Survey Says….

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

After a technical support call is received and resolved by our Product and Technical Support Services Team, we send a survey to the customers requesting they rate the quality of the service they received on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being Excellent. This is done with every support call logged so that we can continually enhance our internal processes and offer the highest levels of customer service.

We’re happy to share that this past July, 98 percent of customers surveyed gave our support technicians a ranking of 5 when asked about their technical knowledge and helpfulness.

You see, here’s where we do things differently. Our Product and Technical Support Services Team is comprised of technical staff, trainers and data customization specialists. That means many of our customers have the added value of working with the same ReServe team members from the time of initial installation. Certain staff members specialize in specific software modules, and the entire Product and Technical Support Services Team has a keen understanding of the hospitality industry. In addition, through close interaction and ongoing partnership, team members become knowledgeable of the specific operational requirements of each individual customer. What results is a level of service that exceeds industry standards and provides our customers with a unique support experience that keeps them productive, efficient and profitable.

And our customers agree. Here are a couple of quotes from those surveyed in July.

“Always a pleasure working with representatives from Reserve. EXTREMELY helpful and kind (patient!). Thank you for the on-the -spot assistance to my impromptu phone call. You made my day easier.”

“ReServe Representatives have consistently been helpful EVERY time that I have called. I have always received an immediate response as well as a solution.”

Thank you to everyone who participates in our support surveys! As always, it’s a pleasure serving you!

Do you want to be everything to everyone?

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

The hospitality industry is so unique. It is highly segmented, thematically diverse and powerfully resilient. On top of all of those things, its needs are vast, from food and beverage to operational needs, financing to marketing resources, and equipment to technology requirements. Suppliers, with a passion for the industry, sometimes find themselves wanting to fill as many needs for their hospitality customers as possible.

The problem is, when you try to be everything to everyone, you lose sight of who you are. And so do your customers. Not only do you lose your competitive edge, but you run the risk of becoming forgettable.

The pool of hospitality suppliers is large and our offerings cross over a myriad of operational needs. With so many choices, hospitality professionals are often at a loss with where to start. It’s our responsibility to make our offerings crystal clear so our customers have the right information to make the best possible choices. By muddling features and benefits or using deceptive language, it’s impossible to stand out and be seen as a viable, long-term solution.

Many successful hospitality professionals have figured this out long ago and can serve as a great example. They are the ones that have thrived through a struggling economy, and quietly boast a solid, targeted and growing customer base. They have honed in on what makes them unique and have built a reputation on that uniqueness that is accompanied by industry accolades and customer ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. Some examples – Wolfgang Puck Catering, McCormick & Schmick’s and Gaylord Entertainment. They are the masters of their brands and have earned their success by decidedly not trying to be everything to everyone.

While we offer several hospitality management software solutions to our customers, our message is clear and so is the ReServe Interactive offering. We would rather be something incredible to someone than run the risk of being overlooked because we tried to be everything to everyone.

Customer service skills matter just as much, if not more, than computer skills

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Technology is everywhere – The Ipad and Smart Phones, Twitter, Facebook, Cloud Computing, Software-as-a-Service, new versions of this, expanded versions of that. It’s overwhelming – and very exciting.

Technology has proven to be a valuable resource to the hospitality industry.  Customer facing technologies like kiosks and online reservation systems, as well as front-of-house software applications are helping venues better manage their businesses from the hostess desk to the floor to the kitchen. Businesses using the right technologies the right way are seeing efficiencies, productivity and revenues at levels they haven’t seen before.

One study from the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University called Customer Preferences for Restaurant Technology Innovations highlights the impact customer facing technologies like kiosks, pager systems and online reservation systems can have on customers, as well as restaurateurs. http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2009.html.

Here’s a twist – technology, if implemented without thorough examination or simply used incorrectly, can hinder a business’s ability to grow and properly service customers. More time spent troubleshooting software or staff relying too heavily on the tool rather than spending face time with customers can be a detriment that compromises the integrity of your business.

Regardless of the latest technology tools and trends, it’s important to look at your selection from a customer service standpoint. Tools that detract from customer care will hurt you in the long run. Tools designed to help you service your customers and treat them like VIPs is a worthwhile and smart investment for the long term.

And it’s also important to remember that your customers don’t always know, or necessarily care, what technology tools you’re using. Ultimately, they care if the food is good, the price is right and the service is spot on.

Online dining reservations – designed with restaurants in mind

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Well, the buzz is certainly intense lately regarding online dining reservation software. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal on May 20 comparing several products including OpenTable, UrbanSpoon and ReservationGenie. The article highlighted restaurateur frustration with excessive fees and the limited availability of cost effective options. I guess I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw our hat in the ring.

ReServeIT from ReServe Interactive allows restaurant guests to book their reservations through a restaurant’s website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The difference between us and some of the other applications on the market is that we do not charge a ‘per seat’ or ‘per head’ transaction fee, require excessive set up costs or hit restaurateurs with miscellaneous nickel and dime charges. We offer a solution that puts guests in your dining room and revenue in your pocket.

