eugene - RoomOrders

Tourism and investment ace Vandjelic to lead RoomOrders expansion

Damir Vandjelic dives into new challenge supporting global start-up RoomOrders

DELAWARE, United States_ Highly accomplished manager Damir Vandjelic, who previously presided over an HRK 8 billion tourism portfolio, has been appointed CEO of RoomOrders Global, bolstering the start-up’s international expansion.

Vandjelic, who has held executive positions in leading companies like Pliva, Interbrew, Croatia osiguranje and INA, notably headed capital investment in tobacco, tourism and fish-farming giant Adris Group.

Vandjelic, who will focus on strategic expansion across European resorts and raising capital, will join RoomOrders Inc. CEO Eugene Brcic Jones, who will focus on the group’s marketing and PR from its US headquarters.

“Mr Vandjelic is among Croatia’s most capable business leaders today and his understanding of the hotels and resorts sector in Croatia, as well as Europe, is very impressive,” said Brcic Jones. “I look forward to working with Damir and synergising with our internationals operations.”

“This is a major coup for RoomOrders,” said RoomOrders Inc. founder and Chairman Viktor Matic. “There is a long list of strong corporations pursuing Mr. Vandjelic as well as political parties, who see him as a candidate for Croatia’s highest offices.”

“Luckily Mr. Vandjelic is eager to share his vast experience in the start-up sector and is able to juggle RoomOrders with his other engagements,” Matic said.

Matic revealed that Vandjelic has already dabbled in several start-ups and hopes his experience and relations will elevate RoomOrders as it enters a period of accelerated growth.

RoomOrders is a cloud self-serve platform that allows guests contactless ordering and payment of food and beverages in hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafes; whether they are in lobbies, rooftops, or poolside and beachside deckchairs, using their own smart devices.

RoomOrders is used in about 300 venues across the world, including leading hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Accor.

Vandjelic most recently held the position of Chairman-Supervisory Board at INA-Industrija nafte dd and Chairman-Supervisory Board of Cromaris dd. He was also on the board of Croatia osiguranje dd and Member-Management Board at Adris Grupa dd and Member of Adria Resorts doo. In his past career, Vandjelic was Chairman-Management Board at Croatia osiguranje dd. and also president of Council of HANFA, a financial regulator in Croatia. Vandjelic received an MBA in economics from The University of Liverpool.

“I am glad to be joining this exciting group of local entrepreneurs, who have already positioned their brand internationally as a leader in the hospitality industry,” Vandjelic said.

“Mobile ordering and payments is a trending sector and I hope to put RoomOrders in good stead when it becomes a booming sector very soon.”

“There is strong potential across Adriatic beaches, particularly camping sites and resorts, which can easily be replicated globally,” Vandjelic said.

The corona virus has had a major impact on hospitality providers, with many forced to close completely in nationwide lockdowns over the past two years. However, many surveys indicate that one of the first things people want to do emerging from the forced seclusion is to go and dine with friends.

Hoteliers have resisted digitalisation fearing it would remove a key ingredient of hospitality – ‘human touch.’

However, low-touch technology is now not only becoming an interesting idea, but a necessity.

—————–

RoomOrders Global is a part of the RoomOrders Inc. group, providing a mobile ordering and payments solution for hospitality, particularly hotels and resorts. RoomOrders is used in some 300 leading venues across the world, from New York, Barcelona to Sydney.

For more information visit www.roomorders.com or contact Eugene Brcic Jones on 385-95-777-8743.

Visit our video for a quick introduction to RoomOrders se our RoomOrders-Croatian or RoomOrders-English video clips.

28 FebRiva Jolene

3 Tech Trends in Mobile Ordering for Hotels

Will mobile ordering improve guest experience in hotels?

Written exclusively for RoomOrders by Riva Jolene

Mobile ordering has been a mainstay in the digital space for a few years now, especially as more and more businesses are shifting to online retail. This is essentially the process where businesses use an app or third-party system to receive orders from customers. Clients can then choose to pick up their meal or have it delivered to their location. Mobile ordering has also been used by customers to purchase different location-based services.

