Denver Hampton Inn & Suites Boosts Customer Service Scores with Automated Maintenance Tool

Some hoteliers in today's challenging hospitality market are developing eye-catching promotions to bring customers through the front door. Promotions may initially drive higher occupancy and hotel sales, but a guest's first visit may be the last if the hotel does not also provide superior customer service.

Hotel maintenance systems improve customer service behind the scenes.
The management of the Hampton Inn & Suites Denver - Cherry Creek is taking a highly successful behind-the-scenes approach to securing long-term guest loyalty. By strengthening internal hotel maintenance systems, the 133-room hotel is improving customer service in an area where visitors may not expect it, but certainly appreciate it. General manager Jason Dorfman credits the rise in his property's customer satisfaction scores to the installation of hotel ServicePro, an automated maintenance tracking and asset management program.

 

Improve guest service speed and staff efficiency
The Web-based hotel ServicePro software organizes staff communication, maintenance scheduling, resolution tracking and reporting essential to good property upkeep and guest satisfaction. The system is accessed over a hosted Internet platform that enables the property's managers and staff to use iPhones and other devices to receive the system's maintenance reminders and respond wherever they are. The solution is password secured and can be available to the entire management team and engineering staff quickly, 24 hours a day, with direct and documented exchanges of information.

 

For example, if a guest reports a broken air conditioning unit, the front desk can immediately alert an engineer by sending a communication to his or her compatible wireless handheld device. The system enables the property's GM, Jason Dorfman, to track repair progress online in real time from the initial customer notification to the final resolution. Once the problem is resolved, the property's management can promptly follow up with a call to the guest to ensure all is well.

 

"We saw immediate improvement in service speed and staff efficiency with the adoption of hotel ServicePro last year," says Dorfman. "This software is an essential asset for almost any type of problem resolution and guest response is overwhelmingly positive." The rise in guest loyalty is translating to higher occupancy and a market-leading position for Dorfman's property.

 

The technology is a complete facility management program that enables operators to create schedules for preventative maintenance and reminders for property inspections, contract renewals, warranty expirations and safety inspections. Staff performance for maintenance staff and housekeeping can also be tracked to evaluate areas for praise and improvement. Each hotel can tailor reports to obtain information relevant to its specific needs. Administrative duties can be streamlined to print batch work orders with electronic time stamps to trace the speed to task completion.

 

The Hampton Inn & Suites Denver - Cherry Creek faces the same wear and tear as all hotels. Dorfman relies on the solution for a weekly facility report that provides a thorough analysis of the entire property and the status of any repairs needed or in progress. Dorfman explains, "Proactively performing maintenance on our 10-year-old building definitely lets our hotel compete effectively against younger properties."

 

Dorfman requires a high standard of customer service from his property staff and values the positive customer service he receives from hotel SystemsPro's support team. "When the system was first installed, a representative spent three days training our hotel staff," says Dorfman. "The system trainer worked a full shift with every department. It was easy to learn, even for my employees with limited knowledge of computers. When a system is easy to use, the staff uses it more effectively and the property and its guests benefit."

 

The Hampton Inn & Suites Denver - Cherry Creek also benefits from a Web-based hotel sales software called hotel SalesPro. This sales and catering software solution manages the property's group business accounts, sales leads, client rotation schedules, email and other essential sales functions. What sets this solution apart from other sales programs is that it gives a property the ownership of its sales leads and contacts, even if the hotel uses a chain's property management system. The advantage of using an independent, Web-based sales system is that if a salesperson leaves the company, or the property changes flags, the valuable client records stay with the hotel's ownership.