Do you do the resolution thing?

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Did you know that 3 out of 4 people eventually break their New Year’s resolutions?  Are their goals too lofty? Are their resolutions too challenging?

There are several ways to help people make their resolutions stick. Some make their resolutions public, so they can be held accountable by more than just themselves. Some write them in journals and keep track of their progress throughout the year.

Whatever your plans to help you stick to your resolutions, remember personal resolutions are just that, personal. But what about your business resolutions? Do you plan on doing some things different in 2011? There are plenty of ideas out there like developing and growing a private dining business or reducing labor costs. How about investing in technology to improve your efficiency and support your growth? What about enhancing customer service across your organization?

We’re going to make some of our 2011 resolutions public. First, we’re going to continue to listen to our customers so that we can further develop our software to meet their unique business needs. Second, we’re going to keep a watchful eye on the industry so that we can continue to be relevant to our strategic partners and prospective customers. Third, we’re going to remember that our customers are the foundation of our success and make sure to frequently remind them of how much we appreciate their partnership. And finally, we’re going to bring new technologies to the table that will serve the restaurant industry in such a way that they can maximize their operations and increase their profitability.

We wish you luck with your New Year’s resolutions and hope that you can stick with them throughout 2011. In the meantime, we’re going kick off the New Year with some special wishes for you. We wish for your personal and professional success. We wish for you to take time to celebrate your family and friends.  We wish for you to be able to look back on this past year with wise eyes, and the determination to make 2011 better. Most of all, we wish you much joy and laughter in the upcoming year and for many years to come.

Would you hire a plumber to fix your car?

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Would you hire a plumber to fix your car? Or a sculptor to build you a house? Then why choose a software solution built by people unfamiliar with the hospitality industry? Sure, they can program software, but can they really speak your language? Do they understand what you do on a daily basis? Is the software designed to meet your needs or does it have pointless bells and whistles that look cool but are of no use to you or your business?

Our guess is you don’t need software that looks the part, but still forces you to remember where information is saved, what needs to happen next and what button means what. Your software should be so simple to use that it makes your life easier, not more difficult. If you’re wasting time trying to figure out what your software does or can do, then your software isn’t doing its job.

Our users drive our product development. They let us know what they need and we find the most effective way to make it happen.  Every feature, every function, is designed and included because it has been requested by an actual user, including members of our own staff who found themselves with a specific need when they were working in the industry.

At ReServe, our team is made up of hospitality industry veterans who, together with some of the technology industry’s brightest professionals, provide our users with a product that is more than a software system. It’s an extra pair of hands, an extension of your staff. We’re passionate about changing the way our customers do business. We want them to be efficient, profitable and, most importantly, able to do their jobs quickly, easily and accurately with software that truly useful.

Changing with the Times

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

 The hospitality industry is being inundated with technology and those technologies are changing at a rapid pace. Different areas of the industry exhibit various levels of acceptance of this fact. In some cases, there isn’t much of a choice. For example, everyone agrees that PCI compliance is important and steps need to be taken to ensure the right technologies are in place to protect consumers and merchants.

In other cases, the choice to implement new technologies is considered an option. The old way has always worked, so why change it? We understand. We also understand our customer’s desire to use technology to improve operations and the hesitation associated with changing the way things are done.

We understand because we face the same challenges. Whether it’s implementing new technologies internally to help us do business better or finding ways to advance our existing technologies to provide a better product for our customers, there’s always that moment of resistance; that moment of hesitation because things are going to be different than before. But once we open our minds to the benefits of the technologies we have chosen, the easier it is to implement and execute. And, before too long, we find ourselves wondering how we ever functioned without it.

Times continue to change and we’re looking to the future. Not next Friday, not October, but next year and the years to come.  We’re in the business of technology so making sure we’re on the cutting edge is one of our priorities. It won’t be long before you hear about our latest advancements, new tools, and plans for the future. We continue to change with the times and we hope you decide to join us.

Our version of an easy button

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

You’ve seen the commercials. Someone presses a big red button, a problem is solved, and you hear the words “That was easy!”