During the pandemic, more people turned to mobile ordering, as explained by Restaurant Business. It lessens the risk of contracting the virus and is more convenient. The rise in mobile ordering has greatly changed the hospitality industry too. RoomOrders CEO Eugene Jones explained that “Many hotels fear that technology will eliminate true hospitality and warm customer service, but our experience shows that this isn’t necessarily the case.” Instead of disrupting the hospitality industry, mobile ordering has further developed and enhanced its practices. Here are a few trends mobile ordering has improved:

The service industry has become a tech-first sector

In our past article on ‘The Rise of Mobile Ordering’, it was mentioned that over 80% of people use food delivery apps, with 60% of them ordering at least once per week. This has become the norm ever since the pandemic started. Without the technology, the food sector would have taken a nosedive due to lockdown restrictions. This has led hospitality industry operations to adopt a tech-first approach.

Some companies, like McDonald’s and Starbucks, have even invested in creating their own user-friendly software. These applications typically contain a menu or pricelist which customers can use as a reference or to place orders. Some may also serve as a loyalty program membership where users are rewarded with points for every purchase made through the app. Many companies have also added a bot that can immediately answer a client’s questions. Maryville University highlights how instant customer service has become a key part of digital services in the age of social media. By offering instant access to make inquiries, companies that use mobile ordering can get ahead of any complaints or issues. The popularity of mobile ordering applications will continue to push organizations to utilize this software to grow their operations and clientele.

Mobile ordering revolutionized hospitality marketing strategies

Mobile ordering has generated a new way for members of the hospitality industry to market their products and services. While many platforms work with numerous establishments, companies are made to think outside of the box to bring in new customers.

If a product or service is only the lower spectrum in terms of price, companies can use mobile ordering platforms to highlight that it is a good deal. They can also easily reach a wider market using these applications as they are utilized by many people. Aside from this, with just a simple click from their fingers, they can avail of the product or service they want which is where convenience and accessibility factor in. Mobile ordering platforms allow for greater visibility and aid in bringing better brand awareness to the companies using them.

Companies have more data-drive efforts

While businesses could keep track of their audience in the past, mobile ordering has made data collecting easier and more efficient. Instead of having to manually research customer habits and needs, these applications create an electronic database that can then be analyzed by a company’s team.

Mobile ordering platforms like RoomOrders collect specific information from guests. Establishments can use this data for a multitude of things. Investopedia explains that data analytics helps companies study their client’s behaviors and preferences. Companies will be able to know which product or service is more appealing, what kind of people they are servicing, and which overall business practices are working for them. Mobile ordering can give establishments information to predict what customers want from them and how they can improve their operations. The analytics they receive will also be automated, erasing the need to manually look over all the data.

Mobile ordering is changing the way the hospitality industry functions. It is making needed improvements and advances to cater to the current needs of customers. These are just a few of the recent trends they have given as these platforms rise in popularity.

07 FebCampbell BlackRoomOrders

Key challenge for hotels and resorts in 2022: Staffing and Touchless Tech

Staffing and mobile ordering/ payments solutions vital in 2022, says global hotel expert

Campbell Black is a 40-year international hotelier, working across USA, Europe and the Middle East in individual and multi-unit locations as a General Manager. He has also held operational roles as Regional VP and Regional Director roles in Europe and the USA.

He has a strong track record as a results- driven leader identifying and implementing key growth opportunities and improved performance.

Campbell, you’ve had an illustrious and remarkably loyal career, starting with IHG and you never looked back. Tell us how it all began?

