Case Studies in Success

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Since 1996, thousands of users across more than 1,000 businesses and venues have successfully implemented our Catering, Event Management, Dining Reservation and Table Management Software across their locations. Check out the links below to see how these customers are working smarter, faster and better by taking advantage of the unique, efficiency enhancing features of our software.

McCormick & Schmick’s

Melting Pot

Harry Caray’s

Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge

Sega GameWorks USA

Georgia Aquarium

Round Hill Country Club

Chicago Yacht Club

Hyatt Regency

Landry & Kling

Hilton Waikoloa Village

Treasure Island Hotel & Casino

Gaylord Entertainment

Icon Estates

Rubicon Estate

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!”?

Does anyone really like change?

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

There’s a saying that goes ‘The only thing constant in life is change’. Very true. And, in some cases, very hard to accept. When people are used to doing things a certain way, it can be difficult to change their course of action. People get caught up in what they have to give up and what has made them comfortable, versus what they may gain in the long run. You may find that some are eagerly willing to make the change, while some people dig in with their heels and fight you every step of the way.

Technology is often a trigger for significant change and therefore, a potential trigger for resistance. Whether you’re implementing software to take the place of manual processes or replacing one system with another, it’s important to remember that the reaction to that change will vary across your organization. To ease the pain, consider choosing a provider that will take the time to provide adequate training to your staff, as well as remain accessible throughout the implementation process, so concerns can be addressed and minds can be set at ease.  Take a moment to zero in on employees who are eagerly embracing the change and have them assist you in training others. Let their enthusiasm become contagious.

Our new customers are often surprised at how easy our software is to implement, train on and use. It is technology after all.  But our users, regardless of any resistance, or enthusiasm for that matter, are typically up and running, using the software to book actual events or dining reservations within a few hours of training. We work closely with them and provide all of the tools they need to ease any discomfort they may have with making the change.

Paul Pace from Treasure Island Hotel & Casino is a great example of an individual embracing change. When his company’s legacy dining reservation software system was phased out and ReServe Anywhere® was implemented, he said, “I came on board after implementation, 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.”

Change is inevitable, yes. But resistance to it doesn’t have to be.

Down in the trenches…

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

One of the most satisfying parts of my job is training new ReServe users. There’s something about getting down in the trenches with our customers and showing them how our software works to immediately make an impact on their processes. Watching things click and experiencing that ‘ah ha’ moment is so much fun.

A long time ago, we agreed that our software was only going to be a worthwhile investment for our customers if they saw results right away. In order to do that, we needed to provide things like hands-on, customized training. As a result, sometimes we’ll travel to a customer’s facility; sometimes we’ll do web-based conferences; and sometimes we’ll do one-on-one training with individual employees. Whatever the training requirements, our goal is to make implementation as seamless as possible, as well as make using the product second nature to our customers.

This past summer, we completed the installation of ReServe Anywhere® at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. I was part of a team of ReServe personnel that traveled to Las Vegas to train the staff. Once there, everything just seemed to gel. Our team was on task, the Treasure Island users were excited and focused. Everything went smoothly and soon everyone was up and running.

There’s always electricity in the air during these on-site trainings. As a team, we’re ready to dive in and do whatever we can to get users up-to-speed. We know their time is valuable and, in many cases, their work continues to pile up while they’re attending training. We hope that once the training is complete, the time they’ve taken away from their daily tasks was worth it and the competencies they’ve gained with ReServe can be put to use immediately to get them back on track and make them more productive.

After the installation at Treasure Island was complete, Monica Dorsey, the Vice President of Food & Beverage, sent us a note that said, “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.”

The Treasure Island implementation was a fantastic experience for us. We’ve had similar experiences training customers from all segments of the hospitality industry. And, while training is but a portion of what we do, it’s a very satisfying, energizing part of our offering.