For the majority of us, in our day to day interaction with people, we communicate in a whole host of ways; phone, fax, email, letter, SMS (short message which in turn has developed it's own shorthand language - see below) and of course � face to face (mano a mano (one on one)). But a relatively new form of communication is rapidly moving into the corporate world being a hybrid of what our kids or the gossipy younger generation have been effectively using for quite a while � Instant Messaging (IM). The question is: Can such a technology be of benefit in a Hotel environment? Can it help increase revenues, enhance service levels as part of your eCRM strategy, or maybe reduce operating costs. We explore the possibilities and whether or not IM has found a new resting place - the Hotel. 

The need to instantly communicate with people and be instantly communicated with, are by - products of the new world and the internet speed @ which we all work under. Intrusions into our daily routines used to be a knock on the door with a head popping in round the corner, or a note passed under the door. But, things are changing, and now it�s a pop-up window on our computer from someone wishing to initiate a dialogue (chat) about all manner of topics.

Is this a good or bad thing? Does it help us go about our daily lives more efficiently? Can we save cost and/or help us make more money?

The answers to all these questions is YES � but with the caveat -  beware yet another piece of technology [potentially] taking over your lives or being abused and misused.

For the uninitiated, IM is [usually] a small program that resides in your computer, and comes alive when you are connected to the internet � as most of us are, for the majority of our waking hours � at least I am. The program consists of a directory with your �buddies� or �contacts� (using either aliases or familiar names) and shows whether they are on-line, when you are. With some fairly simple tweaking, you can see them, but maybe they can�t see you � so it can be useful for keeping a watchful (Big Brother) eye on when someone is available, and when they are not, which greatly helps avoid telephone tag and endless voicemails. When you don't want to be disturbed, you can set away notices such as �out for lunch�, �leave me alone I'm playing a computer game�, �in a meeting� or similar, which is much like placing a DND sign on a Hotel room door.

If your buddy is on-line, simply double clicking on their name will initiate a pop-up window, and you can enter some text to begin the chat. Depending on their availability and speed of connection, you can often get an instant response to a one-liner, or maybe an emoticon response (a smiley).

You could, for example, place a hyperlink in your email message and/or website - [such as in this simple example providing AIM is installed] -> AIM so that when someone clicks on it, a pop up window automatically opens, enters a pre-defined text message and starts a dialogue. In a Hotel environment,   these could be: "I'd like to make a room reservation on...", "Please tell me more about...", "I need help on...", "I'd like to reserve a table in xxx restaurant  on..." and so on. The best and perhaps most practical way to do that would be to also include links to the particular Messenger(s) that you favor - this is very important since (at present) they don't talk to each other (see below for links). Imagine though how easy it would be for your property to be contacted in this way, and how convenient for the guest, or potential guest...It's also very cost effective!
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Download AOL Instant Messenger
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Download MSN® Messenger for Windows®
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Download Yahoo! Messenger
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As is the norm in today's competitive world, there are several popular brands to choose from, AOL's AIM, ICQ (I-Seek-You), Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger (aka Windows Messenger) etc., but these all revolve around the public network � and security has proven to be an issue especially when you want to discuss sensitive corporate information or file sharing which can also lead to virus sharing and potential holes in firewalls. Of course all this brings a whole new meaning to the phrase; �the walls have ears�.

Localized and foreign language IM's are also available (MSN has 26 languages), and a popular Chinese one is "QQ" which according to their website (December 28, 2002) has an amazing 105,726,694 registered users. QQ incorporates a (China) mobile phone interface, so messages can be sent directly to mobile phones. Likewise, they can be sent from the mobile phone back to the callers' desktop just like SMS, whereby you reply to the UIN NO.  e.g.1700105223353 in place of the mobile number.

According to Yahoo! Messenger; An increasing number of people are using instant messaging (IM) products to communicate within the business environment. IDC the research company says:, nearly 65 million workers already use IM products-and that number is expected to surpass 255 million by 2005. In fact, the Gartner Group predicts IM will surpass email as the preferred mode of communications by 2006. 

What's driving this trend?

• IM is fast - allowing people to communicate in real time 
• Communicate with certainty - see if someone is online and available before sending a message 
• Less intrusive - you know who is contacting you and what they want immediately 
• IM saves money - far cheaper than phone calls, especially Internationally

The use of IM in the workplace presents new concerns for corporate IT managers, including: 

• Security - Ensure messages get to the right people without being intercepted. 
• Centralized Control - Standardize all employees on a common IM platform that works with the corporate directory and offers the ability to admit or deny participants on the enterprise IM network.  
• Support - Need to contact a single vendor, 24/7, for support with their IM platform 
• Archiving - Regulatory and/or business concerns may require all IM conversations to be recorded. 