Also, other systems use simple ‘slot’ technology to book reservations – like a glorified spreadsheet. The user has to make a best guess as to how many online reservations to set aside on a given evening.  What happens when that estimate is off and the online reservation system tells a customer that the dining room is full, even when it’s not? How do you explain it to customers who become frustrated enough to call or stop in only to find that there are actually several seats available? 

ReServeIT utilizes your actual table inventory to determine whether space is available to make a reservation. That means you have accurate, real-time management of your online reservation “pool”.  ReServe will always manage available reservations based on the parameters you define and what is happening in your restaurant in real time. Plus, if a customer’s requested reservation time is not available, you decide where to refer them.  You don’t have to worry about having your potential customers getting sent to your competitor.

Here are some other things to know about ReServeIT:

• You can manage reservations across multiple restaurants within a single database.
• You own your reservation and customer data and won’t get charged to use it to market more effectively.
• Your website and ReServeIT seamlessly integrate so you can customize your links and landing page to present a branded, serviced-oriented image to your guests throughout the reservation process.
• You can use customized short links for social media applications and online dining guides.
• You can add the customized links anywhere you want to accept dining reservations and send branded and personalized reservation confirmations to your guests.

So, to all of you out there that are frustrated with the cost of your current system, know that there are other, more affordable, options available that were designed with your success in mind.

When Considering Software Interfaces, Remember to Look Under the Hood

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

A lot of software programs use interfaces to enhance their offering. Interfaces allow users to work with a software solution that offers a variety of additional tools to meet their business needs. The trick is making sure the interfaces you are promised make your job easier.

When it comes to hospitality management software, there are products on the market that claim to offer intuitive or easy to use interfaces, but essentially they are just providing a link that directs the user to another application all together. A true interface allows both programs to automatically communicate with each other, easily sharing necessary data and ultimately enhancing the user experience.

At ReServe, we don’t just interface with anyone. We look for software partners that support their products and are committed to servicing their customers according to similarly high standards. Our goal is to select partners willing to share information and work side-by-side with us so that the interface is fully integrated and seamless.

Our customer base is broad, spanning several market segments with diverse technology requirements, so our software and any interfaces we offer, need to accommodate that range of needs, from the most basic to the most sophisticated platforms. As such, each interface we select fits naturally with our process driven design and simply becomes an extension of our software, running automatically and anticipating our users’ needs. Our interfaces are smart and work for the user, providing accurate and necessary information, presented on screen where you need it and only when you need it, without complicating routine tasks with extra steps or superfluous data.

Once we commit to an interface, we support it and keep it working throughout upgrades to our software’s architecture. That way, the interface is always functional and critical customer data is never lost. We stand behind our interfaces and make sure we understand the architecture of each third-party product, so that we can easily navigate it and troubleshoot user questions. We don’t bounce our users around between software companies and support departments. Instead, we work with the user as a single point of contact, trusting in our interface solutions and the companies that provide them.

We work with several industry partners to develop integrated interfaces, including Element Payment Systems for credit card processing and storage, MeetingMatrix for room diagramming, as well as various POS system software providers, paging system vendors, and food costing system manufacturers.

One example of a very efficient interface from the user’s perspective is our interface with MeetingMatrix. Through our partnership , we’ve developed an interface that seamlessly launches the MeetingMatrix software with the simple click of one button on the ReServe screen, transfers event information between ReServe and MeetingMatrix, and instantly creates custom room diagrams using the unique specifications for the event that have already been configured in ReServe.  With this solution, there is no double entry of information required. All relevant information is automatically shared between ReServe and MeetingMatrix, enabling the user to be very efficient in each program.

The elegance of a software solution should be in its simplicity for the user. Software should be assistive, not prohibitive, taking care of the details, providing the right data only when and where it is needed, and freeing the user to focus on their job. That is what “easy to use” and “intuitive” means. However, “easy to use” does not mean easy to create.  It’s not enough for a company to say its product interfaces with another product. As a user, you’ve got to demand a demonstration of how an interface actually works, because software cannot be a productivity tool that adds real value unless it is elegantly simple in its functionality.  

So, before you decide on a software solution that offers interfaces, make sure you are getting what you’ve been promised and what you’ve paid for. Demand true communication between the products, ease of use, and business enhancing functionality. After all, you have more important things to do than struggle with software solutions that are more trouble than they’re worth.

What’s your unique selling proposition? What makes you different?

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

There are a lot of event management and dining reservation products on the market today, all claiming to do pretty much the same thing. You’ll see words like ‘efficiency’, ‘productivity’, and ‘money saving’ thrown around like birdseed in Central Park. But how many of those companies can back up those words with real action?

At ReServe, we know that there is no other product on the market that does exactly what our product does. Our technology platform is proprietary and entirely unique with intuitive features like our Event Lifecycle Technology and Smart Reservation Technology. We offer both dynamic catering & event management and dining reservation & table management software modules that were designed to easily integrate with one another to provide a comprehensive tool for users to manage all functions with one product. Not to mention more than 20 add-ons or interfaces that range from room diagramming to no-fee online dining reservation capability.