I am Australian and graduated from the Ryde School of Hotel Administration in Sydney (now TAFE). I decided to travel upon graduation and landed in New York City, USA. I was able to work and joined InterContinental Hotels Corporation in NYC and over time, hard work, great mentors and various operational promotions moved to Muscat InterContinental, Sultanate of Oman. I then was promoted and transferred to London to the Britannia InterContinental, then the MayFair InterContinental and then my first General Manager role at the Portman InterContinental London. I was then transferred to Edinburgh, Scotland to the George InterContinental. After three years I was then transferred and promoted to Regional Vice President Eastern Mediterranean at the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens, Greece. This role included GM of the hotel as well as regional operations oversight of IHG managed hotels in Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Kazakstan. I then moved to Los Angeles to oversee managed InterContinental Hotels and Crowne Plaza Hotels for the Western USA which included San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Irvine, Pleasanton, Palo Alto, LAX, Houston,
Dallas and New Orleans. During this assignment I moved to San Francisco and oversaw the Mark Hopkins InterContiental San Francisco and the Western USA region. I then moved to Cleveland Ohio and was Regional Director for Mid West and Canada with operations oversight for three hotels at the world famous Cleveland Clinic campus, Chicago, Toronto and Montreal across multi IHG brands.

What would you say were your biggest highlights and toughest periods managing key hotels at such a high level?

Highlights and toughest periods are commingled. The Covid-19 pandemic was a dramatic accelerator of a very tough period for the hospitality and travel sector and that dark period has opened the need for different ways to operate, serve and run the business.

Travel globally and living in many interesting, diverse and developing locations I think has been a highlight. Seeing young, energetic and eager colleagues grow and achieve great success both in their own country and internationally is very gratifying and supportive to me. I still keep in contact no matter where they are on the planet and what they are doing.

What are some challenges you overcame and what made the difference in your eyes?

I could not have done all the things I have if it were not for mentors around me (both close and distant in location). Equally so I tend to look at many things as a team effort and to ensure you surround yourself with great talent. Having local knowledge and local history (understanding) always helped to forge a path forward as it is important to understand how you got to the current situation and moment.

And now after 40 years later, you are returning your knowledge and insight to the industry as an Advisor to the Board of RoomOrders. What drew you to RoomOrders?

I am always looking for new innovations that create a win for operators; a win for customers; and a win for ownership and RoomOrders filled that criteria. Technology in the hospitality sector must be utilized to provide a seamless experience for each stakeholder. Our industry is always in some kind of change process and over the past few years there has been much upheaval in serving the customer in an efficient (cost and service efficiency), safe, functional, accurate and sustainable manner. New doors are being opened for long term change and RoomOrders deliver that opportunity.

It’s impossible to talk about hospitality without special attention to the pandemic. What do you think is the toughest part about Covid for the sector?

Clearly the worst part of Covid pandemic is to see our industry initially collapse under the weight of lockdowns, restrictions and an immediate crisis with no clear end. To see so many colleagues at all levels go through shortened work weeks and hours, layoffs and business closure was horrible.

The other thing I notice, and many have seen, has been the change in some customers unforgiving, rude and threatening. No place for this kind of behavior that is shown and in some cases now being shown by children who see this from adults.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel, some see bright signs of recovery already this year?

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! There is light as we move forward, no matter at what speed. This crisis has bred new innovation and ways to operate at all levels. We must embrace these new ways of working, ideas, technology and processes and not go back to previous ways.

What do you think will be the key to a revival?

The move from pandemic crisis, likely, to an endemic existence is a pathway to something close to normalcy.

Listen to the science; use common sense; and keep informed as to what is going on.

As a result I encourage embracing change in the ways of working, use technology to help the process and think of ensuring a win for operators, a win for customers, and a win for owners.

How important is technology to the recovery and in general to the future of hospitality?

I believe technology is the cornerstone and the enabler for the future of hospitality. We are doing things differently now and will not go back to old ways. RoomOrders is a smart way to view the Food and Beverage business in hospitality-hotels, restaurants, clubs, resorts, conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs and more. It addresses the severe shortage of staffing numbers in hospitality and creates an efficient, easy, user friendly process to review menus and offerings, place orders, receive and pay for product and service. It is efficient and easy to install, train staff and operate and is extremely cost effective.

