Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Sees Improved Service Scores

Web-based System Makes it Easy to Implement 'We Care' Program

. March 17, 2009

SAN DIEGO, CA, March 17, 2009 - When a guest asked for his favorite brand of Irish whiskey at the Swim Bar and Lounge, one of the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina's dining hot spots, he expected it to be available. When it was not, he expressed his disappointment. Not wanting the guest to leave the property dissatisfied with his stay, staff arranged for the bar to be stocked with the whiskey and also sent an amenity to the guest's room. Each step of the process-the guest's complaint and the issue's resolution-was logged in GoConcierge as part of Hyatt's "We Care" program. Web-based GoConcierge, the lodging industry's leading guest service operations system, helps ensure that what gets tracked gets done.

"Since we launched the We Care program in GoConcierge, we have seen a tremendous increase in our service scores-up to a 10 percent improvement," says Eron Hodges, Executive Assistant Manager-Rooms Division at the 430-room hotel. "GoConcierge makes it easy for us to see a problem through to its resolution."

"It is exciting to see that GoConcierge is having a direct, positive impact on the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina's ability to provide a personalized guest experience," says Adam Isrow, Executive Vice President of GoConcierge.net. "GoConcierge and Hyatt's 'We Care' program work well together."

Multiple Departments Have Access

The concierge team at the hotel uses GoConcierge in the lobby and also on the Regency Club level on the 17th floor. Departments including shipping and receiving, security, front desk, sales, accounting and even housekeeping also use GoConcierge. The system produced by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net has been in place at the hotel since 2005. It replaced a manual, paper-based system that incorporated log books and accordion-style file holders. Hodges described GoConcierge as an "environmentally friendly" alternative to the old system.

Using GoConcierge, associates at the hotel are able to provide a higher level of service more efficiently. GoConcierge's Guest Task Calendar enables them to log and track guest requests and other tasks. With just a few clicks, these can be entered and located. The calendar is color coded, which makes it easy to highlight open, pending and closed tasks. Guest anniversaries, birthdays and other special dates are collected and stored in GoConcierge.

"It allows our staff to 'wow' our guests," Hodges says. "It also creates efficiencies for staff and enhances their ability to communicate with one another. This ultimately benefits our guests. It is extremely user friendly."

Because a history of each guest's request is stored in GoConcierge, it is easy to generate itineraries. These can be printed or e-mailed in a matter of seconds along with a personalized confirmation letter on stationery that includes the hotel's logo. Point-to-point directions and maps can also be generated easily. A customized location database within GoConcierge enables associates to quickly identify area restaurants and attractions.

GoConcierge is used by the concierge team to track amenity deliveries, in shipping and receiving to track incoming and outgoing packages, by security for lost and found items, by the accounting department for adjustment purposes, at the front desk for wake-up calls, and by housekeeping to log "Do Not Disturb" requests and track guestroom bottled water inventory. All reservations for the hotel's Red Marlin restaurant and eco-conscious Blue Marble Spa are also tracked in GoConcierge.

GoConcierge/E-Concierge Interface

Thanks to an interface with Hyatt E-Concierge, requests made at the E-Concierge site are sent directly to GoConcierge where they automatically appear on the GoConcierge screen. Concierges know a message is waiting when the guest task calendar flashes. Once the concierge has completed the request and closed it within the system, a personalized itinerary is sent automatically to the guest.

"We have a number of spa goers who use E-Concierge," Hodges says. "The fact that GoConcierge is compatible with it makes it more effective."

Each day, Hodges generates a report from GoConcierge that shows him exactly how many incidents were logged as part of the We Care program. He says that report helps him to identify where opportunities are for improving service and efficiencies. The report also helps him see if there are any trends that need to be addressed-a recurring maintenance issue, for example.

"There is no question GoConcierge gives us a competitive edge," Hodges says. "It helps make us more efficient and more professional in how we interact with our guests."

"In this economy, an environment in which hotels are battling for guest loyalty, it is clear that the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina is winning," GoConcierge.net's Isrow says. "This is thanks not only to GoConcierge but also to the hotel's dedicated team of associates who truly do care."

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