Everything mobile-related from Monscierge.
The EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a significant change aimed at safeguarding data privacy for EU citizens. It was approved on April 14, 2016, and came into effect on May 25, 2018. The regulation applies to any organization that collects data on EU citizens, regardless of the organization’s location. Compliance is mandatory for any entity that processes data on EU citizens to sell goods or services, make it especially relevant to the travel industry. Hotels, in particular, are significantly impacted by this regulation as they often store consumer data in multiple locations and receive it from various sources, such as OTA bookings. As a result, compliance will involve implementing stringent protections for all technology used to collect data within a hotel, conducting staff training on privacy protection, and establishing protocols in the event of a security breach. Our Monscierge team has plans to ensure a smooth transition for our clients. In the coming weeks, we will provide more information about what this entails and how to comply.
Over the last few months, we’ve been talking a lot about “killing the cheeseplate”. This phrase came from the early days of Monscierge as we were working with staff at a local hotel. When asked how he would change hotel operations, one staff member said he would kill the cheeseplate. He explained that he delivered a cheeseplate as a welcome gift to guests, but he was also discarding most of them untouched at the end of the day. He expressed a desire to tailor these gifts to guests in order to provide more personalized and valued services. Killing the cheeseplate means redefining the guest journey through personalization. That is the attitude we took to heart during the creation of Monscierge Connect. Rather than using technology to decrease the need for human interaction, we have embraced the notion of using technology to create more opportunities for unique interactions with guests. We can do this through personalization of the entire guest journey, providing means of communication that guests prefer, and eliminating common guest frustrations such as waiting in lines. Specifically, hotels now have means to identify guests as they walk through the door, greet them by name, and have their favorite treats …
The latest J.D Power study measuring guest satisfaction across hotel segments had a major focus on mobility this year. The study uses seven factors to determine guest satisfaction, including reservation, check-in/check-out, rooms, F&B, services, facilities, and fees. Concerning mobile, Rick Garlick (J.D. Power Practice Lead – travel and hospitality) had this to say, “As mobile usage becomes increasingly ubiquitous for guests, the challenge for hotels becomes twofold: First, they must persuade guests to book directly with them, and second, they must encourage easy utilization of this technology. By forging direct relationships, hotels can become guardians of the guest experience, but at the center of these relationships is an establishment’s mobile strategy.” Other key findings of this study included higher satisfaction rates with direct booking, use of a hotel’s app, and among those who both read and write reviews.
Our team has been busy gearing up for HITEC Toronto, taking place June 26-29, 2017. We are excited to bring along the latest versions of our legacy products as well as a few new surprises. Since last year, data security and content streaming have become a big focus in the industry. Partnering with Jamf to bring an enterprise solution to Apple TV, we can meet safety and security concerns and bring content streaming to the guest experience. Also new this year, our entire product suite including Apple TV, beacons, and a multitude of mobile options will be available for the hotel technology experience tour at the Fairmont Royal York. Space is extremely limited so email info@monscierge.com to book this tour. Come visit us at booth #1641 to experience the latest enhancements to the mobile guest journey. Pick up a copy of our current market research while you’re there, as well as information about Apple’s latest financing program for enterprise. See you there!
If you’re attending HITEC North America in Toronto this June, you will be hearing many discussions surrounding plausible technology architecture and integrations that allow guests to safely access their own content, yet give the hotel peace of mind with guests’ security and personal data. This new consideration of guest entertainment in hospitality makes a lot of sense as more and more people choose streaming over traditional television services. For hotels, providing the means to do this leads to better personalization of the guest experience and hosts of branding opportunities. As with any new technology, there are a number of financial and security factors that must be considered. The needs of the guest must come first, and security plays a big role here. Logging out or removing consumer information from devices is one of the biggest hurdles in scaling this technology in hotels. To protect our hospitality clients and their guests, Monscierge has partnered with Jamf, the leader in Apple device management, to deliver an enterprise solution for Apple TV. By pairing our Apple TV application with Jamf Pro, the hotel can confirm that personal data is not accessible from the in-room devices upon check-out. As the hospitality partner for Apple’s …