Our products and solutions are different than that of the company that created that now infamous button, but our premise is the same. We make the tough stuff a little less overwhelming and our customers lives a little easier. It’s the catering sales manager who books an event for the first time or the hostess that logs her first dining reservation and thinks (or says aloud if the feeling moves them) “That was easy!” And sometimes it really is the simple act of clicking a button that changes the way they do business.

We’ve done as many as 15 customer case studies over the last few years and the thread that runs through them all is ReServe’s ease of use. At some point in the profile, the customer comments on our software’s ability to make everyday tasks easier.  Here are just a few quotes from our case study library:

“We needed something efficient and easy to use, as well as something that could meet our unique needs within both catering divisions,” explains Jennifer Cleveland, Director of Catering, Harry Caray’s Restaurant Group. “We wanted to successfully manage events using a single system and ReServe’s software has allowed us to do just that.”

“It’s a tremendous time saver and easy to use,” says Lauren Serwitz, Catering Director, Round Hill Country Club. “We’re huge believers in ReServe Interactive, and we love to extol the virtues of ReServe to other clubs.”

“The software is cost-effective, easy-to-use and it has made us a much more productive organization,” says Trina Ashcraft, IT Trainer, Hilton Waikoloa Village.

“I came on board after implementation,” says Paul Pace, Director of Food & Beverage, Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. “And because the system is so user friendly and easy to use, I logged in and taught myself how to use it. I was able to take single and group reservations, make changes to floor plans and update menus within a couple of days.”

We may not have an actual easy button, but what’s better than an actual customer saying the words “That was easy!”?

Introducing…Jackie Zachman, Senior Systems Architect

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

We wouldn’t be able to offer our customers a superior product without the dedication and expertise of our Product Development Team. They are a specialized group of individuals with an unrivaled scope of knowledge in all areas of software development.

Jackie Zachman, our very first employee, has been with ReServe Interactive since 1996. Her commitment, passion and dedication to ReServe are as bright today as they were on her very first day. She is a brilliant software engineer that regularly designs creative and unique solutions that exceed the expectations of our diverse customer base.

As our Senior Systems Architect, Jackie has a strong commitment to quality and works diligently to make sure that the software she writes is reliable, but she also drives internal processes and procedures that all of our employees follow. These processes work together to continually raise the bar on our quality, reliability and uptime metrics.

Before she joined the ReServe family, Jackie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1986 from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. After graduating, she worked for GE Medical Systems for 10 years as a Software Engineer and Software Project Leader. After joining ReServe, she continued to do consulting for GE and several other companies for a couple of years prior to becoming a full-time ReServe employee in 1998.

Jackie’s sense of humor and friendly demeanor enhance the culture of our company. She is a wonderful example for other employees to follow, demonstrating integrity and an entrepreneurial work ethic that has helped to make ReServe the success it is today.

When she’s not busy at work, Jackie enjoys quilting, reading, volunteering for Little League, and watching her kids play in their various sporting activities.

When is simple better?

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Easy. When it’s smarter.

Boasting technology that is easy to use can put certain suppliers in a vicarious position. Simplified software can be so diluted or ‘dumbed-down’, that it doesn’t meet the basic needs of the user. Besides touting simplicity, the software may have nothing of real value to offer. Just because it looks like other, more universally known, software products, or has an attractive screen display, or is a plug and play platform, doesn’t mean it’s a fully evolved product. While it may seem appealing to a user at first, they soon realize that with all of the ‘simple’ bells and whistles, functionality has been compromised and a comprehensive tool is nowhere to be found. On the flip side, what if simplicity is positioned as a dominant feature, but the software is so complicated to navigate that the user throws up their hands in frustration and heads back to their pile of file folders or a tattered reservation book?

In our case, the software we design is complex on the development side and user-friendly on the front end. Our development processes are lengthy and detailed. We critically study the work environment of users so that we completely understand the process flow of information and the unique demands of their environment. We gather user input at various stages in the development process to make sure that we’re addressing the subtle details that make all the difference between a usable finished product versus one that becomes simply another obstacle in the way of completing required tasks. This iterative, user-centered design approach results in a product that is truly assistive – easy to navigate, rich with valuable functionality, easily integrated into the normal process flow of the work environment – and simply smarter than the rest.

