Can you hear me now?

This summer I am working at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort so you can only imagine how excited I was to see an article about them in HT Magazine. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island recently implemented “multi-carrier cellular voice and data services in all guest areas courtesy of ADC's Digivance in-building coverage system” (HT Magazine, 2008). In other words, no matter what type of cell phone service you have, you will get reception within and around the hotel. T-Mobile originally provided an ADC Digivance system for its own customers but The Sanctuary wanted to enable coverage for users of AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon as well. Wayne Koeckeritz, director of engineering for The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort states, “We host corporate events for companies all over the world, and we wanted to make sure that every guest would have good mobile reception in their rooms as well as throughout our facilities” (HT Magazine, 2008). “The expansion took place over a 90-day period and services went live earlier this year” (HT Magazine, 2008).

I think that this is a great technology for any hotel to have. How many times have you gone somewhere only to discover that you have zero bars. At this point in time, just about everyone has a cell phone. It’s the best way to keep in touch with people. I believe that there will be a very positive response from the guests with the new implementation of the ADC's Digivance in-building coverage system. Providing quality cell phone service to their guests is a great way for Kiawah Island Golf Resort to increase their guest satisfaction.

Check Please?

When you go out to eat at a restaurant, there’s more to consider than just the quality of food. You may eat at a place where the food is great, but you had to wait 45 minutes for your main course. Once you got it, you no longer had anything to drink and the server was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, some restaurants are starting to recognize this and take action. In the article, “Tijuana Taxi Installs Server Paging System for Faster Service” found in HT Magazine, the author discusses how a Mexican restaurant, Tijuana Taxi, “serves up their world famous Mexican and southwest cuisine faster than ever with the SoftTouch SoftCall system” (HT Magazine, 2008). The SoftCall system is a small wireless device with three buttons: Page Server, Drink Refill and Check Request. When a customer needs something, they simply press the button and the server will be notified. “For example, when a customer presses the Drink Refill button, the server gets a text message with the table number and all of the drinks currently being served; this allows the server to bring drink refills without querying the customer first” (HT Magazine, 2008). The SoftCall system allows the guest to create their own dining experience depending on whether they like more or less attention. In terms of the restaurant and its employees, the technology is “designed to improve workflow performance and customer satisfaction by sending real-time communications to servers and management” (HT Magazine, 2008). In other words, the SoftTouch SoftCall system keeps everyone happy.

I think the SoftCall system is a great idea but it definitely has its downsides. To start, the whole idea of eating out at a restaurant is the fact that you will be waited on. Should a company implement this new device, the guest is essentially waiting on themselves because they have to alert their server each time they need something. As a server, you are responsible for monitoring your tables. If you see that someone is low on water, you should recognize this and refill their glass; the guest shouldn’t have to tell you that they need more water. I believe that it would be okay for a restaurant to use this device as long as they don’t use it as their primary form of service. In other words, it could be used for emergencies only. I’m afraid that certain customers may take advantage of their power and abuse it by constantly alerting their server. The SoftCall system definitely has potential, as long as it’s used in the right manner.