Hotel Online  Special Report


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The Fairmont San Francisco Embraces Technology, Goes
Paperless and Enhances Concierge Operations
With GoConcierge.net�s Web-based Solution

 
LOS ANGELES � January 29, 2004 � At The Fairmont San Francisco � the City by the Bay�s hotel of choice for heads of state and celebrities � concierges have gone paperless, improved guest satisfaction and become much more efficient in one fell swoop. How? By implementing GoConcierge, a Web-based task-tracking and database solution developed by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net

For years, concierges and bell captains at  used manual logbooks to track their daily tasks. 
 

�It worked but it was ineffective,� says Tom Wolfe, chef concierge and founder of the U.S. branch of the prestigious Les Clefs d�Or. �We had a large logbook for the main events of the day. The problem was that we often ran out of room on the pages and sometimes the handwriting was not legible.�

After replacing log books with GoConcierge, bell captains and concierges no longer have to 


The Fairmont San Francisco
worry about running out of room or inaccurately reading another person�s notes. Using the system�s Guest Task Calendar feature, staff can quickly log, track and view tasks, guest requests as well as guest preferences.

�If a guest is waiting for an important package but it has not yet arrived, I can input a note into GoConcierge and designate it as �pending,�� says Wolfe, who is president of the Northern California Concierge Assn. �That way, the next concierge on duty will know to look for the package. The task can be carried over in the system until the next day. When the task is completed, it is closed within GoConcierge. We don�t have to pass along little notes from one shift to the next.�

�Our primary goal has been to enable concierges and other team members to operate more efficiently, immediately answer guest questions and ultimately enhance the guest experience,� says Adam Isrow, executive vice president of GoConcierge.net.

Guest preferences tracked

Open, pending and closed tasks are color-coded within GoConcierge for easy identification. The Guest Task Calendar also enables a user to track guest preferences, reservations and other information. Guest records can be accessed prior to or during subsequent guest visits to help provide superior service. 

�For example, we can tell our guests what restaurants they visited during a previous stay,� Wolfe says. �If a guest prefers to be called �doctor,� we note it. If someone prefers not to have flowers in their room, we add that in GoConcierge. All of the little idiosyncrasies can be tracked to the �nth� degree.�

GoConcierge�s Guest Task Calendar also allows Wolfe and his colleagues to generate customized guest confirmation letters, itineraries and directions on hotel stationery. 

�Another awesome part of GoConcierge is having the ability to immediately put personalized information in the guest�s hand,� Wolfe says. �Guests are surprised that we can produce those documents quickly. The system also enables us to e-mail confirmation letters, itineraries or any other information prior to a guest�s stay. Guests are impressed by that.�

Prior to implementing GoConcierge at The Fairmont San Francisco, guests wanting to make a restaurant reservation would have to wait for the concierge to leaf through the Yellow Pages or little black book to locate the number.

�Each concierge had his own little black book,� Wolfe says. �The potential for providing inaccurate information was significant.�

System provides city location data

GoConcierge eliminated the need for phone books and little black books. It includes a Web-based database of area restaurants, attractions, vendors and other businesses. With just a few clicks, a concierge at The Fairmont San Francisco can access the needed information and link to the business�s own Web site. Because the hotel�s GoConcierge system includes a link to Open Table, an on-line restaurant reservation system, immediate restaurant reservations also can be made.

�We also have all of our own restaurants in the system,� Wolfe says. �We can quickly make reservations and keep track of them.�

Wolfe says his staff was hesitant at first to make the transition from a manual to Web-based system. Now, however, they are glad that they did.

�It was kind of a surprise at first,� he says. �They very quickly realized how beneficial it was and embraced it. Because of GoConcierge, we are able to spend much more time interacting with each guest. That is very important. I will embrace any tool that gives me the opportunity to serve my guests better.�

�We take great pride in working with Tom Wolfe and his team at the Fairmont,� Isrow says. �As one of the most respected concierges in the industry, we are very proud to have earned Tom�s trust and to know that he sees value in GoConcierge. We were confident that GoConcierge would be a terrific fit at this property because of their commitment to maintaining such a high level of service and their desire to provide their team with the most innovative tools available to achieve their goals.�

About The Fairmont San Francisco:

Central to the Financial District, Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, The Fairmont San Francisco is located at the only spot in San Francisco where each of the city's cable car lines meet. In addition to its 591 guestrooms and suites, the hotel also offers two restaurants and lounges, as well as 55,000 square feet of function space. The hotel offers a panoramic view of the city and San Francisco Bay from high atop Nob Hill. For more information about the The Fairmont San Francisco, call (415)-772-5000, or go to: www.fairmont.com.

About GoConcierge.net:

GoConcierge is a web-based task-tracking and database solution for concierges. 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.), Hilton San Francisco, Hilton Los Cabos (Mexico), Hyatt Regency Huntington Hotel & Spa (Calif.), the Hotel Monaco (San Francisco), The Ritz-Carlton (St. Louis), Le Merigot JW Marriott Beach Hotel (Santa Monica, Calif.), Westin St. Francis 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

Tom Wolfe
Chef Concierge
The Fairmont San Francisco
(415) 772-5224
[email protected]
www.fairmont.com

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: 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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