News Briefs

Unified Office, a managed services provider offering highly reliable, cloud-based, business communications, IoT, AI, and business analytics services, announced today at the 2024 Enterprise Connect Conference an expansion of their TCNIQ^TM Sentiment Analysis offering. This significant expansion of TCNIQ^TM harnesses the power of AI to transform voice interactions by creating the ability to coach employees in real-time, improving their ability to optimally communicate a company’s messaging and brand to its customers.

This AI-based offering analyzes phone conversations to provide advice to managers in real-time so they can intervene to rectify a situation before the call is completed. It provides AI-based, virtual whisper coaching to employees on how to provide better customer service, reward loyalty, or cross or up sell products and services while they still have the customer on the line. TCNIQ^TM also scores phone calls for employee performance and customer sentiment and provides the score to managers instantly.

“This offering is a key component of our Voice is the Future vision for business communications,” said Ray Pasquale, Founder & CEO of Unified Office. “We avoid common AI mistakes that could negatively impact customer interactions by having a vertical market focus. Unlike other large AI language models, we develop vertically focused small language models that are relevant to our customers’ business. This helps to ensure not only accuracy but also produces actionable output relevant to their specific needs. AI has already analyzed our emails, shopping history, travel routes but until recently voice has been an afterthought yet it’s the most important form of communication.”

Unified Office’s Sentiment Analysis/TCNIQ^TM features now include:

• Real-Time Call Analysis: TCNIQ^TM no longer waits for post-call analysis. It analyzes conversations as they happen, providing immediate feedback to supervisors or other stakeholders. This real-time capability empowers businesses to address issues promptly and improve customer interactions on the fly.
• “Whisper Coaching” with AI: Using AI and a computer-generated voice, TCNIQ quietly guides staff through challenging calls or in training situations. Whether it is handling irate customers or complex inquiries, TCNIQ assists associates in real-time, ensuring consistent service quality.
• Real-Time Delivery of Critical Notifications: via voice, creating increased visibility and convenience for customers, allowing them to react quicker to serious issues that might impact their business.

Prior to this, managers had to be on calls with employees to coach them in real-time or they had to spend hours going through recorded messages. This approach could not scale beyond a handful of employees. All Unified Office services are offered on their Total Connect Now℠ platform, an easy-to-use, managed business communications service that integrates voice and video communications, messaging, service-level monitoring, business continuity, and AI-based business analytics tools into a seamless, high quality, reliable communications service that can be configured to meet the unique needs of any business.

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Stayntouch, a provider of cloud hotel property management systems (PMS), is proud to announce that it has delivered unprecedented levels of system performance and reliability, leading to a 96 percent customer retention rate of its hotel customers.

Independent hotels and brands often face technology performance challenges, which can harm their business, especially with legacy or unproven PMS providers. Stayntouch leverages AWS (Amazon Web Services) to power its cloud-native PMS, ensuring high performance, scalable architecture, and enhanced usability.

• 100 Percent System Uptime for Hotels | Stayntouch has consistently exceeded 99.97 percent system uptime, measured quarterly per its Service Level Agreement. The company has delivered a consistent 100 percent system uptime for over eight quarters.
• 70 Percent Greater Efficiency with Multi-Property Management | Stayntouch's intuitive design, combined with comprehensive multi-property functionality, enhances efficiency in setting up new properties and managing chain portfolios by up to 70 percent.
• 96 Percent Customer Retention Rate | With dedicated implementation and client success teams, 24/7 customer support, and response times under one hour, Stayntouch cultivates strong customer relationships, contributing to an impressive 96 percent client retention rate.

Prabol Bhandari, the chief technology officer at Stayntouch, said, "Our commitment to maintaining near-perfect system uptime underscores our dedication to reliability and excellence. By consistently delivering 一 and overdelivering 一 on this promise, we empower our hotel customers to operate seamlessly and delight their guests."

Yossi Maslaton, head of cloud infrastructure and security for Stayntouch, said, "Our cloud PMS has been built from the ground up to deliver the flexibility and comprehensive feature set necessary for clients to manage increasingly complex portfolios. With zero downtime for product updates, fixes, and security patches, we enable our clients to optimize their operations and achieve unparalleled efficiency gains."

Priya Rajamani, VP of implementation and support at Stayntouch, said, "Our 96 percent customer retention rate is a testament to our platform’s reliability and performance, in addition to our commitment to customer success throughout the client lifecycle. We cultivate strong, enduring partnerships with our clients through personalized support, rapid response times, and proactive solutions, ensuring their continued satisfaction and success."

Hospitality America is thriving. Coming off the heels of its most profitable year for their hotel partners, Ben Campbell has transitioned from Chief Operating Officer to President and Chief Executive Officer. Hospitality America Founder and CEO Chris Cargen has retired and will assume the newly created position of Chairman of the Board. This transition symbolizes the company’s unwavering commitment to sustained growth, operational excellence, and forward-thinking leadership.

Just weeks into his term, the 36-year-old chief is crafting his vision for the company, which includes growing from 17 hotels to 40 hotels in less than 10 years; expanding its portfolio to include more lifestyle and full-service brands; investing in tools and technologies to improve efficiencies, optimizing its capacity and profitability; and continuously enhancing the award-winning company culture for the betterment of employees and guests.

“Ben's journey to CEO is a testament to his dedication and expertise in the hospitality industry,” Cargen said. “His experience at every level of the organization has positioned him to lead Hospitality America's next chapter. Ben's strategic vision and dedication to excellence will continue to position Hospitality America as an industry leader among third-party operators."

