Hotel Online  Special Report


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Concierges Bid Goodbye to Clutter, Hello to
Efficiency � Thanks to GoConcierge.net�s
Web-based Solution

 
LOS ANGELES � September 23, 2003 � Concierges at North America�s leading hotels�including The Peninsula Beverly Hills and the Hilton San Francisco�are swapping their logbooks, maps, Rolodex files and sticky notes for GoConcierge, a much more efficient web-based, guest-services solution. The result: higher productivity, superior guest service, lower costs and a much more personalized touch.

GoConcierge is designed and produced by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net. GoConcierge consists primarily of two components: a Guest Task Calendar that enables a concierge or any staff person to log, track and view guest requests and preferences; and a customized, searchable database and contact list that includes links to area restaurants, attractions and other frequently requested destinations.

�In creating GoConcierge, our underlying goal was to provide an effective tool to add efficiencies to the concierge�s day-to-day operation while enhancing the overall guest experience,� says Adam Isrow, director of business development. �We also wanted to ensure any team member could immediately answer a guest question as well as provide a consistent first-class presentation of information to the guest.�

GoConcierge�s Guest Task Calendar includes a color-coded task list that enables the concierge to view open, pending and closed tasks, as well as internal staff notes. The Task Calendar also can generate customized guest confirmation letters and guest itineraries that can be printed and e-mailed, leaving a very positive impact on the guest. 

�The personalized letters make our hotel and staff look very professional,� says Jim McCasland, concierge manager at the Hilton San Francisco and a member of the prestigious Les Clef D�Or. �Guests love the personalized touch.�

�It is important to know that at every point of contact, the guests will receive a consistent first-class presentation,� Isrow adds.

System provides speedy data access

The calendar is all time and date driven and allows the concierge to search for a task by guest name, vendor, task and other criteria.

�GoConcierge was designed to be extremely user-friendly, allowing the concierge to focus more time and attention on the guests,� Isrow says.

�The biggest advantage for our staff is that it creates a level of consistency that we did not have before,� says James Little, chef concierge at The Peninsula Beverly Hills and also a member of Les Clef D�Or. �It is easy to learn and everything is consolidated in one place. All of our work used to be back-end labor intensive. Now it is very much a front-end situation, and then everything automatically falls into place.�

At the Hilton San Francisco, where the concierge staff primarily relied on hand-written notes prior to implementing GoConcierge, the system has been a welcomed addition.
�With GoConcierge, we can do everything quickly,� McCasland says. �We are able to maintain and access guest history information with just a few button clicks. We can also leave notes for other staff members that are highlighted on the screen.�

Custom reports generated from the Guest Task Calendar can be used to track guest preferences, or to simply recall specific tasks that have been arranged in the past.
�I can tell guests where they ate and at what time they ate the last time they visited our hotel,� McCasland says. �The type of information we can give our guests is amazing.�

Vendor business tracked, quantified

GoConcierge also provides hoteliers with the ability to quantify the amount of business generated to various vendors by concierge staff.

�There is value in being able to easily quantify the amount of business being directed to vendors and GoConcierge allows you to run these reports with the click of a button,� Isrow says. 

GoConcierge�s customized database and contact list eliminates the need to use a Rolodex and phone book. It also reduces costs by eliminating the need to call information or hand out preprinted directional cards. Users can manually add or modify a location, or request an update from GoConcierge.net. 

�Our goal is to create a knowledge base of information for the hotel so the team can immediately provide answers to the guests,� Isrow says. �In addition to any information the hotel may provide, each property�s initial database will be populated with data on the surrounding area. Several of those listings include website links. Especially for guests seeking restaurant information, being able to quickly access a menu on-line is invaluable.� 

Because it is a web-based tool, GoConcierge can be accessed from anywhere. Each property�s administrator controls the user list and the various levels of secured access.

�As a concierge manager, it is nice to know that I am able to access the system at home,� McCasland says. 

About GoConcierge.net:

GoConcierge, a web-based task-tracking and database solution for concierges, is developed, marketed, implemented and supported by GoConcierge.net. GoConcierge is used by hotels and resorts across America and Mexico and includes properties from major companies including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Omni, Kimpton, Rosewood, Starwood, Fairmont, Peninsula and Interstate.

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.), Hilton San Francisco, Hilton Los Cabos (Mexico), Hyatt Regency Huntington Hotel & Spa (Calif.), the Hotel Monaco (San Francisco), The Fairmont Chicago, The Ritz-Carlton (St. Louis), Le Merigot JW Marriott Beach Hotel (Santa Monica, Calif.) 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
Director of Business Development
GoConcierge.net
(310) 966-2371
E-mail: [email protected]
www.goconcierge.net

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

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