Intuitive revisited

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

I was watching TV the other night and heard the word ‘intuitive’ used in reference to a computer, a car and a healthcare system, all within a matter of 15 minutes. It’s a word that bubbles up more and more frequently. The companies in these commercials can more than likely back up their claims – their reputations are built on them. However, there are some companies that make the claim, but fall very short.

For example, other hospitality management software products on the market today offer to collect tons of information, as well as interfaces that look like other well-known software products, and tout their ease of use. Many of our customers have used these products in the past and have willingly shared their experiences with us. After listening to their evaluations, intuitive wasn’t a word they used to describe the products. Functional? Yes. Easy-to-use? Sometimes. But just because a product looks like Outlook, doesn’t necessarily make it easy to use.  More importantly, it doesn’t make it intuitive.

At ReServe Interactive, intuitive 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 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.

We know that when we say intuitive, we mean it, and we can prove it.

Will you Q?

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Part of my job is educating customers about ways to improve operations so that they can see an immediate impact on their bottom line. Our customers need to run leaner, manage operations successfully and build business consistently. Without the right tools, these tasks are challenging to say the least.

Take, for example, dining reservations for restaurants. Restaurant staff needs a way to manage reservations so that they can take advantage of their entire table inventory. They need the assurance that when their guests go online to make a reservation, they find accurate information and can book a reservation easily. They also need a way to keep guests in their restaurant when they find their requested dining time to be unavailable.

When I’m speaking to prospective customers about reservation management, I ask the following: “Can you rely on the reservation software you are currently using?” The answer is usually “That depends.” For a variety of reasons, customers are unsure. They are spending quite a bit of money on some of the systems out there. There is some benefit to the marketing tools these systems provide, but it’s hard to gauge how much business is lost because guests have been redirected to other area restaurants that may have availability. In some case, there is no benefit at all; rather the restaurant feels it’s something that they need to do because they’ve been told it is good business sense to have some sort of system in place.

We end up discussing things like functionality, integration, marketing, and estimated ROI. Ultimately, I end up walking through the features of our software. What’s exciting is that we’ll soon be able to offer more dining reservation tools for restaurateurs. We will launch ReServe Q, a platform that will allow restaurant guests to make dining reservations or add themselves to a wait list using a restaurant’s website or a mobile device such as an iPhone, Android or Blackberry. As part of the ReServe Q offering, we’re forging strategic partnerships with mobile application aggregators and online dining guides to expand marketing reach for restaurants.

Most importantly, we’ve created a tool that will benefit our customers to the fullest with increased business and a better bottom line.

Will you Q?

Our 15th Year

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

It’s almost hard to believe that we are in our 15^th year of business. So much has changed since we introduced ourselves to the industry in 1996.  What started as an idea to help ourselves has become a force within the hospitality industry. We are literally changing the way our customers are doing business.

Since 1996, our catering, event management, dining reservation and table management product offering has grown to include a web-based solution; we interface with more than 10 industry-leading applications; and we service more than 8,000 users.

And now, in our 15^th year of business, we’re going to take our offering even further by introducing several new features and products including easily implemented web services designed for sharing data between different applications. We are also developing a system designed for publishing restaurant wait times on reader boards throughout a hotel property, as well as features for sharing customer data with a centralized CRM database. Most importantly, we will soon launch a dining reservation focused mobile platform to support iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices.

As time has gone on, we’ve continued to progress and remain a valuable tool for our customers. We’ve helped our customers increase efficiency, enhance productivity and boost revenue. Our platform remains current, ensuring users are able to use the most updated technology solutions to manage their businesses.

This year is a milestone in many respects and we are so grateful for the many customers, industry partners and loyal employees that have brought us to this day. We look forward to making 2011 an unforgettable year.

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.

10 ways to work smarter with ReServe Interactive software

Friday, December 10th, 2010

The benefits of ReServe Interactive’s Catering & Event Management and Dining Reservation & Table Management software make for a long list. Below are just 10 benefits that enable hospitality professionals to work faster and smarter – improving their efficiency and increasing profitability.

With ReServe Interactive software, you can:

1. Build consistent business practices, improve communication and reporting accuracy
2. Enhance efficiency and effectiveness by bringing natural order to on- and off-premise operations while supporting best practice processes
3. Interface with leading business, hospitality and event technology tools to provide superior functionality and control
4. Ensure accuracy in the planning and execution of events on-site, off-premise or across multiple properties
5. Control the reservation process, eliminating costly errors and increasing profitability
6. Optimize your use of table inventory and track customer seating and dining preferences
7. Quickly and easily enable your staff to offer superior, personalized service while maximizing dining covers
8. Maximize table turns and seating inventory to increase profitability
9. Effectively manage server requirements and covers while enhancing customer service
10. Optimize server performance

What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time you worked smarter?

Take us out to the ball game

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Baseball is deeply woven into our culture and the World Series is a celebration of our national pastime. This year’s World Series brought together two formidable opponents – the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers. These teams are fierce competitors and champions in their own right. We watched along with the rest of the country and weren’t disappointed with its spectacular ending.