Most of all, our people help us stand out above the crowd of software providers. We still believe in a good old fashioned handshake, a voice on the other end of the line and customer service that goes above and beyond at a time when it seems to have fallen by the wayside.

We know who we are, what we do and why we do it best. Do you know your unique selling proposition? What makes you rise above the rest?

The Power of the Aha! Moment

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Have you ever been in a situation where things are moving along, the information or experience is just what you expected and then, out of the blue, you hear or see something that makes you stop in your tracks? Have you ever had an Aha! moment? A moment of clarity that changed your perspective, your attitude or the way you do something moving forward?

At ReServe, we want all of our customers to experience that Aha! moment when they are using our software. We want them to be continually blown away with every single click of a button.

We do hundreds of live demos every year with prospective customers and there is always a moment during the demo when we hear someone say “Really? I can do that?” or “Wow! That was so easy.” Today, we know that more than two-thirds of prospective customers who participate in a live demo will purchase our software within 60 days and stick with it for the long haul. Why? Because they’ve seen that our software provides Aha! moments on a regular basis and it has changed the way they do business.

When the CEO of a restaurant company can log in from his hotel room at 1:30 in the morning and see a revenue summary across all 80 of his restaurant sites, as well as comprehensive booking information for the upcoming holiday weekend and details on the restaurant’s latest marketing initiative, the power of the Aha! moment abounds.

Have you experienced your Aha! moment?

Introducing…Ron R. Goodell, VP & Chief Customer Relations Officer

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Ron Goodell, our Vice President & Chief Customer Relations Officer. Ron has occupied a seat on the Board of Directors for ReServe Interactive since 1996, and joined us full-time in 1999 after spending three years as the Executive Chef at the Bellevue Club in Oakland, California. There, he managed kitchen operations and fine-tuned his computer experience in restaurant management applications.

Prior to that, Ron spent five years at Wente Vineyards Winery and Restaurant as the Executive Chef for Catering and Conference Services. Ron was frequently chosen to represent Wente Bros. nationally and internationally at food and wine expositions. Throughout his career in the hospitality industry, Ron has been an early adopter of technology, understanding the competitive edge it can bring to an organization.

Ron is a graduate of the Mitchell Technical Institute. He also graduated with high honors from the California Culinary Academy, and was selected the top California Culinary Student in 1989. He serves as an officer of the company and is a member of its Board of Directors.

Ron brings a unique perspective to our organization with his in-depth knowledge of the hospitality industry and his expertise in technology applications. He serves an important role in assisting our customers and driving the product and technical support team to provide the highest levels of service.

It’s all in the Details (Part 2)

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

When it comes to details, there are two trains of thought. The first is that they are a nuisance, an annoyance – extra work that gets in the way of the bigger picture.  The second is that details are the foundation of an unforgettable experience or an extraordinary event.

When the details are tended to, the bigger picture goes from ordinary to exceptional. Details can make or break an evening out for dining patrons. Are they seated, fed, and hustled out so the next guest can come in, or are they greeted by name, offered their favorite table or bottle of wine, and treated to personalized, superior service throughout their visit? Was their experience common, like so many others? Or was it memorable enough to bring them back over and over again?

That’s why we designed a product that helps our customers focus on the details. Our software allows them to capture important bits of information. And when our customers are too busy to ask for the details, we remind them. We want them to be able to treat all of their guests like VIPs from the get go because when our customers are successful, we’re successful.

The list of details captured by our Dining Reservation & Table Management software alone goes on and on, but here’s a short list to get you thinking.

• Captures guest preferences, like food and beverage purchase histories, table and server requests
• Gathers historical data such as guest contact information, number of prior and future dining reservations booked, number of no shows and cancelled dining reservations
• Automatically calculates available reservation times based on dining room specific criteria including table inventory, turn rates, maximum seating capacities and other information
• Hostesses stay in the know and in control with accurate wait times for walk-in and advanced reservation guests with automated wait time calculations

Not to mention, automated task lists that keep everybody productive, ensuring no details are missed. All of our software modules automatically prompt users throughout the dining reservation or event booking process to guarantee that absolutely nothing is overlooked and all the information gathered in accurate.

I could go on and on about our software, but you can check out the rest of our website for more…you guessed it…details.

Introducing…. Leslie Phillips, Implementation & Training Consultant

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Today, I’d like to introduce you to another member of our training team. Leslie Phillips. Leslie joined us in August of 2006 on a part-time basis and became full-time in January of 2010. Throughout her tenure with us, Leslie has been responsible for implementing new accounts, conducting beginning and advanced training classes, writing training materials, and handling customer support calls. She has also traveled to customer locations to host on-site training sessions.

Originally from Washington, Leslie moved to California in 1988 after graduating from Eastern Washington University. Today, she is an extremely busy single mom raising two teenagers. She’s an active volunteer at the high school and enjoys playing, as well as watching sports with her kids. Leslie also loves to travel and read, and brings the passion and enthusiasm she displays in her personal life into her professional life with ReServe.

“Leslie Phillips was the most welcoming, unintimidating, software support person that I have spoken to in a while. Very knowledgeable and has a wonderful bed side manner.”  Kristen Childs, Reynolds Plantation.