Tag Archives: Mobile Apps

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Going mobile: The tipping point is close”

Ed Higgins, vice president of Thousand Islands Insurance Agency in Clayton, N.Y., and vice chair at the Applied Client Network, says he believes that independent agents are missing out on the opportunity that mobile apps provide…businessman-w-laptop-apps-169-crop-600x338Thousand Islands Agency was an early adopter of the MobileProducer, the mobile-app version of Applied System’s agency management platform. For Higgins, the key benefit of the app is the ability to deliver what he calls the “Starbucks experience” for customers.

Four years ago, Apple trademarked the phrase, “There’s an app for that.” With more than 1.2 million offerings in the iTunes App Store—and about 1.4 million in Google Play—it would seem that the phrase is more true than not. However, only a few general-market agent productivity apps exist, and none have more than a few reviews from users.

“It’s a relatively small number of agents who are using insurance-specific apps today,” says Chad Hersh, senior vice president at The Nolan Co., an insurance management consulting firm. “Granted, a lot of agents use general apps on their mobile devices to the extent that many people do in their daily lives and jobs, but the penetration just isn’t there for insurance apps for agents.”

For more: http://bit.ly/14oxiiB

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Use Mobile Apps to Get Out in Front of the Social Media Curve”

For several years, about half of all local search have been conducted using mobile technology. In the first quarter of 2014, searches on mobile devices surpassed desktop internet searches. mobile-apps-hotelThis suggests that mobile apps are not just a convenience anymore, they are necessary for hotels to remain in business. Customers now expect to find the information for which they search whenever they have to urge to access it

In order for hotels to grow their brand recognition and costumer preference, they need social media to establish a partnership with consumers. This is an ideal opportunity for the hotel industry to increase contact with customers, which aids in brand development based on decisions made according to demand and feedback. While almost all hotels now have websites and at least one social media channel, many have yet to adopt mobile technology. This puts them at risk for being left behind as customers seek lodging sites they can access while on the go. Ensuring that hotel businesses are not only optimized for search engines but also have mobile apps for android and non-android devices is important for brands to remain competitive.

For more: http://bit.ly/1BhklVO

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media, Technology

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Starwood’s Digital Initiatives Connect with Guests”

“Mobile increasingly will be at the heart of consumer-branded interaction and offers a plethora of opportunities for customization, communication, promotion, and loyalty.”…digital initiativesThe new reality is that tablets, iPads, smartphones, and wearable tech empower guests to travel and do business the way they want to do business. And if hotels aren’t on these devices, there’s a good chance guests won’t be doing business with them.

If you’re looking to get your guests’ attention, smartphones can be a good place to start. More than ever, guests are turning to mobile devices like these to research travel, book rooms, and interact with brands. From receiving instant directions to the hotel when the plane lands to requesting a bike to tool around town, tech-savvy guests can now cover their needs and desires with a finger tap or even a voice command. To catch the attention of the modern guests, however, hotels need to develop the right backlit content to run on these mobile devices.

No hotel company understands better than Starwood Hotels and Resorts. “People check their mobile devices every six minutes,” says Starwood President and CEO Frits van Paasschen. “We can say ‘welcome’ when a guest gets off the plane in New York, Dubai, or Shanghai. ‘It will take you 45 minutes to get to the hotel. Can we have your favorite drink ready?’ That ongoing dialogue didn’t exist before mobile technology. Ultimately, being able to have direct conversations with their favorite brands is what people are expecting.”

For more: http://bit.ly/1rlLgKw

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “The Apple Watch Will Help You Unlock Hotel Rooms Without a Key. But is That a Good Idea?”

“But moving systems to a smartphone or other mobile device that has built-in computing power that could be used to run algorithms to break that security could ‘open up a big can of worms,’ Apple Watchhe said. Although he assumes Hilton and other companies considering this move have taken ‘great care’ to reduce risk, he still worries that the additional attack surface and communication abilities of mobile devices might make them more difficult to secure.”

At least one app for the Apple Watch will allow the wearer to unlock a hotel room with the wave of a wrist. But using mobile devices to provide keyless entry to hotel rooms isn’t a novel concept — and could come with added security risks.

Hotels have been experimenting with mobile apps to unlock hotel rooms for some time. The Starwood Hotel group, which is reportedly working on an Apple Watch app, had been testing a similar feature for smartphone users at least since earlier this year. And in July, Hilton Hotels announced guests would be able to use digital check-in and room selection at more than 4,000 properties around the world by the end of this year.

For more: http://wapo.st/1lYgLda

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Filed under Crime, Hotel Industry, Risk Management, Technology

Hospitality Industry Social Media Update: “Modern Hospitality: Social Media With A Smile”

Change is not always a good thing, but for the hospitality industry, it has proven to be great! Those companies, who are adapting to social media and developing a strategic plan, are experiencing a return on investment. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Foursquare are among those mentioned as outlets used to: engage customers, handle requests and inquiries, offer direct promotions, and gauge customer experience. Check out the infographic presented by besthospitalitydegrees.com, to learn more about the impact of online reviews and mobile devices within the hospitality industry.

Click For More!

Click For More!

For more: http://bit.ly/1o6Eqn4

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Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Social Media

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Don’t be Alarmed by That Robot Delivering a Toothbrush to Your Hotel Room”

“We think this is such a huge opportunity to deliver better service to our customer.Botlr-in-Hallway-lr  The mundane task of running a razor behind the scenes goes away, you’ll see our associates more because they’ll be more front and center than they’ve ever been,” McGuinness said. “This is by no means replacing the human element of hospitality.”

