AT&T Hotel integrates service requests, guest recognition

The AT&T Hotel and Conference Center has implemented several programs through Guestware, a cloud-based solution for hotels and resorts that optimizes rapid response to guest service requests and maintenance processes. Guestware helps the property obtain exemplary guest survey scores.

The hotel is based in Austin, Texas, and is the meeting destination for hundreds of local, national and international companies. It offers 83,000 square feet of high-tech meeting facilities and 297 guestrooms on site, with access to additional rooms through a collaborative partnership with surrounding hotels in Austin’s high-tech Innovation District. The hotel understands how to use technology to elevate the guest experience and continuously improve and retain high TripAdvisor scores.

“We use Guestware to integrate the front desk, housekeeping, engineering and the banquet floor on one rapid-response system that quickly fulfills guest and maintenance requests,” front-desk manager Wes Flower said in a statement. “Guests can request service from their phone or from the guestroom’s Intelity-powered iPads. When a guest call reaches the front desk, staff enter the request in Guestware. The system then creates a request ticket and assigns it to housekeeping, engineering or another appropriate department. In addition, guestroom Intelity iPads automatically interface with Guestware. For example, if a guest requests towels on their iPad, the message goes to the appropriate housekeeper’s iPhone and they can easily fulfill the request.”
 
A large part of AT&T Hotel and Conference Center’s operation focuses on guest recognition. “Our property management system interfaces with Guestware, which records all past guest requests and preferences,” Flower said. “We review our arrival list daily through Guestware, which records past guest requests, to anticipate special needs, like a ‘feather-free’ room before arrival. Guests are surprised when we show this level of attention to their stay. I think this kind of recognition helps drive our high customer satisfaction scores.”
 

The property’s engineering and housekeeping departments also rely on Guestware to track scheduled maintenance. “Our housekeepers are in guestrooms every day. It is easy for us to report any maintenance issues,” said Lovie Levels, housekeeping director. “Maintenance issues are logged in Guestware so engineering can be proactive and resolve them before the next check-in. We also track scheduled tasks like deep cleaning and mattress rotation. Mattresses are important to guest comfort. This kind of attention to detail is a big factor in demonstrating how we care for our guests.”

Levels noted that Guestware’s “late checkout request report” helps her optimize housekeeper staffing schedules. Engineering also uses Guestware to schedule room and equipment maintenance which helps create a flawless guest experience.
 
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center uses Guestware’s “top 10 guest issues” list to review operations and identify and resolve recurring service items. “Before our recent renovation, we analyzed the top guest requests to improve the comfort and functionality in our guest rooms,” Flower said. Flower also reviews each day’s new tickets. “As front office manager, I review any reported guest concerns. Guestware helps us put a dollar figure on any incidents to track their impact on revenue and help us find ways to operate more effectively. We also run a ‘recurring incident report’ to clarify which areas have repeating issues for process improvement.”