Hospitality is rooted in empathy; genuine care for others is a key trait of those who love the industry. Perhaps this is why they have a keen focus on giving back and social responsibility. We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of the individuals involved in these projects over the years, and being the season for it, I have listed a few below. Hospitality Action has been around for over 170 years. According to the history published on their website, they were originally founded as the “London Coffee House Keepers Association” for the purpose of providing relief to aged members of the trade, and their widows and orphans. They now provide all manner of support for hospitality workers who need it, including financial counseling, grants for essential items, and support for retired workers. The Hospitality Trust, based in Ireland, also aims to support current and previous hospitality and catering workers who find themselves in need of financial assistance. Funds are provided through donations, corporate sponsors, and events, and are distributed to those in need through an application process. The Global Soap Project is working to distribute left over soaps from hotels to populations around the world. This group …
Holiday preparations are in full swing and most hoteliers already have a game plan. Following are a few tips you can put into place today to help keep the holiday traffic flowing smoothly in your hotel. Check your search rankings – Spend a few minutes searching for hotels in your area, and see which pop up on the front page. If your property isn’t one of them, get with your team to see what you can do to be closer to the top. Be sure your contact information is easy to find on your website, as well. Gear up your team – High volumes and road-weary guests will put added stress on your staff. True hospitality pros thrive in a high-pressure environment, so be sure they are aware that you notice and appreciate their hard work and professionalism. Reinforce teamwork, incentivize priorities, and maintain a cheerful attitude across all departments. Mobilize – A mobile app can take a lot of pressure off your staff. One of the biggest benefits is a major reduction in calls to the front desk, freeing your staff up to be even more in tune to guests. Mobile check-in eases queue frustrations, while virtual concierge and …
The following is a message from Monscierge CEO, Marcus Robinson. Monscierge is very excited about our recent 5 year anniversary. During those years, the industry as a whole has evolved significantly. The impact of mobile and the cloud have dramatically changed the landscape. We expect the coming rate of change to accelerate, and we feel like we are just getting started. Our culture at Monscierge is built around fast paced change, and our team is excited about the future and our impact on the industry. We have worked hard to build our company and our systems around the customer, and are truly looking forward to helping our clients tackle their specific challenges in 2015. As we embrace change in the industry, we are announcing a few changes of our own. At Monscierge, we have a philosophy: Build it, get it working, and then charge for it. Others in the industry have made their name the other way around. They charge for it, then try to build it. Emphasis on TRY. We have invested heavily, and taken many years to create a framework that allows you to power your complete guest journey, and as a result, we are number 1 in …
Special thanks to Monscierge team member, John Austin, for the insights contained in this post. With an extensive background in software testing and game, web, and graphic design, John brings valuable experience in building and using beautiful, useful, intuitive products. What does “Quality Assurance” mean to you? Broadly, QA is about setting quality expectations for your products, and ensuring that those expectations are delivered. The methods are different per department, or per industry, but that’s the base. That said, I personally see QA as an opportunity to make things better. Meeting standards isn’t the end, it’s the beginning. There’s always opportunity to build, grow, and improve, and I think every person at Monscierge embraces that ideal. QA is a step to ensure that the foundation is solid. What does your work day look like? It varies greatly from day to day, but the majority of my time is spent with our software. Our Development team is always building new products, or improving our existing products. Each new piece needs to be tested and reviewed, which is where I come in. Bugs, usability issues, anything that would negatively impact our customer’s experience must be identified, reported, corrected, and re-tested for quality. …
I returned a few days ago from vacation with family that included my children, a couple sisters and their husbands, and a bunch of nieces and nephews. Twenty-two people, to be exact. While accompanied with a fair amount of chaos, this was by far one of the best trips we have taken, due in large part to the resort where we stayed. Following are five pivotal moments that made us decide to return as often as we can. Arrival: The front desk staff was friendly and welcoming. They gave us a short rundown of where to find the important places within the resort as well as a few local recommendations they thought we would find interesting. Within two minutes, we had general knowledge of our surroundings, a solid welcome, and keys in hand. The kicker: We arrived just at dinner time with cars full of road-weary children. The front desk staff handed us a menu for pizza delivery along with a coupon for a free pizza. There is no better way to greet children than free pizza. Rooms: When we walked into our rooms, we immediately felt relaxed. Comfortable furnishings, cozy atmosphere, and immaculately clean. Everything was in top shape, …