 TORONTO—November
10, 2010—There was a time when the concierge team at the luxurious
InterContinental Toronto Yorkville relied on log books and other manual
processes to track their daily tasks. “It was archaic,” says Carolina
Avaria, Chef Concierge at the 208-room hotel in Toronto’s most
exclusive
neighborhood. Today, thanks to GoConcierge,
the concierge stations at the InterContinental
Toronto Yorkville and 20 other InterContinental hotels around the world
run
like a Swiss watch—without waste and inefficiency. Produced by Los
Angeles-based GoConcierge.net, GoConcierge is the lodging industry’s
leading
guest service operations system.“It is rewarding to see GoConcierge selected time and time again by so many InterContinental hotels,” says Adam Isrow, Executive Vice President of GoConcierge.net. “Carolina and her impressive team are well regarded in this industry and we are proud that they have embraced GoConcierge." It was a year ago when the three concierges at the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville transitioned to GoConcierge. “We had a very old system with notebooks and log books,” says Avaria, who is also Director of Ontario for Les Clefs d’Or Canada. “I would write down the request, then type out a standard confirmation, and then log it manually on a log book. It was a lot of activity. The log books were in our desks and the information in them was not easily accessible to the rest of the front office team. Finding a past entry if you were requested to ‘do the same as last time’ was a nightmare.” Now, using GoConcierge’s online Guest Task Calendar, concierges can log and track guest and other requests and tasks quickly and easily. With just a few clicks, these can be entered and located. The calendar is color coded, which makes it easy to highlight open, pending and closed tasks. Because a history of each guest’s request is stored in GoConcierge, it is easy to generate itineraries. These can be printed or e-mailed in a matter of seconds along with a personalized confirmation letter on stationery that includes the hotel’s logo. Point-to-point directions and maps also can be generated easily. Easy Access Around the Clock “Because GoConcierge is Web based, we have access from whatever terminal we happen to be working from,” Avaria says. “Our front desk agents and managers also have access. The information we are able to print out for guests is professional and attractive.” Avaria says her concierge team enters everything from ticket and tour requests to restaurant reservations to flower orders. Buttons on the GoConcierge screen link directly to ticket brokers, airline sites, tour information, weather and other frequently visited sites. James Young, a concierge at the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, says he uses GoConcierge to track packages that are shipped from the hotel. “We can pull up everything from the tracking number to the address,” Young says, adding that he also likes the ability to generate reservation confirmations quickly on hotel letterhead, the quick tabs on the GoConcierge screen, and being able to generate directions with just a few mouse clicks. “Hotels work 24/7,” Avaria adds. “It is critical to have a system that people can be comfortable with. “GoConcierge is very easy to learn and very easy on the eyes.” Robust Location Database A customized location database within GoConcierge allows concierges to quickly identify area restaurants and attractions. “One of the best things about GoConcierge is the amount of information we can add into the system,” Avaria says. To communicate directly with guests who are not in the hotel, the concierge team utilizes GoConcierge’s text messaging feature. When guests respond to text messages sent to them, their messages appear in the Guest Task Calendar. Concierges and guests correspond about issues ranging from theater tickets to dinner reservations and transportation. “It is one of my favorite features of GoConcierge,” Avaria says. Because of the way the GoConcierge screen is organized, Avaria can tell, at a glance, how busy a particular day was. Reports generated from GoConcierge also provide valuable information. “It’s great to be able to run reports,” she says. “We are also able to quantify the number of people we send to our restaurant and locations outside of the hotel.” Whenever Avaria or her team have needed help with anything concerning GoConcierge, she says the response has always been fast. “The support from GoConcierge has been unbelievable,” Avaria emphasizes. “It is gratifying that Carolina is so pleased with the service our company provides,” says GoConcierge.net’s Isrow. “Carolina and her team deserve just as much praise for making the most of our system. GoConcierge has truly transformed the way they work, freeing up their time to deliver a more luxurious experience for their guests.” About the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville: The luxurious 208-room InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, located in Toronto’s most exclusive neighborhood, is dedicated to providing unsurpassed personal service. Guests can enjoy award-winning Mediterranean fare at Signatures, where a sleek design and vibrant colors complement the always surprising seasonal menu. The cool SkyLounge, recently featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, serves up tapas and live music in a minimalist outdoor courtyard, while the swanky stylings of Proof Vodka Bar draw a smart clientele from all over the city. The hotel offers state-of-the-art meeting rooms and professional event planning for signature events. For more information, click here or call (416) 960-5200.
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 approximately 500 hotels across America, Mexico, Canada, London, Asia and Australia. Customers include properties from major companies including Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, Mandarin Oriental, JW Marriott, Omni Hotels, Peninsula, Le Meridien, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood, Raffles, St. Regis, Westin, W Hotels and Luxury Collection. For more information about GoConcierge.net, go to www.goconcierge.net/home or call (818) 263-8993. |