The situation usually plays out like this. You’re unpacking in a hotel room and realize you forgot something. Rather than trek to whatever store might be near, you call the front desk and ask for a razor, toothpaste or whatever you need. The hotel then sends someone up with the delivery.

Except for the Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, Calif, which will begin using an R2D2-esque robot for such trips. Fittingly, Aloft’s parent company, Starwood Hotels, tests the latest technology at the Silicon Valley hotel. Guests can enter their rooms with a smartphone app and bypass the traditional check-in process at the front desk.

For more: http://wapo.st/1o63HNa

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Perch App Helps Hotels Track Competitors”

“…While Perch is geared toward small businesses in general, Evans says it has proven to be particularly beneficial to hotel owners and managers.perch Users can stay connected with the community by watching local hotels, restaurants, and venues to discover events and activities happening nearby…”

Social media offers hotel owners and managers a wealth of information at their fingertips, but being able to access it all can be a challenge. With so many outlets that allow guests to share pictures and thoughts about a hotel—Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and Instagram, just to name a few—it’s virtually impossible for one individual to keep track of everything that’s posted online.

For more: http://bit.ly/VVryt4

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Filed under Hotel Industry, Hotel Restaurant, Management And Ownership, Social Media

Hospitality Industry Bed Bug Update: “How to Search Your Hotel Room for Bed Bugs”

“…I also found “joke” apps pretending to be bed bug detectors for the purposes of freaking your friends out,bedbugs2 and some highly bogus “ultrasonic repelling” apps that suggest they turn your phone into a sonic threat to bugs of all kinds. There is no evidence that bed bugs or mosquitoes are repelled by ultrasound. Don’t waste your money…”

You’re packed for your trip, your boarding passes are downloaded… and then that little moment of terror hits. What if the hotel you’re going to stay in has bed bugs? It’s a real concern, but by being vigilant, you can reduce your chances of bringing home some unexpected souvenirs.

I don’t put a lot of trust in online hotel bed bug ratings or reports; infestation status can change from day to day, and there is no reliable way to verify that reviews are not fake.

Here’s how I search for bed bugs when I arrive at a new hotel. I can’t promise this is foolproof, but knowing how one slightly-paranoid entomologist deals with the threat of bed bugs might be useful to some readers.

For more: http://wrd.cm/1odGOha

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Filed under Bed Bugs, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership

Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Restaurants Will Soon Benefit From New “Location-Based Mobile Payment” Technology & Apps; Customers “Automatically Check-In”, Complete Purchases With Smartphones

“…Telegraphe Cafe in New York will start testing Beacon soon. Anne Abikhzir, one of the owners of the coffee shop, expects the new gadget will Restaurant Mobile Payment Solutionsincrease check-ins and make the experience of buying coffee and pastries more personal for her customers…shoppers (can) complete their purchases using their phones and that data is collected and analyzed by retailers..”

EBay has spent many hours and lots of money pinpointing the locations of thousands of retail stores so the e-commerce company can capture sales from smartphone wielding shoppers. Now the company’s PayPal division is using a new technology know as Bluetooth Low Energy to get even more accurate location information inside stores through a gadget called Beacon.

The first PayPal employee tests of Beacon are happening at Spice Hut, a restaurant and food truck business in Silicon Valley, Telegraphe Cafe in New York and Get York Coffee in Sydney, Australia. Accurate location information is becoming more important as the rise of smartphones boosts mobile commerce brings the benefits of online shopping to physical stores.

That’s the retail holy grail that eBay and other technology and retail companies are fighting for. Apple released iBeacon location-based technology earlier this year, start-up Shopkick has installed location-based systems in major stores already and a group of the largest retailers, led by Wal-Mart, launched a mobile payments group last year called MCX.

For more: http://www.wltx.com/news/tech/article/257658/378/EBay-PayPal-Pinpoint-Stores-for-Mobile-Shopping

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Filed under Guest Issues, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology

Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Restaurant Companies Use Tablets And New Apps To Increase Efficiency, Consistency And Maintain Order Preparation Performance

“…to encourage kitchen efficiency, managers can also use the order system to set a performance benchmark…at Jason’s Deli, Michael Johnson Restaurant Tablet Technology(a regional manager) said the management has set acceptable order preparation that spans from six to eight minutes for each order. When the order has been in the pipeline for six minutes, information turns yellow on the counter/expo station display, which lets preparers know that customers have been waiting for quite a while and they have less than two minutes to finish preparing it…programming apps for tablets (also)produce analytic reports through orders, which can be sent to the management team at corporate headquarters for review. Technology use can also strengthen communication between franchisors, franchisees, and workers…”

The benefits of using tablets and technology extend beyond just table coverage for companies like Brinker International Inc. and DineEquity Inc., and possibly for Cheesecake Factory Inc. and Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. in the future. Combined with location pinpoint technology like RFIDs (radio-frequency identification), tablets can help servers quickly identify which table orders are coming from.

This will allow servers to spend less time wondering about the location they have to bring dishes to and more time on the actual delivery, giving customers an impression of operational efficiency, reducing cost for restaurant operations, and driving earnings higher. This is even more important when employment level in the United States is weak and people are still trading down to lower cost food. As Dave Praws, executive chef for Blue Lemon LLC says, “We’re able to deliver food quickly and efficiently and, in fast-casual, that’s what we are about. Without that ability, we’d be ‘slow-casual.’”

For more:  http://marketrealist.com/2013/10/restaurants-improve-efficiency-tablets-technology/

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Filed under Guest Issues, Labor Issues, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology, Training