Rapid Rise to the Top

Campbell began his hospitality career 15 years ago, working as a Department Manager with Delaware North Companies Inc. (assisting at the Carolina Panthers Stadium and then managing the company’s Concessions/Catering Departments). Journeying on to hotels, he served as Reservations and Revenue Manager for three Palisociety Hotels before working as Revenue Manager for OLS Hotels and Resorts (now Springboard Hospitality). In 2015, he joined Hospitality America, starting as Director of Sales, then held multiple General Manager positions until he was promoted to Regional Director of Operations and then Chief Operating Officer. It was in the COO role that Campbell began conceptualizing an ambitious vision for the company’s future.

“Throughout my career, I have always strived to be better,” Campbell said. “I firmly believe that when you see an opportunity, act on it – whether it’s securing third-party management contracts, helping guests, or recognizing and rewarding employees. Career development is extremely important. If there is one thing I want to project onto our associates, it’s the importance of learning something new every day. When that happens, promoting from within the company is a natural progression. While I plan to remain in the CEO role for quite some time, I would be honored to help grow the next successor.”

The Future is Bright

After attending the 35^th Annual Hunter Hotel Investment Conference last week, Campbell said he left the event knowing that the hotel industry is extremely positive, and that Hospitality America is in an enviable position for growth.

“People feel optimistic,” he said. “The hotel brands are reporting that their pipeline of units sold is greater than ever before. That said, there are not as many shovels in the ground as there could be. We are seeing a diversity of commercial real estate firms entering the hospitality space, such as multi-family, and that is where Hospitality America has a significant advantage. With Hospitality America, owners and developers get the scale of a bigger company with the individual attention of a smaller management company. We bring financial capabilities, scalability, and ease to just pick up the phone, call the CEO, and get individual attention.

"On behalf of Hospitality America, I want to express our gratitude for Mr. Cargen's years of outstanding leadership and mentorship,” he said. “I’m committed to his legacy, achieving our strategic objectives and maintaining our position as a top place to work."

Campbell’s advice to young people entering the hotel business is this: Work hard, learn much, and don’t be afraid to speak up.

Cloudbeds, the hospitality management platform powering more reservations and happier guests for independent lodging businesses around the globe, urged independent hoteliers to look beyond raising their average daily rates (ADR) as a hedge against high inflation.

The guidance comes from Cloudbeds’ 2024 State of Independent Lodging Report, which revealed lodging businesses can no longer rely on ADR increases as the main driver of hotel performance. Instead, they must proactively adopt additional strategies to offset the rising operational costs.

Despite many hotels already streamlining their staffing models and trimming housekeeping services, Cloudbeds emphasizes that independent hoteliers can explore further avenues to reduce costs and increase pricing, particularly in food and beverage services, parking, ancillary fees, and non-refundable rates.

Sebastien Leitner, VP of Partnerships at Cloudbeds, said: “While hotels have experienced record ADRs, it hasn’t been enough to offset a hike in operating expenses and global inflation. Hoteliers face a critical question going forward: if travelers are becoming increasingly price-sensitive, how much longer can pricing be pushed to offset rising costs? ADR is no longer an inflation hedge. Instead, we’ll see independent businesses turn towards streamlined operations that maximize profitability and delight guests.”

The technology provider highlighted that room rates surged by 20% in 2023 compared to their 2019 levels. However, amidst this increase, global inflation peaked at 8.7% in 2022 before declining slightly to 6.9% in 2023. Consequently, the rising operating expenses outpaced revenue growth for many independent hotels.

Cloudbeds’ findings are grounded in data from 10,000+ independent properties, encompassing boutique hotels and guest houses, B&Bs, and hotel groups in over 100 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

For comprehensive global insights into the independent lodging landscape in 2024, download a free copy of Cloudbeds’ annual ‘State of Independent Lodging Report’ at https://www.cloudbeds.com/hospitality-industry-report.

ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a global restaurant technology leader and provider of unified commerce for enterprise restaurants, announced that Wendy's^®, has selected PAR’s industry-leading loyalty and offer solution, PAR Punchh^®, to advance its already successful loyalty program into the next generation of customer engagement.

Wendy’s will leverage PAR Punchh’s AI-driven platform and Punchh Enterprise Support to enhance its loyalty program for customers who visit any of their nearly 6,500 locations across the United States and Canada. With PAR Punchh’s advanced loyalty expertise and personalization engine, Wendy's aims to advance its loyalty program with best-in-class gamified experiences, targeted offers designed to bring great food for a great value to its customers, and exclusive promotions tailored to individual customer preferences.

The open architecture of PAR Punchh ensures seamless integration into Wendy’s existing app and online ordering systems, optimizing their technology stack for both current and future operations. This integration will enhance the omni-channel experience, digitally and at the restaurant.

In collaboration with PAR Punchh’s team of loyalty strategists, Wendy’s will craft a comprehensive strategy, aiming to elevate the guest experience and drive customer satisfaction.

“Loyalty is not a feature, it’s an outcome – driving more customer lifetime value. We believe that coupling our technology with our skilled team of loyalty strategists not only gives brands the tools to build guest loyalty, but also puts us in the driver seat with them to deliver results," said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology. “The partnership we’re building with Wendy’s is going to help cultivate their ability to deepen relationships with their fans and stand out. Blending their iconic brand offerings with cutting-edge solutions is a winning combo!”

This collaboration is the latest example of PAR’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that drive revenue and foster strong, meaningful connections with guests. Over 200 global enterprises in 20 countries, including brands like Casey's, and Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC, rely on PAR Punchh to boost revenue by fostering strong customer relationships.