Hotel Online  Special Report


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Mandarin Oriental, New York Implements GoConcierge, Provides Concierge Team with Technology it
Needs to Deliver Five-Star Service Quality

 
NEW YORK� March 3, 2004 � Taking to heart Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group�s quest to become as paperless as possible, concierges at Mandarin Oriental, New York have implemented GoConcierge, the lodging industry�s leading task-tracking and database solution. The Web-based system, produced by GoConcierge.net, Los Angeles, enables the concierge staff to provide a five-star level of service to the hotel�s sophisticated clientele.

�GoConcierge has allowed us to become more professional, efficient and detailed on a daily basis,� says Kenneth Abisror, chef concierge at the 251-guest room hotel. �While we benefit from the system, in the end it is the guest who is benefiting most. That is incredibly important.�

The Mandarin Oriental, New York�s six concierges use GoConcierge�s Guest Task Calendar to quickly log, track and view tasks, guest requests and guest preferences. The color-coded task list enables Abisror�s staff to view open, pending and closed tasks, as well as internal staff notes.

�GoConcierge allows us to alter entries more than we could in a paper environment,� says Abisror, a member of the prestigious Les Clefs D�Or. �We can constantly update information such as restaurant reservations or package deliveries. It also allows us to perfect staff communication. We can leave notes for each other within the system. If my team is communicating well, it makes my life easy.�

Personalization process simplified

Personalized confirmation letters, itineraries, directions and maps also can be generated out of GoConcierge. Each includes Mandarin Oriental, New York�s logo and customized text.

�One of our goals with GoConcierge has been to enable concierges to consistently provide guests with an attractive, personalized and first-class presentation,� says Adam Isrow, executive vice president of GoConcierge.net. �The guests are not only impressed with the presentation, but also the ability to receive the desired information quickly.�

Using GoConcierge�s Guest Task Calendar, concierges at the hotel maintain a database of guest requests and preferences. These are accessed prior to or during guest visits to help provide superior guest service.  

�We use this to track where guests have gone or are going, and to generate better profiles of our guests,� Abisror says. �GoConcierge allows me to search by a guest�s name or by a range of dates when a guest most likely stayed at our hotel. That function is particularly helpful when repeat guests ask about a restaurant or another place they visited during a previous stay.�

Robust location database included

Concierges, bell staff and door personnel at Mandarin Oriental, New York all have access to GoConcierge�s location database and contact list. The customizable, searchable information includes links to area restaurants, attractions and other frequently requested destinations in New York City. 

At the request of Abisror, GoConcierge.net has added a shortcut button to the Guest Task Calendar to enable concierges to quickly make reservations at Asiate, the hotel�s French- and Japanese-influenced restaurant. When the button is clicked, a form appears that asks for reservation information. That information is automatically stored and can be viewed later by any staff person who has access to GoConcierge. Shortcut buttons also have been added for New York�s mass transit system, city tourism information and a limousine service that the hotel frequently uses for its guests.

�With Adam [Isrow�s] help, we have been able to customize the system with shortcuts that help us become more specific in our work,� Abisror says. �Adam has been very open to changing the system to fit our needs. He also has been very proactive. He has helped me get to know GoConcierge inside and out. At the same time, I have helped him understand the level of service that Mandarin Oriental, New York demands.�

Abisror says GoConcierge has become a valuable research tool for him and his staff. Guest histories and preferences, task histories, staff notes and location information all can be accessed quickly and easily. If concierges at the property were using logbooks or little black books to track tasks and location information, providing the level of service that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group demands would not be as easy.
�How can you pass a logbook back and forth between 80 floors and two buildings?� Abisror asks.

Company recognizes technology�s value

Abisror says Mandarin Oriental, New York�s implementation of GoConcierge fits in well with the ownership group�s plans to use technology to streamline operations.
�Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is very much technology-focused,� he says. �They want to see us become as paperless as possible. In helping me to achieve that goal, GoConcierge.net has been perfect.�

In addition to Mandarin Oriental, New York, which opened with GoConcierge installed in December 2003, the system also has been successfully implemented at Mandarin Oriental, Miami. Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. will open with GoConcierge in place on March 25.

�We have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Mandarin Oriental team and we take great pride in the relationship we have established,� Isrow says. �Their focus on using technology to enable their team to provide the highest level of service is both impressive an inspiring. Kenny has been instrumental in making GoConcierge a success at their property and we are proud of the positive impact GoConcierge has had on the guest experience.�

About Mandarin Oriental, New York:

The 251-guest room Mandarin Oriental, New York is located at the northwest arc of Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center, just steps away from Central Park. Every guest room and suite offers floor-to-ceiling views overlooking Central Park, the Hudson River or the Manhattan skyline. The hotel features 7,000 square feet of meeting space and a 14,500-square-foot spa. Sixty-five luxurious condominiums also are located at the site. For more information about the Mandarin Oriental, New York, call (212) 805-8800, or go to: www.mandarinoriental.com.

About GoConcierge.net:

GoConcierge is a Web-based task-tracking and database solution for concierges and other departments including guest services, front desk, shipping and receiving, and restaurants. It is used by hotels across America and Mexico. Customers include properties from major companies including Fairmont, Hilton, Hyatt, Interstate, Kimpton, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Omni, Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood and Starwood.

GoConcierge has been adopted by hotels and resorts throughout America and Mexico, some of which include The Peninsula Beverly Hills, the Waldorf Astoria (New York), Bacara Resort (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Boca Raton Resort (Boca Raton, Fla.), Hilton San Francisco, Hilton Los Cabos (Mexico), Omni San Francisco, Hyatt Regency Huntington Hotel & Spa (Calif.), the Hotel Monaco (San Francisco), The Ritz-Carlton (Dearborn, Mich.), Le Merigot JW Marriott Beach Hotel (Santa Monica, Calif.), Westin St. Francis (San Francisco), Doubletree Sonoma (Calif.), Hilton Short Hills (N.J.) and W hotels.

For more information about GoConcierge.net, go to www.goconcierge.net/home or call Adam Isrow at (310) 966-2371. 

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Contact:
Adam Isrow
Executive Vice President
GoConcierge.net
(310) 966-2371
E-mail: [email protected]
www.goconcierge.net

Kenneth Abisror
Chef Concierge
Mandarin Oriental, New York
(212) 805-8890
[email protected]
www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork

Glenn Hasek, President
Hasek Communications
(216) 476-9663; cell: (216) 702-0334
E-mail: [email protected]
www.hasekcom.com

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Also See: The Fairmont San Francisco Embraces Technology, Goes Paperless and Enhances Concierge Operations With GoConcierge.net�s Web-based Solution / January 2004
Using Web-based GoConcierge, Three Leading Hotels Transform Concierge Operations, Take Customer Service to New Heights / November 2003
Concierges Bid Goodbye to Clutter, Hello to Efficiency � Thanks to GoConcierge.net�s Web-based Solution / September 2003


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