Recently I met up with Yaron Ben-Horin who is the CEO of Bizflash Inc. a provider of Enterprise and small business messaging software.

Here is a Q&A with Yaron:

(Terence Ronson)  Yaron, firstly explain to our readers the difference between an Enterprise based IM and a public one? For example, can people be restricted as to who they chat with � and when they chat. Is it more secure?

(Yaron Ben-Horin) Enterprise IM is a closed messaging system. It operates either as a Blackbox or as an ASP (Application Service Provider � where bizflash for instance will host the application and databases for the customer) solution. In either case, the user database can be restricted to the customers� specifications. It is a very secure environment. 

(TR)  Hotels are full of different departments going about their daily chores, working for a common objective �to keep the customer happy. How can IM work in this environment?

(YBH) Enterprise IM is a very collaborative environment. It allows groups and individuals (and this is key) to communicate faster and more efficiently than ever before. It can especially benefit �long-distance� communications within a company, providing customers with answers on the fly.

(TR)  What are the advantages of IM over picking up the phone and calling someone? Yes, IDD cost is an issue, but if you need an instant response, can IM give you that?

(YBH) Absolutely! IM can get a response as fast a telephone line, with some IM systems offering reach to (wireless enabled) PDA�s and Cellphones. This is especially true to administrative and customer service departments who are next to their desks most of the day, enabling them to respond to more than one communication at a time.

(TR) How would an Enterprise based IM be priced especially versus a public one which is [really] free. What sort of costs and savings can a hotel expect to realize when using an IM solution?

(YBH) IM saves time. And as the cliché goes � Time is money.  For instance, we�ve learned that some employees use IM to multi task � help a customer on the phone while querying a colleague on IM. In addition, the corporation can deploy a messaging system while blocking public IM which is becoming a big burden on efficiency. Most EIM providers charge a �per user/per year� fee, with a small setup fee. The price ranges from $30-$50 per user in the US.  If you think about it � it�s enough that you have saved one hour of work per employee and the application has already paid itself. And I believe it would save as much as 30-40 hours a year per employee to the corporation.

(TR) I�m a believer in MBWA (Management by Walking About) � does the use of an IM system mean you are tied down even more to a desk and you�re PC?

(YBH) As I mentioned before, some IM solutions offer PDA and Cellphone reach. I believe IM is more efficient than email or phone in most cases, but it cannot replace the human touch all together. 

(TR) Can IM be used in the B2C environment? How would you envisage say a hotel�s clients communicating with the hotel in such a manner? Does typing and language skills prove a barrier?

(YBH) The B2C environment is more difficult to accommodate. Our company, for instance decided to shy away from this sector for the time being. Customer service chat solutions are plenty and some work very well for support and inquiries, but not for sales. 

Further examples of Instant Messaging in a Hotel environment

• Inter-department (Reception to Housekeeping/Engineering)

• Reservations <-> Corporate Accounts

• Reservations <-> Travel Agents and Wholesesalers

• Hotel <-> Hotel across the (global) Enterprise

• Hotel <-> Corporate Office

• Call Center to Hotel

• Hotel to Vendor (for support)

• Customer to Hotel (for enquiries - live chat for Room, Banquet or Restaurant info)

Examples of Instant Message Speak
 

Weblinks for more information:
Bizflash: http://www.bizflash.com/
Emoticons: http://www.emoticons.com/
Smiley Dictionary: http://www.smileydictionary.com/ (with grateful thanks for allowing us the use of smileys)
ICQ: http://web.icq.com/
AIM (AOL): http://www.aim.com/index.adp
MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com/
Yahoo Messenger: http://messenger.yahoo.com/

Where to find Pertlink on IM?:

• MSN Messenger: "[email protected]"
• AOL - AIM: "TLRonson"
• ICQ: "18674641"

All trademarks recognized for their respective owners/companies and grateful thanks to MSN, YAHOO and AOL for their GIFs, JPEGs, content and weblinks.

Terence Ronson [email protected] www.pertlink.net

Terence started his career as a Chef, and acquired his wealth of practical experience and knowledge whilst holding various management positions with Hilton International in Asia and at several prestigious establishments in the U.K. After developing a personal interest in computers and technology some twenty years ago, Terence has turned his attention on to this exciting and rapidly evolving aspect of the business, working with several prominent IT related companies in the hospitality industry, applying their products and services so as to streamline businesses, improve profitability, and the guest experience. Terence now runs his own business Pertlink Limited, which specializes in helping hospitality companies maximize the use of IT in the pursuit of improved customer service.