“In our business, the first five minutes of a shift are dedicated to getting up to speed with the latest updates in hotelkit. Yet, face-to-face conversations are not sidelined.”
Dominik Reischl
Junior Manager
Reischlhof
During his two-year stay in Austria, Dominik Reischl gained a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry. Upon returning to the family-run 4.5-star wellness hotel in the Bavarian Forest, the Junior Chef was particularly determined to tackle one major issue: poor communication and the mistakes that came with it. Goodbye paper chaos, hello hotelkit. Find out more in the interview.
Challenge
Stockender Informationsfluss
Before efficient digital communication became part of our daily operations, we were stuck in a state of “paperwork chaos”. This ineffective exchange of information led to a high error rate in our daily routines. Questions often arose, such as whether a repair had been completed or who had taken care of it. Additionally, there were instances where information jotted down on paper would disappear, sometimes ending up in drawers. Up until a few years back, when our business was considerably smaller, we were able to maintain quality to a satisfactory degree. Back then, we specialized in “farm holidays”, but now, operating in the high-end segment, we wanted to put an end to these error-prone processes once and for all.
Solution
Added value through digital communication
It was clear to us that we needed a user-friendly software that the whole team would support. It makes little sense to impose a tool on a large team of 145 staff members. Our goal isn’t to cause frustration, but to generate benefits for everyone. I was already familiar with hotelkit, having used the software during my two-year stint in Austria. So, choosing hotelkit to facilitate digital communication in our business was a natural decision for me.
“It makes little sense to impose a tool on a large team of 145 staff members. The goal isn’t to cause frustration. That’s why we decided on hotelkit”
Dominik Reischl
Junior Manager
Reischlhof
Result
All essential information is accessible through hotelkit
Above all, our communication has changed. Our employees can now find all the essential information they need for their shift in hotelkit and quickly get in touch with their colleagues. The first five minutes of a shift in our business are always dedicated to catching up with the latest updates in hotelkit. But this doesn’t mean that face-to-face conversation is overlooked – not in the slightest. Thanks to hotelkit, I now have more time to chat with my colleagues.
Best Practice from Hotel Reischlhof
Tasks with digital checklists, no paper needed
We particularly use checklists at the reception and in the service area, and recurring tasks are used wherever daily routines occur. For our team members, checklists serve as an excellent guide to systematically address the pending tasks. As a manager, I have the transparency needed to ensure that everything is done according to the guidelines. We’ve also noticed that the introduction of digital checklists has fostered a stronger sense of responsibility. In the past, the paper version was often ticked off blindly with the attitude: I’m already familiar with this procedure, I don’t need to look at it again. The need to actively tick a box in the digital checklist is clearly linked to a more mindful completion of tasks. As a result, we’ve seen almost no mistakes where digital checklists are utilized in our establishment.
“For our employees, checklists are an excellent guide to work through the pending tasks in a structured manner. As a manager, I have the transparency needed to ensure that everything was carried out according to the guidelines.”
Dominik Reischl
Junior Manager
Reischlhof
Repairs sorted by priority
In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for our in-house technicians to be greeted by a pile of notes when they started work at 7 am. Their first task was always to determine what needed immediate attention and what could be deferred. Now, our staff finds a ready-made schedule for the day in hotelkit, with the prioritization feature clearly indicating which tasks should be addressed first.
Company news without a blackboard
The News tool is a practical means for us to swiftly update all employees about recent developments, not just during the COVID pandemic. We use this tool as our internal news platform, where we highlight special events within our business. This could include a report about an event we attended, a reference to a mention of our hotel in the newspaper, or an especially charming guest review.
Conclusion
What I particularly appreciate about hotelkit is the ability to use digital communication to promptly reach the entire team. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Reminder function, which ensures I don’t forget anything. The most satisfying effect of implementing hotelkit has undoubtedly been the significant reduction of error sources within our business.
It’s important not to fear the digital transformation of the business, even if it feels unfamiliar at first. In no time, the first successes will become evident, and the system’s added value to the work routine will become apparent.
