This article originally appeared on HotelBusiness.com.
AUSTIN, TX — A new app is helping hospitality managers keep a better tab on their front-line performance, providing greater visibility into their operations. Designed to complement The Manager’s Red Book used by hoteliers, the Red Book Keep App is the newest product in the HotSchedules lineup of workforce and back-office solutions for the hospitality and retail industry.
As optimal performance is critical, time and technology have evolved the old-school communications log into robust day-to-day business management systems. The new app aims to help hoteliers maintain high levels of service, as well as improved shift-to-shift communication and increased employee accountability—all in one central location.
“With the app, the vision is meant to enhance the experience. We know that creating a habit can be improved by tracking its progress, so The Manager’s Red Book was a paper-based guide to a manager’s success and the app is a complement, not a replacement. It will create additional value, such as mobile retrieval of The Manager’s Red Book, employee engagement and more,” said Tom Frengillo, VP and GM, The Manager’s Red Book. “To boil it down, it allows access to The Manager’s Red Book from anywhere and at any time. We want to help our customers run their operations consistently everywhere, all the time, by focusing in on the solutions and challenges they have on a day-to-day basis.”
The app is free to download and easy to use, according to Frengillo. It is bundled as a package with The Manager’s Red Book. “If you can take a photo and text on your phone or tablet, that’s all you will need to get started,” he said.
Among the company’s hundreds of clients is a mix of hotel, restaurant and retail, such as Colwen Hotels, Aloha Hospitality, Crave Hospitality, Red Mango and Sonic.
“The hospitality market has many of the same challenges and expectations that our restaurant and retail customers do. It’s a market that demands a consistently positive experience each time I visit your hotel, whether that’s a one- or five-star property. So we have created at least eight off-the-shelf solutions supporting the front desk, housekeeping and maintenance teams that work within a hospitality model,” said Frengillo. “Our differentiator is that we have 28 years serving the market and we don’t roll out solutions that leave customers on their own to figure things out. Companies like to call this self-service, and that sounds great. But, it’s not for everyone and can lead to implementation challenges.”
Further, he added, “We believe in a bespoke service model that will customize their Manager’s Red Book, at no charge. We want our customers to achieve their vision. We serve over 600 brands and have 2,500 versions of our solution. Red Book Keep is meant to complement that white glove service, not replace it. We don’t build a solution and tell customers to figure it out themselves.”
While the mobile feature was just launched in September, Frengillo is proud to share a success story: “Just this past week, we heard from a customer who had been using their Manager’s Red Book for several years and appreciated that content is being added to the app. Users can review it in real time and there’s this vehicle to provide feedback and communicate day to day,” he said. “They don’t always have time to meet with their teams, so this bridges the gap. We’re helping companies with their own organizational change management. We’re hearing most often from users that they love the app. It’s as simple as the paper-based one, adding value and improving feedback with their teams in short amount of time. Over 60% of our business is based on referrals from previous users, and I think that speaks volumes about our commitment to the market all these years.”