Lastly, what is your forecast for the 2022 season?

2022 will be better than ’21 and better than ’20 as the variants and spikes from variants become more understood and treated.

Hospitality in general will continue to improve in demand for all segment over time. It will take longer for meetings, conferences and trade shows to come back. Individual and leisure will continue to improve and business travel will come back slowly and with reduced frequency and numbers.

The biggest challenge will be in staffing and availability of staff.

The will to serve and delight the customer is there and will result in changes in technology, processes and thinking by operators, customers and owners. RoomOrders support these changes in an efficient and cost effective manner.

08 NovJean Baptiste Pigeon

Surviving the Big Labor Crunch!

Reinventing hospitality amid huge staff shortages

Jean Baptiste Pigeon – Longtime General Manager of IHG hotels

By Jean Baptiste Pigeon

Whoever has travelled recently would have noticed that the hospitality sector has taken a monster punch.

The pandemic has knocked out too many vital protagonists, leaving the industry hamstrung for labor. There are simply not enough people. In many countries, hotels and restaurants have completely reopened but with limited service and elongatated wait times. RoomOrders is seeing restaurants filled with empty tables and only two servers trying to keep up with immense demand.

During summer, frustration was painfully visible on the faces of guests at sprawling resorts, desperate to flag down a waiters that were as rare as humpback whales in the Adriatic Sea.

But what I find more alarming is what we are seeing happen during the recovery phase. A recent Bloomberg poll conducted on 13,000 job seekers, indicated more than half of U.S. hospitality workers said they wouldn’t go back to their jobs, while over a third said they aren’t even considering reentering the industry. They cited low pay, workloads and unappreciation as key factors for what is now being called the Great Resignation.

As an advisor for RoomOrders, I think we are watching a paradigm shift in the hospitality industry. Some things will never return to normal.

Here are some of my observations:

1. Guests: I think that hotel and resort guests have been through a lot and they will be seeking a special kind of comfort from hospitality providers. The Covid-19 pandemic has left many without jobs, buyers or workers and they know that spending money is what makes the world go around, so this time they want to see exceptional value behind their consumption. This will be tricky, as they will crave reassurance about their safety, yet at the same time demand low contact with staff or other guests.
The perceived value of their hard-earned cash has increased coming out of the pandemic, and they will not accept mediocrity, nor risks.

2. Hospitality staff: A lot of hospitality workers feel like they have been used and dispensed of without slightest consideration. Many were students or foreigners and had no choice but to return home. They lost their only source of income and having no welfare to fall back on like local staff, they had no choice but to abandon careers that were cut short before they even got off the ground. With the global tourism sector growing rapidly, it was natural for starters to climb the ladder from servants to managers at a reasonable pace, the pay-sacrifice totally commensurate with the short wait to an elevated status, with training and a title to boot. Understandable, with the industry still in tatters, returning to low pay and low status on indefinite timeline is hardly an attractive career choice.

And here we are, hospitality is desperate for workers, while workers have gone on to pursue other professions.
Now the industry is scrambling — scrambling for people and scrambling to give guests a better experience than before.

Could there be a more appropriate time for disruption? The hospitality industry is one of the slowest to adapt – hotels are probably the last refuge of fixed phones in any business? Everybody is ready to throw out the old and bring in the new. It’s time to revolutionize the way hotels and resorts operate, the industry needs to digitize in a way to assuage the labor shortage, while at the same time increase guest experience.
There needs to be a solution that uses technology to boost satisfaction.

How can a smaller workforce provide improved experience?
I think the hospitality sector should follow the RoomOrders playbook.

RoomOrders digitizes hotel and resort operations, particularly fod and beverages, where most staff is required. From procuring to cooking, preparing, waiting and serving. Whether it be in rooms or suites, apartments or camping bungalows, or poolsides, beachfronts, rooftops and golf tees, RoomOrders offers self-service via guest smart phone devices.
Customers have grown to expect on-demand service. Weaned on Amazon, Uber, Netflix and other instant services, particularly during the pandemic, consumers have become accustomed to ordering anything and everything at their fingertips.

