“…By eliminating the traditional step of taking down orders with pen and paper, the hotel has been able to cut down manpower needs 
by one staff member per shift (reducing walking time)…”
- The new system also removes the extra time taken to check the availability of certain items with the kitchen
- Customer satisfaction has climbed by five percentage points since the system was implemented
- The new format of ordering allowed us to provide personalized service to patrons who needed it more
- Sales of food at the atrium lounge have gone up since the automated ordering system was implemented
- The system also allows guests to give instant feedback about the service, with comments popping up on the employees’ phones.
An initiative that was implemented last November involved linking the hotel’s atrium lounge to a full integrated ordering system. Unlike other restaurants and cafes, where tablet computers are used as electronic menus or ordering devices, the hotel goes one step further. Information is keyed in by patrons and sent via the tablets to mobile phones which are carried by all service staff.
“Guests can self-order and customise their meals by looking through the menu and browsing through the pictures,” said Mr Wehinger. “With the tablet, they can press a ‘call for service’ button, type out dietary restrictions, give feedback and view the inventory level of items which are selling fast or out of stock.
“Instead of waving their hands in the air to get the attention of a waiter, a pop-up with the corresponding table number will appear on the mobile phones issued to our staff. They will then attend to the guests’ needs.”
The atrium lounge, which is manned by about seven employees during the evening peak period, takes up much of the hotel’s fourth floor and spans an area about as large as two basketball courts, so cutting down walking time is a key improvement.
For more:Â http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Relax/Story/A1Story20130515-422603.html
