR. Some of the significant findings include Guest Satisfaction Scores increased by 1.1% according to Review Pro’s Guest Review Index (GRITM) following deployment of the software A Cornell study equates this increase in GSS with a 1.5% increase in RevPAR* When compared against scores from the same period the previous year, some hotels using Connect Staff saw GSS increases that indicate double digit RevPAR growth. Hotels with higher levels of product engagement outperformed the other properties *applied to typical midscale hotel, this can mean increased revenues in excess of $25-50K per annum. Look for further information on this study over the following week as it becomes available. If you would like to see what Connect Staff can do for your hotel, please visit our booth (#1831) at HITEC 2016 for a demo. Your app is ready.
Branded apps have come a long way from the days of booking only. Today’s travelers have means of eliminating a majority of top concerns at the tips of their fingers. Here are nine ways major brands are easing the guest journey: Traffic: As much fun as it would be to have an app to erase traffic jams before we arrive at them, hotels are doing the next best thing by texting guests about known traffic issues. This includes construction, parking availability, and best route information. Lines: Most people say that five minutes is too long to wait for check-in. Waiting in line for any reason is a pain, but at the end of what could have been a frustrating journey, being met with a queue can test the patience of a saint. Now, there’s an app for that. Guests can check in as they arrive, and can even use their phone as a room key. Room Ready Notifications: Early arrivals and late check outs happen. When they happen at the same time in peak season, guests can be left waiting and wondering. Today’s mobile apps can help managers track every stage of the room, then text guests to let them …
Monscierge has released a case study along with Accor, outlining a deployment of Connect Staff into all U.K. owned and managed ibis properties. This initiative was piloted at the ibis London Euston site, and driven by Accor’s commitment to leading the industry in innovative technology and to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction. “The system has helped us to reduce the time to respond to maintenance requests by up to 50%.” Frederic Le Bras, Assistant General Manager, ibis London Blackfriars Connect Staff’s primary function for a single property is to provide hotel staff the ability to easily communicate, track and prioritize tasks throughout multiple departments. At brand level, the reporting metrics and analytics feature provide significant insight across an entire collection instantly. The case study, released at the beginning of this week, revealed that maintenance request times had gone down by up to 50%. It was also found that room availability was more efficient, and that guests showed increased confidence in staff. You can view and download the entire case study here.