RoomOrders hops on this tidal wave, customizing the digital delivery service for hospitality, especially hotels and resorts.

Guests simply scan a QR code or tap an NFC tag to order and pay for goods and services. They no longer have to wave down waiters or line up in queues, adhering to distancing rules and requirements.

The industry needs to realign and restructure programs that are highly efficient and take a lot less people to execute.

Hospitalty needs to face up to the reality that many workers will never return and that they need to adapt their processes to the ‘new normal,’ of doing things with a labor light, low touch approach.
This will mean a change in hiring too. Hotels and restaurants will need to look for people with more passion and energy to interact in new ways with guests, as the simple tasks have been replaced by simple tech, rather than simple employees.

The hospitality industry can maintain sustainability by pushing forward with continued education, development and career growth to maximize potential and optimize output.
Maybe it is time to abandon the tipping culture, forever eliminating low paying jobs that depend on gratuities?

As pressure builds to reinvent the hospitality model, the time is now to rethink the entire physical hotel structure that has been the same for 50 years. The industry must redesign its structures in a way that creates experiential moments and drives guest engagement by incorporating more of a community aspect.
RoomOrders offers hotels and resorts add-on features to connect with their community of vendors. If a hotel does not have a restaurant, but is surrounded by a few eateries, it can easily integrate to expand food options to their guests. The relationship is a win-win-win for hotels, guests and local vendors.
Not only that, RoomOrders can connect hotels with other vendors, like leisure and experience – whether it be a health spa, excursion, tourist attraction, bike rental, ski tickets, golf course, or much more.

The industry must see this mass labor exodus as a time to start investing highly in the people who run it by cultivating passionate professionals through giving them unbelievable skillsets and the opportunity to make money and serve guests with pride.
The hospitality industry needs to alter the mindset of how it works, beginning from its core foundations.

30 AprRoomOrders

Has corona killed your waiter?

Has corona killed your waiter?

When the vax shores up our collective immunity, allowing the hospitality sector to truly fling open its doors to the world this summer (* looking up into the skies, please God), you will probably notice a 250-year-old mainstay of restaurant dining gone missing.

You may look around, and call out: Garçon!

And to no avail.

Nobody will be around to hear you.

Or serve you.

Just like clicking your fingers and voila!

The COVID-19 pandemic could well have killed your waiter – only figuratively speaking, I hope of course – and replaced them with your phone (most probably already powered by 5G).

Disposed of contaminated paper menus, like rubbing a genie bottle or clicking your fingers, you will simply scan a QR code, or tap an NFC tag, and order what you wish. And it will appear out of thin air: voilà!

It won’t matter where you are; in a hotel room, a rooftop bar, pool or beachside deckchair, a golf course or casino, your food or drink will find you. It’s likely that the genie will be in the form of a drone.

From the first day a French proprietor of a humble soup shop invented the menu in the early 1800s, waiters have been at our beck and call, greeting us upon arrival, recommending dishes, taking and delivering our orders, filling our drinks, clearing our tables, processing our checks…

They have survived all manner of automation, including vending machines, self-service canteens, walk-through cafeterias, BYO, take-away trucks, hotel smorgasbords, bicycle deliveries and teppanyaki as well as sushi trains.

Video killed the radio star and it seems digital is killing our waiters.

But is it really? And if so, how? Or why?

While I don’t think waiters are on the verge of extinction, I’m sure their numbers will dwindle considerably in the next five years. At the end of the day, waiters cost a lot to keep and hospitality is exiting its biggest ever crisis in history since World War II.

Rather than serve, waiters that endure will probably become more like exotic, endangered creatures. They will primarily welcome or entertain – in some way or another, they will be tasked to improve the guest or customer experience.

A niche audience may pine for the past, when hospitality was a comfort, when it had a human touch.

