 ATLANTA
� November 6, 2007 � Guests visiting the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead
since July have been getting extra special treatment thanks to Web-based
GoConcierge, the lodging
industry�s leading guest service operations system. On any given day, as
many as 40 staff members access the password-enabled tool to manage guest
tasks, generate maps, directions and itineraries, track packages and lost
and found items, schedule and monitor wake-up calls, and much more. Associates
at the hotel have quickly learned that GoConcierge is much more than a
concierge system; it is a total operations solution.
�GoConcierge provides endless opportunities to enhance the guest experience,� says Lisa Drahota Booher, concierge at the hotel. Prior to implementing GoConcierge this past summer, the concierge team at the 438-room Grand Hyatt Atlanta had been using another software application. Management learned, however, that other Hyatts were having great success with GoConcierge, so they made the switch. �We determined that it had a lot of potential to integrate with and simplify a number of the systems we already had in place,� says David Gross, Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms Division at the hotel. In addition to the three full-time and several part-time concierges, departments including Transportation, Catering, Front Desk, Security, Housekeeping and others all have access to GoConcierge. By providing access to so many departments, communication is streamlined and no guest task is left undone. GoConcierge Impacts Multiple Departments �I am thrilled to know the guest service team at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta has recognized how versatile GoConcierge is and how it can be customized to meet their specific needs within each department,� says Adam Isrow, Executive Vice President of GoConcierge.net, the Los Angeles-based maker of GoConcierge. �It simplifies and centralizes communication to ensure each team member can be informed about guests� needs and so that guests can receive the highest level of personalized service.� The concierge team uses GoConcierge�s online Guest Task Calendar to log and track guest requests. With just a few clicks, requests can be entered and located. The calendar is color coded, which makes it easy to highlight open, pending and closed tasks. Confirmation letters, guest itineraries, point-to-point directions and maps can be generated easily. A customized location database within GoConcierge enables staff to quickly identify area restaurants and attractions. �I love its ability to quickly generate itineraries,� Booher says. �Guests think we have been working on it for hours, when it really takes just a few seconds.� �The world of the concierge is about quick, accurate information,� Gross adds. �GoConcierge is very much in tune with that.� Thanks to an interface with Hyatt�s eConcierge system, guest requests made during the Hyatt reservation process appear on the GoConcierge screen. Concierges know a message is waiting when the Guest Task Calendar flashes. Once the concierge has taken care of the request and closed it within the system, a personalized itinerary is automatically sent to the guest. �The interface is a big time saver and provides hotel team members with the opportunity to engage a guest prior to arrival to create the ultimate guest experience,� Isrow says. Wake-up Calls Scheduled, Tracked When a guest requests a wake-up call, the person receiving the request at the front desk will log it into GoConcierge. The next morning, operators check GoConcierge and then make their calls. Each night, as a backup, wake-up call requests are printed from GoConcierge. Each package delivered to the hotel, and then to the appropriate recipient, is also tracked in GoConcierge. �Because GoConcierge is password-controlled, we know who handled each package and when,� Gross says. The Security department, which is responsible for items lost or found, uses GoConcierge to track when and where an item was found, and who found it. Shipping address information is stored in the system to ensure a quick delivery once an item is matched with its owner. When a guest has a problem at the property�e.g., a leaking faucet�it is logged as an incident in GoConcierge. Each night, a spreadsheet listing those guests and the incidents is produced from the Web-based system and e-mailed to each staff member. With that information in hand, staff can make sure those guests have a highly personalized experience the remainder of their stay. Transportation Company Given Access �Not unlike a lot of hotels, we outsource transportation to a third-party limousine company,� Gross says. �We have given them limited access to GoConcierge. When one of our staff requests a limousine in GoConcierge, the transportation company knows right away. They transfer it to their reservation system and then close the request within GoConcierge. At the end of each month, I generate a report from GoConcierge that allows me to match all transportation requests with their corresponding invoices.� Because GoConcierge gives Gross the ability to monitor all guest requests at a glance, it has become an ideal tool to help him manage work flow. He quickly knows if he needs to redistribute manpower. Gross says GoConcierge most definitely has elevated the level of guest service at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. �I recommend it to any hotel, a Hyatt or a non-Hyatt,� he says. �It is very user-friendly.� �The customer service has been superb,� Booher adds. �Whenever we have had a question, they have been quick to respond.� �We are very proud to know that GoConcierge has made such a positive impact at the property and ultimately has enhanced the overall guest experience,� Isrow says. About the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead: The 438-room Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead features spacious guestrooms, outdoor heated pool, fitness center, the distinctive Cassis restaurant, the chic Onyx at the Grand bar, more than 26,500 square feet of meeting space, Japanese gardens and fast access to some of the Atlanta area�s most inviting attractions. Go to http://grandatlanta.hyatt.com or call (404) 237-1234. About GoConcierge.net:
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