MIAMI / LONDON � OCT. 1, 2003 � Guests at the impeccable 4-star Hilton London Metropole love the idea of just having to press one button to request almost anything they could need � and having a live person answering the call helps the hotel ensure that follow up occurs immediately!

The MAGIC/Espresso! Rapid Response System is designed to improve communications between departments, streamline data collection and dispatching processes, and increase staff productivity � using proven, cost-effective technologies such as telephone and alphanumeric paging interfaces and e-mail. 
 

The Hilton London Metropole is the first hotel in the U.K. to use the MAGIC system: A specialized automated telephone/paging service that delivers and manages all guest requests for the property. With MAGIC/Espresso!, the guest simply need only press the MAGIC button on the guestroom phone to request anything from towels and soap, to reporting a burned out light bulb or a leak in the bathroom, or even order a meal from room service. Guests are immediately assisted by a helpful customer service representative who simply enters a code into Espresso! that automatically generates the

Hilton London Metropole   225 Edgware Road London,  GB

�Our guests need to just pick up the phone, anytime day or night, and press the MAGIC button to call our customer service department for anything they need, including placing a room service order,� said Hassan Kadbey, Communications Manager for the 1,058-room hotel and conference center.  �Our guests have a much easier time of it and their satisfaction with the hotel has increased significantly, leading to more business and referrals.�

Problems solved

With 1,058 guestrooms and 40 banquet rooms that can accommodate up to 3,000 people for meetings or up to 2,000 guests for banquets, the busy Hilton London Metropole found itself constantly responding to guest requests. The hotel wanted a more effective way to match guest requests with the right staff.

�When we started looking for a solution over a year and half ago, we looked at what other hotels were doing and what worked best,� Kadbey said. �We found that M-Tech�s Espresso!  was the best solution for our needs, and M-Tech worked with us to seamlessly interface it to our property management and paging systems.�

Once the decision was made, implementing Espresso! went quickly. It took less than eight weeks to get the information ready and put into the system, using the Espresso! wizard and database tools. According to Kadbey, the key to success was teamwork by everyone involved, especially the active involvement of the heads of the hotel�s housekeeping, information technology and engineering departments.

�M-Tech did a superb job of working with us to do the things needed to interface with our existing systems and help us with getting the Espresso! server located and operational,� Kadbey said. �Once we got to the point of being ready to use it, M-Tech spent 10 days on-site with us, providing training and a certain amount of handholding to get us going with a minimum of trouble.�

Since installing the M-Tech Espresso! Rapid Response Solution less than one year ago, the Hilton London Metropole has succeeded in dramatically increasing its internal response to guest requests and markedly improving customer satisfaction. �We are absolutely thrilled with what Espresso! has done to increase our efficiency,� said Kadbey, estimating that Espresso! will save the property more than $150,000 annually.

The promise for future improvements and savings also exists. Espresso! has capabilities for reporting to evaluate vendor and product performance and schedule preventative maintenance that set it apart from other solutions. According to Kadbey, over time the Hilton London Metropole expects to utilize the data accumulating in the system for doing more sophisticated analysis, with a focus on potentially reducing purchasing costs and on optimizing preventative maintenance scheduling activities. With an engineering staff of 25 people, including electricians, painters, carpenters, shift engineers and mechanics, the potential for even greater efficiencies are significant.

�We are pleased that the internationally renowned Hilton London Metropole is realizing significant success in improving their operations using the M-Tech Espresso! quality management solution and benefiting from the associated cost savings and contribution to its bottom-line,� said Leo Acosta, M-Tech�s Director of Sales & Marketing. �We continue to seek customer input to ensure that the solutions we provide improve and enhance the guest experience.�

100% follow-through

�Because we rely on our professional customer service staff to manage the system entries, we provide the very highest level of personal attention to our guests,� Kadbey said.

Espresso! ensures that nothing is ever forgotten or overlooked and that hotel staff can make sure they take care of all the critical little details for their guests, added Acosta. Because Espresso! dispatches and tracks service requests automatically, from start to finish, hotels can stay focused on serving their guests. The operation of Espresso! ensures there is less opportunity for miscommunication. It automates hotel workflow processes, making it easier to keep track of what needs to be done. 

�With Espresso! it�s easy to monitor what�s going on where and why and to stay on top of it all,� said Kadbey. �M-Tech�s Espresso has allowed us to realize gains in efficiency, staff productivity and it has also contributed to profitability.�

With an ROI of $100,000+ annually for a typical 1,000-room property in time and labor savings and asset protection, and much more through enhanced guest loyalty and referrals, Espresso! delivers results. Worldwide, more than 550 properties use Espresso! to improve customer satisfaction, save staff time and improve their bottom line.

About Hilton London Metropole
With the space and flexibility to hold any size meeting or event, whether it's a board meeting for 25 or a sales conference for 3,000 delegates, the 4-star Hilton London Metropole, one of Europe's largest hotel and conference centres, can accommodate all meeting needs under one roof, right in the heart of London. As winner of the 2002 CATEY Award for Group Hotel of the Year, you can be assured of a truly outstanding and successful meeting. The hotel is just 20 minutes from Heathrow. For more information, please visit the Hilton London Metropole online at www.hiltonlondonmet.com.

About M-Tech
Since 1993, Management Technologies (M-Tech) has developed and installed solutions to help hotels work smarter � not harder � with its Espresso! Quality Management family of products. Espresso! is designed specifically to help hotels improve communications, increase productivity, and maximize guest satisfaction. Unique telephone, email and alphanumeric paging interfaces improve overall workflow and communication between departments and streamline data collection and dispatching processes. Production, pre-installation, sales, marketing, and support are provided from the company�s headquarters facility in Miami. For more information on the company, please call Leo Acosta at (305) 256-0429 or by e-mail at [email protected] and visit the company online at www.m-tech.com.