I blame Netflix.

Everything has become on-demand.

While we grew up hanging on suspense, prolonging our desires for almost everything, like a letter in the mail or our favourite TV show every Sunday afternoon, the new generation wants everything now!

Waiters, err sorry, I mean waiting. Waiting is for losers.

Yes, waiting. Not waiters.

26 AprRoomOrders

We care about guest experience. Yeah, but really?

Every hotel and resort decision-maker would tell you that the most important thing in hospitality is guest experience. Yeah, but do they really think that?

Trying to run the show at RoomOrders – a guest self-service ordering and payment solution, this question has often kept me up at night.

RoomOrders is used in over 200 leading hotel brands around the world, so you can imagine I’ve gotten to know a lot of hotel owners, GMs, operations, food and beverage and IT managers. RoomOrders is also used in a lot of restaurants and bars, including chains like Burger King, so the notion I get is the same for hospitality at large.

On the other hand, I am also a glutton. I love to indulge in hotels and eat out every chance I get. So I pretty much have a good handle on what guests want too.

Honestly, I think hospitality providers do really think guest experience is foremost. The only problem is that they seem to have lost touch with what today’s guest considers a truly good experience.

Sure, contactless ordering and payment is no longer just a craze, it’s a necessity – ‘the new norm.’ And sure, everyone in hospitality is keen to digitalise, or as we like to say, bring hospitality into the new Low-Touch Economy.

Hospitality providers know this. Guests know this. Everyone knows this. And for those who don’t, the corona virus has hammered the message home loud and clear.

So what’s the catch?

The catch is that they don’t get what constitutes a great touchless experience?

It’s hard to blame hotel professionals, so many leading hospitality vendors find it easier to sell hotel-centric, rather than guest-centric solutions. Ironically, it’s the hotel-centric solutions that cost the big bucks.

A case in point, a sturdy POS system is expensive. It’s procured through arduous processes requiring negotiation and rubber stamping. And if you want to integrate cloud payment solutions for example, that would run up costs like licences, implementation, configuration, as well as staff training. But hey, this will ultimately save you cash; it should streamline operations and make management much easier.

Alternatively, you could just download an off-the-shelf solution and make life easier for the guest to order and pay on their own devices. They would even receive receipts in the mail.

It seems the secret is to strike the right balance. Not too clunky and fairly priced.

But, back to my thoughts. If guest experience is really paramount, what is the gold standard in guest experience?

I like to think that the best guest experience in the world would be something like sitting or lying down anywhere – a busy downtown restaurant, a remote sandy beach – and I could order whatever I conjured up, with just the click of my fingers. And voila! It would appear before my eyes, and I wouldn’t have to rummage through my pants or towel to find my wallet, to pay for it.

Ok, you are right, RoomOrders has not invented a genie in a bottle. But I think we’ve created the next best thing.

If you are a hospitality decision-maker, and you really care about guest experience, I would suggest you put yourself in the shoes of the guest yourself. The guest-centric solutions out there are low or even zero CAPEX. They do not disrupt usual operations, they do not require training and they vastly improve your business.

I won’t mention the bottom line. It’s astonishing what a difference digitalization makes to revenues, whether it be streamlined processes, easy monitoring, analytics and management or more than double the previous average check values.

All this sounds awesome, I know. But that’s so last year’s model for us at RoomOrders, we are not just digitalising operations for individual hospitality providers, we are already building digital ecosystems, interconnecting accommodation providers with entire communities of vendors, from food to leisure and experiences.

Imagine staying in a hotel or Airbnb in a foreign place and scanning a QR code that opens entire communities of local vendors at the touch of your phone. It doesn’t matter where you are, Brisbane, Boston or Barcelona, the same seamless guest experience – without downloading an app.

The trick is that people love technology. They just don’t love other people’s technology. They demand instant gratification and their preferred method is via their smart phone devices that they carry with them everywhere they go.

Did I mention busy downtown restaurants and remote sandy beaches?