Our software simplifies user practices without watering down functionality. Our platform is intuitive so that the software does what users need it to do and want it to do, all while prompting them through their own internal, operationally specific processes. The software speaks the user’s language, utilizes their unique business parameters, as well as incorporates industry knowledge and assumptions to help anticipate next steps.

We’ve been known to say that our software is simple to use. We’re not going to deny that. The difference is that we’ve taken simple to the next level and made is smart. We would never assume that the industry is only drawn to pretty screen displays or try to fool them by saying we’re as easy to use as other software products just because we have similar layout. The industry’s needs are diverse and layered with complexity and our job is to make the user’s job easier. Because our software is smart, we become that extra pair of hands, that second set of eyes, that extra reservationist or that catering sales assistant. There’s real value there. We know that. Our customers know that.

That’s how simple really becomes better.

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.

ANNOUNCING RESERVE VERSION 2010 SPRING

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

We’re pleased to announce ReServe Interactive software version 2010 Spring. This is the first of two releases scheduled for 2010, and it includes a series of new convenience features and platform enhancements designed to further improve our customer’s software and service experience.

Most importantly, more than ninety percent of the updates included in this release are based on direct customer input and were incorporated to meet current industry needs and requirements. We are constantly taking input from our customers so that the product we deliver consistently meets their exact and ever-changing needs. As an organization, we have employees with extensive experience in the hospitality industry so we are aware of the challenges our customers face on a daily basis. But it is our customers’ open and candid input, suggestions and recommendations that help us to further develop the product in such a way that all of its features are relevant and integral to their operations.

This latest release includes customer requested enhancements to our Catering & Event Management and Dining Reservation & Table Management modules. And we’ve added several new features including a PCI compliance package that allows customers to easily and securely accept credit cards; ReServe University, an all-inclusive training and support tool; and ReServeIT/ReQuestIT Web 2.0, a powerful new platform for processing dining reservations and event inquiries via the Internet.

But our work is not done here. We are already working on our next release which is scheduled to go live in the Fall of 2010.  We are constantly reviewing our offering, talking to our customers, gathering their input and putting everything into the development pipeline.  We’ll never stop enhancing our product offering and we will always partner with our customers to do so.

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.

What makes our software intuitive?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

It seems like the word ‘intuitive’ is getting thrown around more and more often. I’ve seen it used relative to medical devices, racing equipment and appliances. And while most of these products are truly intuitive or have intuitive features, there are some companies that make the claim, but fall very short.

Take, for example, some of the other catering and event management software products on the market today. They offer a lot of fancy features, have interfaces that look like other well-known software products, and claim to be easy to use. Many of our customers have tried these products and shared their experiences. Based on their input, intuition may not necessarily be the word they would use to describe the products. Functional? Yes. Easy-to-use? Sometimes. But just because a product is easy to use, doesn’t make it intuitive. What makes software intuitive? I guess that depends on your definition of intuitive.

Let me share what we think intuitive means. Intuitive, to us, means that we understand our customers’ businesses inside and out, top to bottom, and with that knowledge we’ve created a smart software system that is designed to become an integral part of a company’s day-to-day processes. It means we’ve built our software on a proprietary platform that was developed by professionals with years of experience in the design and development of effective user interfaces for high-tech products in a variety of industries. These individuals have an instinctive knowledge of user-centered design processes and, partnered with people that have extensive catering sales and hospitality experience, were able to design a product that incorporates human interface technologies with the specific, real world needs of the hospitality industry. Our software was created by people who have stood in the customer’s shoes. We know what our customers need because we know what we needed when we were standing at the hostess desk or taking calls in the sales office. Our software speaks their language, understands what they need moment by moment, and anticipates what they will need down the road.

Developed using our proprietary platform, our Event Lifecycle Technology™ (ELT) and Smart Reservation Technology™ (SRT) features can do what no other products on the market can do.  The unique, process-driven architecture enables ReServe to anticipate a customer’s next steps and prompts them for the necessary information. The software knows what the customer needs every step of the way and puts the information right at the user’s fingertips where and when they need it. It remembers the details and enforces business practices automatically, so the customer doesn’t have to. That’s what makes our software so powerful – so easy to learn, so effortless to use – so intuitive.

We’d like to think that when we say intuitive, not only do we mean it, but we can prove it. Just ask any of our customers.