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.

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?

What’s the buzz about?

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

There’s been a lot of buzz around the office lately. Not idle chit chat or water cooler talk, but rather the buzz of productivity and communication.  Ideas are being generated at lightning speed. Collaboration is taking place around every corner. Phones are ringing, problems are being solved. Keyboards are clicking and enhancements are being made. There is progress in the air and it’s electric.

These are the days that energize and delight. With each new idea and every conversation, we are moving forward, building and expanding, reaching and resolving.

Optimism abounds, not just within our walls, but across the hospitality industry as experts speak of “turn-arounds” and economic upswings. Restaurateurs, caterers and F&B professionals are looking ahead and experimenting with new ways of doing business, unique growth strategies and powerful innovations. Everyone is focused on success and determined to come out of the darkness with spirit intact.

We are proud partners of this passionate and resilient industry. And as I listen to the latest buzz in the halls of ReServe Interactive, I am excited about what the future will bring.

Introducing Our PCI Compliance Partner

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I’m happy to announce we’ve partnered with Element Payment Services, Inc., a company that provides PCI compliant processing solutions to software providers and merchants that accept credit cards. This partnership will allow our customers to securely accept credit cards, process payments, secure reservations and collect deposits directly through a unique portal located in their ReServe Interactive software without ever having to transmit or store sensitive cardholder information. Element’s solution simplifies processes for both our customers and ourselves, leaving us all risk-free and in compliance with today’s PCI specifications.

We researched several providers before we selected Element, keeping in mind our expectation of partnership that I blogged about in January, and found that not only is their solution exceptional, but they value a successful partnership as much as we do. The decision was easy because we knew that both sides would have the customers’ best interests in mind.

So far, the partnership process has been a wonderful experience. The staff at Element is friendly, helpful, generous with their time and accommodating to our needs. All of these factors are important when dealing with an issue as sensitive as PCI Compliance. We knew we needed a partner who not only understood the importance of compliance for our customers and our industry, but was willing to take the steps necessary to get our customers and our company compliant as quickly as possible.

A successful partnership can be easy to achieve when both sides are on the same page. We look forward to working with Element Payment Services, and providing our customers with the superior products and the highest level of service they’ve come to expect from us since 1996.

Online dining reservations…

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

I came across a great article in the January 2010 American Express Market Brief about restaurant trends. One of the things touched on was online dining reservations. It states that as few as 14 percent of consumers have made restaurant reservations online.  That seems like a staggeringly low number considering today’s 24/7 Internet connectivity, endless cell phone apps and the ongoing push towards the use of technology for everyday activities, such as socializing, grocery shopping and schooling. But really, if you think about it, technology can be intimidating and with so many new applications and gadgets coming down the pipeline at a steady pace, it’s no wonder that so few have taken advantage of online reservation services.

The research also explained that 44 percent of consumers, when asked what they felt was the primary advantage of using an online tool said they liked the ability to make a reservation when it was convenient for them.  Followed by not having to talk to a live human being, never being put on hold, getting an immediate confirmation of the reservation, having the reservation details entered correctly and earning rewards points for booking online.

What does all of this mean? Online reservation systems are just catching on with consumers and when they do take advantage of the ability to book a reservation online, they do it because it’s convenient and it eliminates some of the hassle associated with calling a restaurant during business hours to book a reservation.

Restaurants have several options for online dining reservation tools. The key is to find one that is convenient and cost effective for them. Steer clear of ‘per seat’ transaction fees. If a busy restaurant takes quite a few reservations online, this fee could end up costing thousands of dollars. The other consideration is finding a tool where reservation data is captured, owned and maintained by the restaurant, and the restaurant alone. Restaurants shouldn’t have to pay to use their own customer data. Finally, when a customer requests a specific reservation time and it’s unavailable, restaurants want to make sure that the guest remains on their site and in their dining room, so the ability to offer alternative dates and times is critical. No one wants a tool that will suggest different restaurants with that available date and time. That’s money out the window.  The ultimate goal should be to implement a tool that will bring in business and boost revenue. Convenience should be just as important to the restaurant owner as it is to the consumer.

ReServe offers an online reservation tool called ReServeIT.  We think it’s pretty convenient – for everyone who uses it.

The Importance of PCI Compliance

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 343 million records with sensitive personal information have been involved in security breaches in the U.S. since January of 2005. And some statistics even claim that more than 55 percent of credit card fraud comes from the hospitality industry!* Wow. Those are some scary stats.

Today, when financial transactions are regularly conducted in an online environment, merchants can become easy targets for fraud. In many cases, it’s inadequate security on the business’s end that allows hackers to steal and use financial data from credit and debit card transactions and credit card processing systems.

With the prevalence of this type of activity, companies are scrambling to put the appropriate measures in place to protect their customers and themselves. Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) helps to eliminate a merchant’s vulnerabilities and protect important consumer data. Those companies that fail to fulfill the PCI compliance requirements and put the proper levels of protection in place can face massive fines, increased credit card processing fees, the inability to accept payment cards at all, and ultimately, closure – all devastating consequences.

Many of our customers, from hotels to restaurants, and caterers to convention centers, routinely gather, process and store sensitive customer financial data. Whether it’s using a consumer’s credit card to secure a deposit for an event, book a reservation, or simply pay an invoice, our customers are responsible for making sure that the financial data their guests share remains secure.  

As their business partner, we are committed to providing them with the tools they need to become, and remain, PCI compliant. We understand the risks and the long lasting effects of non-compliance and we are not willing to take any chances.

 *The PCI Compliance Process for Hotels, American Hotel & Lodging Association