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.
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.
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
