A new mobile app has been developed that addresses F&B Managers needs for simplified minibar and in-room amenities management. ABreez by Mobile Simple is hospitality’s first cloud-based, mobile Managed Minibar that directly posts consumptions to the guest folio via a PMS interface. Employee tasks are simplified and optimized. Operational and financial reports are easily consolidated and always available, giving managers full visibility of all activities.
Last month ABreez was recognized as one of the “Best Technology Innovations” in 2014 by Equip’Hotel Paris (taking second place in the prestigious Equip’ Innovations Award program in the Technology category out of more than 200 submissions).
“Since the debut of ABreez at HITEC, and with the recent acclaim that ABreez achieved in Paris, hoteliers in general — and F&B directors in particular — want to know more about the ‘Managed Minibar’ concept,” said Christelle Pigeat, Mobile Simple CEO. “Until now, hoteliers had only two options to choose from: Manual Minibars or Door Detection/Automatic Minibars. Today, the ABreez Managed Minibar is THE new alternative — and it’s one that is user friendly and far more financially attractive.
“At first, hoteliers questioned how a minibar management solution that doesn’t contain any sensors can streamline workflow,” she said. “By leveraging new technologies, such as mobility and cloud, we automate the processes. Once hoteliers experience the solution and see a live demo, they understand the immediate value in having a ‘Managed Minibar.’. With ABreez, we deliver departure data and real time room status, productivity and financial reports, inventory updates and more via any mobile device. By having staff do the postings via mobile app, and not the guests triggering charges when a product is removed, we highly reduce guest complaints related to overbilling errors. The response we get from 100% of F&B managers is ‘Thank you! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.'”
ABreez by Mobile Simple is enabling F&B teams to:
- Optimize the refill work flow
- Direct post charges to PMS Guest folio
- Get real time room status update
- Perform offering change
- Track expiration date easily
- Ease the back charge process
- Ensure staff security
- Access real time financial data
- Multiple inventory locations management
- Reduce printing paper
To better explain the ABreez solution, Mobile Simple has identified the most frequently-asked questions and is providing responses to help operators quickly understand that by simply adding ABreez, their manual operations can become managed in the cloud in minutes.
Mobile Simple answers most frequently asked questions
Q: What are the benefits of running my minibar operations in the cloud?
A: Using mobile technology and the cloud, ABreez simplifies the minibar inventory/restocking process, captures revenues, increases guest satisfaction and improves staff performance. Because the solution is managed above property, there is no onsite installation. This means hoteliers can avoid the high cost of implementing premise-based applications. Costs are predictable because set fees per room per month are established in advance. With no need to buy, build, and maintain an IT infrastructure to support the technology, it facilitates immediate deployment; hoteliers simply access it via the Internet. Plus, our online training sessions drive rapid adoption and high ROI value. Brand running a multi-property operation can now consolidate data per flag or region, giving full visibility in real time of not just one property but the entire enterprise.
Q: How does ABreez increase Guest satisfaction?
A: ABreez aids in guest satisfaction in four main ways: 1) It reduces guest complaints by reducing risk of billing errors. With ABreez, billing is controlled by the minibar attendant versus the automatic minibar where charges are initiated by guest-triggered sensors. The system is designed to better control guests’ actual consumptions and reduce complaints related to overbilling errors. 2) It monitors in-room product shelf life. By identifying low rotation products, the system will flag those potentially close to expiration date. Guests are ensured to always have a fresh offering in their room. 3) It facilitates the delivery of special requests via a notes feature to ensure that guests get what they want in a timely fashion. This enables hoteliers to meet customer expectations.. 4) It improves the level of service by sending service requests via mobile device to the relevant department, such as maintenance, housekeeping, concierge etc. Speed of service is key to customer happiness.
Q: How can I improve my minibar operations with ABreez?
A: Each minibar attendant receives their own room listing on the mobile device. Each room listing automatically refreshes at every check-in/out processed by the front desk receptionists. It’s dynamic. In addition, ABreez contains an Intelligent Room Dispatch feature that assigns in real time a room listing to minibar attendants based on pre-set rules defined by the supervisor. Due to those pre-set rules, minibar attendants will only check a pool of rooms which highly improves the productivity. Re-keying charges between systems is eliminated.
Q: How does ABreez increase revenue and reduce losses such as product wasted?
A: First, via an interface to the hotel’s PMS, consumptions are sent directly to the guests’ folio in real time, making revenue capture instantaneous. Second, by monitoring product shelf life, hoteliers have a better idea of each item’s expiration date and items that are past their prime can be discarded. Third, by optimizing the late-charge process, we are providing hoteliers a more efficient way to bill the guest post departure.
Q: How can I maximize my profits with ABreez?
A: ABreez provides consolidated detailed financial and operational reports that can be easily accessed by any department with adequate credentials. ABreez identifies which products are selling the best and enables management to stock items that correspond best with guest’s expectations. ABreez also gives hoteliers the ability to manage easily a product offering change by listing the products to be taken out and/or added. With ABreez, you can easily adjust your product offering and your pricing policy.
Q: How quickly can I have ABreez up and running?
A: With ABreez, hotels receive immediate deployment, speed and flexibility in a highly secured environment. Once signed up, we can have a property’s minibar department up and running within 24 hours. There is no need to buy, build, and maintain an IT infrastructure to support ABreez. Hoteliers simply access it online. ABreez frees hoteliers from the confines of expensive and sophisticated in-room hardware, as the mobile application works with all types of fridges and snack trays.
Q: Does ABreez provide inventory management?
A: Yes, in two ways: 1) In-room inventory: ABreez monitors in-room inventory of all hotel rooms. 2) Out-of room inventory: ABreez manages multiple inventory locations for all minibar products. The system will automatically send alerts whenever product inventory is below PAR level.
Q: Do I still need to print refill reports?
A: No. Because ABreez is a mobile app, it eliminates the need for hoteliers to print refill reports; it also reduces or eliminates costs associated with purchasing and printing paper reports. Operating the minibar department digitally in the cloud gives hoteliers another sustainable service to promote to its environmentally conscious guests.
Q: Can ABreez work in any country?
A: Absolutely. ABreez is a multiple language mobile app. that can work in any country. Hoteliers simply need an Internet connection. The mobile app is available from the app store. Simply search for ABreez in the app store, download the app, insert the username and password provided by your system administrator, and you’re good to go. As long as there is an Internet connection, the ABreez back-end is accessible from any web browser.
