Have recent economic conditions made you stronger?

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Reports vary across the industry – some hospitality segments have continued to show steady growth, some have struggled and are eager for a comeback, while others have remained stable.

Where did your organization fall over the last couple of years?  What changes have you made to position yourself for growth as economic conditions improve? 

Many industry segments have taken this challenging time as an opportunity to improve operations, develop management and build relationships with industry partners. They have focused on improving existing processes and finding ways to save money without sacrificing service and quality. Many have decided to invest in technology solutions developed to help them streamline operations and enhance efficiencies.

We’ve found that more of our newer customers are choosing ReServe Anywhere®, our web-based Dining Reservation, Table Management, Catering and Event Management solutions, because they offer all of the functionality and efficiency-creating features of our traditional client/server software without the costs associated with purchasing extra hardware and investing in additional on-property IT resources. All they need is a high speed internet connection and they can connect to their business from anywhere, at anytime. This allows them to take advantage of tools that help them make great strides in improving productivity, streamlining operations, and enhancing customer service, all while positioning themselves strongly in today’s competitive landscape.

When considered smartly, technology can be an ally in the fight for growth in this touchy economic environment.  Let the solutions you choose give you the added strength you need to thrive.

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?

It’s all in the Details (Part 1)…

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

What we’ve found over the last 15 years is that our customers thrive on, and are often overwhelmed by, the details. It’s all of the little things that are tied to catered events or dining experiences that can make our users’ jobs chaotic. From last minute reservation cancellations to unexpected walk-ins, Mr. Smith’s wine preference for his anniversary dinner to a frantic bride’s third menu change in two weeks –  all of these things are important, and when missed or misplaced, can throw everything out of sync.

It’s managing the details, no matter how small, that make our customers successful. By simply paying attention to the minutia, they raise the bar of guest service, manage their operations more successfully and consistently generate revenue.

When new customers call, it’s usually because they are drowning in Post-it Notes and file folders, lost in a sea of scratched up and wrinkled reservation book pages, or simply tired of bouncing between three or four computer programs to get one report printed. They’ve thrown up their hands in defeat and are demanding a better way to do business.

And we know that, as a true solutions provider, we can’t make sweeping generalizations about that individual’s business. We can’t assume they follow the same processes as other restaurants or venues, subscribe to similar business models as industry peers, or service the same types of guests as a local counterpart. We must treat them as individuals and pay attention to the details they share – the very same, very specific details they pay attention to every single day.

But that’s just the beginning. Once we talk with them and learn more about their needs, it’s time to share how our software can help them more successfully manage those details…

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.

New beginnings

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

A new year is upon us. Time to put the past behind us and look toward the future and all of the opportunity 2010 will bring.

2009 held many challenges that at times seemed overwhelming. In fact, there were times when it felt the year would go on forever in a constant state of instability and frustration. But the power of new beginnings is the opportunity to take the lessons you’ve learned from the past and apply them to the future. Each new year leaves us all a little wiser and more hopeful that things will be different from the get go.

2010 is only a week old and we are already hearing from prospective and existing  customers telling us that they need to make changes this year.  They’ve taken a look at the way they did business in 2009 and have found that they need new ways to become more efficient and productive. They’ve realized that automation can make all the difference this year. They need to work smarter and they want the tools to do so. And we’re more than happy to help!

We’ve developed a better process for catering, event management, dining reservations and table management. Our software is built on best-practice processes so it’s easy to improve efficiencies across entire organizations from the moment of implementation.  Best of all, we’ve stood in their shoes and understand the challenges they face on a daily basis.

We believe in the power of new beginnings and want to help hospitality professionals start the New Year off right. Our customers work hard and they deserve for 2010 to be the best that it can be.

How it all began

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

When the idea for our software first came about, I was working for Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California, managing retail operations, which included restaurant sales and marketing, catering services, as well as visitor center and golf course events, and the vineyard’s concert series. My desk was overflowing with file folders and sticky notes, pads of paper and pink phone message slips. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

When I couldn’t take it anymore, I began researching different software products to help us automate our processes. At the time, most of the products available were expensive and geared toward the hotel market, so it was hard finding the right fit. When I finally selected a product that I thought was one of the better solutions available at the time, I found it difficult to use and time consuming. After endless hours of struggling to make the software work for us, I ended up picking up the phone and calling my sister in Wisconsin who was running her own consulting business specializing in the design and development of effective user interfaces for high-tech products. I explained my frustration and ended with “There’s got to be a better way.”

So, Lynn flew out to California and together we analyzed the different facets of my job and the roles of the various departments responsible for managing on-site dining and events. I explained how I would prefer for things to work, what would make the most sense for the staff, and what elements of our day-to-day operations needed to be made more efficient. We put our heads together, and with my hospitality experience and her technology experience, we began developing the earliest versions of ReServe Interactive software.

In 1996, we formally launched Efficient Frontiers, Inc. and began selling ReServe Interactive Catering, Event Management, Dining Reservations and Table Management software. Our first customer was Wente Vineyards.

I can’t believe it’s been more than 13 years since that fated phone call, and so much has happened since. Our product offering has grown to include a web-based solution; we interface with more than 10 industry-leading applications; and we service more than 1,000 customers. And it all started with a single phone call. We couldn’t be happier with the way our idea has grown. Most of all, it feels really good to know that every day, we are making someone’s life just a little bit easier.

Beth Goodell