Hilton's New Form of Information Exchange

In today’s world, if you want to succeed in the hospitality industry you have to constantly be aware of what’s up and coming in technology. This article, “Hilton’s New Concierge is Interactive TV” by Curt Harler, discusses the implementation of a new virtual, interactive concierge in Hilton Hotels and Resorts. “The interactive screens will allow guests to get information that ordinarily might require interaction with a conference manager or concierge at any time" (Harler, 2008). The hotel is looking to create a functional utility that will appeal to both kids and adults. Jeff Diskin, Senior Vice President of Brand Management states “Today's consumer wants to interact with products and services in multiple ways. We've responded to that trend by using technology in our hotels to engage our guests with online, offline, and self-service tools” (Harler, 2008). Updating the systems is simple because the company can update the content wirelessly. Diskin clarifies the purpose of the product in saying that “At the moment, we are not looking to tie it to check-in or meeting room reservations, although the technology exists to do that. We are not focused on creating transactions but to facilitate information exchange" (Harler 2008). The virtual concierge will be implemented in all of the U.S. properties and will be on display at the Hilton Beijing for the Olympic Games.

I got really excited when I saw this article because the product is similar to the technology that I dreamt up for Guestroom 2010. I thought it would be neat to have a digital panel that would provide information on the different amenities that the hotel provides as well as what you can do or see while you are staying at that particular location. The new virtual concierge is similar in that it allows guests to choose services, look at meeting room configurations, or find events around the town. . I think this is a great idea because it allows guests to get the information that they need quickly and sufficiently without having to ask too many questions. It is a new and trendy product and I think Hilton Hotels and Resorts will see a positive response from it.

Harler, Curt. Hilton's New Concierge is Interactive TV. 18, March 2008.

Happy Customers = Money

In order to be a successful company you have to be making some sort of profit. Duh. But what most people don’t take into consideration is the source of their profit. Yeah you’re making a killing off your beverages and the food tastes great but is that the true source of your success? A guest can go to a restaurant for the first time based on the outstanding food reviews but the question is, what will get them to return for a second time? The food may be great but was it an enjoyable experience and worth the time and money? In the article, “Customer's Emotions Linked to Positive Restaurant Profits” the author discusses the idea of providing satisfactory customer service to guests. By creating a memorable experience for their customers, “the result is that highly engaged customers are found to be loyal, go out of their way to do business with, say good things about, and feel passion for the brand and experience” (HT Magazine, 2007). The article mentions that “restaurant chains with high customer-engagement scores far outperformed low-scoring counterparts”, therefore proving that going the extra mile really does make all the difference. Basically, if you do wonders for the guest, they will do wonders for you.

I found this article to be basic common knowledge. Obviously if you provide a positive memorable experience for a guest, in the long run you will benefit greatly. The guest will return, which brings in money, and the guest will tell others about their experience, ultimately encouraging others to go. Therefore by keeping your customer happy, you make money. After some thought, however, I realized that many companies may not realize the importance of this concept. Not all companies have employees that are dedicated to customer service. Many employees are simply there to pay the bills and at the end of the day don’t care about the effect that they may have had on a guest. This article is meant to encourage companies to enforce customer satisfaction and even states “they need to hire and retain employees who make the dining experience fun…but most important, restaurants who can quickly and effectively resolve customer concerns are the clear winners” (HT Magazine, 2007). If need be, customer satisfaction should be incorporated in the employee training so that the employees understand the mission of the company and what they are working for” After all, if at the end of the day you have no customers, you have no business.

Source: Customer's Emotions Linked to Positive Restaurant Profits. Hospitality Technology Magazine. 1, November 2007.http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=3941C382641D4BFEA3615553B0374250

Food for Thought...

The fast food industry plays a very crucial role in today’s quick pace lifestyle. Given the amount of hours that we work in a day, it’s hard to believe that we are able to spare a few minutes to eat. In the article “Read a Good Book Lately”, author Reid Paul (14, March 2007) discusses some of the new developments that have occurred in the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry. Paul believes that there has been a rapid improvement in the QSR industry and that “the book [“Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser] played an important role in bringing about those changes”. In fact, he has come to the conclusion that it “helped propel an entire movement to produce more healthy food items”. The idea of serving salads and healthy snack items is only the beginning and over time many of these changes will “have a significant impact on the rest of the industry and especially hotel foodservice”. Paul also brings up the idea of creating new forms of technology that will decrease the amount of food born illnesses that exist. He states “As the parent of a five-year old, the fear of exposing my son to e-coli has impacted my decision on how often and where we go out to eat”. Unfortunately, “We have always been an industry that has been slow to adopt technology, and the supply chain is still an area that is ripe for reform and improvement”. In response to this, food chain suppliers have been looking into new technology such as RFID that “will provide us greater corporate oversight for quality control and food safety”. In addition, “concerns over food safety have also pushed many consumers to look for more locally produced (and seasonal), humanely treated and organic food items as well”.

Personally I think that the QSR industry has made a huge effort to become more dietary friendly. As far as I’m aware, all major fast food chains now offer a variety of salads and low calorie snack items. One particular brand, Subway, is constantly advertising their low fat sandwiches. Even though there was a lot of negative attention brought upon the QSR industry from the movie “Supersize Me”, I believe that in the end the restaurant chains benefited from it. The overwhelming criticism forced them to pay more attention to the calories being consumed which ultimately fed into the ever so trendy “era of diets”. Now more than ever people are focusing on what they are eating and the amount of time they spend exercising. We keep track of every single calorie, burned or consumed. If the QSR didn’t cater to this new interest they would be out of business within a year. I wouldn’t be surprised if more people take advantage of the fast pace service provided by QSR chains today because of the healthier items that they are advertising. Unfortunately there will always be complaints and now that the QSR industry has created healthier eating options, the focus shifts to the different types of diseases that exist. The mass producing of low-cost food production is only one of the many issues that exists today. Over the past few years, e-coli has become a major threat to the success of many businesses. Hopefully with the new idea of using locally produced organic foods, the issue of food born illness will slowly fade away and QSR industry will consist of healthy, disease free food products.