Another thing we’re excited about is the fact that both the Giants and the Rangers use ReServe Interactive’s Catering & Event Management software at their facilities to manage game day events as well as private events on non-game days. Our software helps stadiums easily and efficiently manage the lifecycle of both on-site public and private events.

These teams benefit from a centralized customer database, function space control, automatic document and correspondence creation, dynamic food and beverage menu selection, labor scheduling and detailed financial reporting. All of these things add up to a technology that makes sense for their organizations, and make a difference to their bottom lines. Not to mention, with ReServe, they can treat their fans like champions.

The baseball season has come to an end and America has set their sights on 2011. Regardless of who won this year’s World Series, we’re hoping that both the Giants and the Rangers feel they hit a home run with ReServe Interactive.

Sega GameWorks USA – Another Success Story

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

As I mentioned in my last blog, we’ve been fortunate to partner with some of the industry’s most renowned hospitality venues and food and beverage professionals.

We just recently partnered with Sega GameWorks USA, a unique dining and entertainment venue that offers its guests food, fun and gaming entertainment, including interactive games, simulators, attractions, pool tables and darts, across seven locations throughout the United States.

In an effort to simplify event booking and improve operational efficiencies, GameWorks phased out their existing event management software and implemented ReServe Anywhere®, ReServe Interactive’s web-based Catering & Event Management solution to effectively manage large group, corporate and individual event packages.

ReServe Anywhere allows GameWorks to simplify the booking and execution of food, beverage and game play events on a site by site basis, manage operations on an enterprise level, as well as provide enhanced customer service to a wide variety of guests booking events.

Tracy Thornton, one of the company’s Directors of Sales said, “ReServe’s software is a user friendly, easy-to-use, intuitive system that makes sense for our unique business offering. And the fact that ReServe Interactive is still growing and has a well-recognized client base hasn’t taken away from their ability to offer personalized service.”

Click on the link below to learn more about our partnership with Sega GameWorks USA.

http://www.reserveinteractive.com/downloads/case-studies/Sega-Gameworks.pdf

A special thank you to Sega GameWorks USA for sharing their unique story with us. And thanks again to all of our customers for their ongoing partnership. We appreciate you and look forward to a working together for years to come.

Here’s what our customers are saying…

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Our customers always say it best. Whether it is software, support or just plain kudos for a job well done, our customers are always willing to share their positive experiences. Without them, there would be no us – so thank you to all of our customers for sharing your thoughts and insight. We appreciate you and your partnership.

“I LOVE the software! I’m not very savvy when it comes to computers, but ReServe is so easy to use! It keeps me very organized, and the time I save allows me to focus on bringing in new business and making sure that our events happen flawlessly.” – Maritza Stabile, Mistral Restaurant & Bar

“Your Tech Support is exemplary!  Always courteous, always informative and always very polite. Thank you!” – Euca Burrows White, Desert Willow Golf Resort

 ”Through customizing the software to installation and training the Reserve team was on property supporting the process from start to finish. This has been one of the most efficient business implementations I have experienced.” – Monica Dorsey, Treasure Island Hotel & Casino

 ”ReServe’s software is a user friendly, easy-to-use, intuitive system that makes sense for our unique business offering.” – Tracy Thornton, Sega GameWorks USA

 ”We found ourselves in need of a new tool that offered flexibility, control and a high level of service and support. Our business model is unique and ReServe not only offered a complimentary and appealing web-based model, they provided all of the benefits of having an in-house solution without the overhead.” – Steve Bentley, Systems Analyst for Gaylord Entertainment

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.

Customer Service beyond the Software…

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Our software is designed to help our customers provide the highest levels of service by giving them the tools to collect valuable guest preferences and dining histories. Our customers can greet their guests by name, seat them at their preferred table, present them with their favorite bottle of wine and wish them heartfelt congratulations on their wedding anniversary. Why? Those details are captured in the software and made accessible to the host and wait staff.

But, it’s up to the staff to continue on past those details and carry customer service throughout the entire dining experience so that guests keep coming back for more.

Consider some of the following tips to carry out your high levels of customer service:

Customer Service Training – from the hostess stand to the kitchen, make sure everyone has been trained on your company’s customer service guidelines. If you don’t have set guidelines, consider putting some in place and then conduct orientation meetings to get everyone on the same page. Just one unsavory interaction with any member of your staff can impact a guest’s experience and send them straight for the door.

The Customer is Always Right – when a guest complains, take it seriously. It’s an opportunity to make improvements and show your guests you care. If refunding the cost of a meal results in a satisfied, and more importantly, a return guest, then it’s worth it. Better to have a guest share how you positively dealt with his complaint rather than have him share a failure on your part.  Negative word-of-mouth advertising is very hard to repair.

Do More Than Just Your Job – find ways to go above and beyond in servicing your guests. Pull out a chair, comp an appetizer, top off their wine. Doing that little something extra can change a guest’s perspective and turn them into one of your biggest cheerleaders.

Be Enthusiastic – nothing puts a damper on a guest experience than service with a scowl. Whether you’ve been on your feet all day or you’ve been dealing with a long line of crabby clientele, giving your guests a genuine smile shows them that you care about them and their dining experience. And, we all know, smiles are contagious so you’re sure to get a smile in return.