Four Seasons Hotel - Beirut
Book4time helped Four Seasons revolutionize their spa booking business and increase staff productivity, to create a personalized memorable guest experience.
The Challenge
- Lack of time to manage processes & optimize revenue
- No online booking
- Resistance to change
The Approach
- Spa Management System
- Comprehensive reporting dashboard
- Effective customer training & support
The Results
- Increase in staff efficiency
- Improved revenue optimization
- Higher level of personalized, memorable guest experience
Minimum Happiness is Not Enough
“My everyday work in hospitality contains wild variations,” says Charbel Watfa, the Spa Manager at Four Seasons Beirut. “Each day brings challenges that require quick thinking and new approaches. My job as a manager is to focus on three things: people, product, and revenue. I have to manage the people who report to me, and satisfy our clients to assure repeat visits. That requires a lot of problem solving, relationship building, and creative negotiations.”
Four Seasons was looking for a spa management system that would make running the business more manageable and free up time and energy to focus on the customer.
Upgrading to Book4Time
When the time came to upgrade to Book4Time, Watfa says not everyone was on board with the switch from their previous software system: “Our corporate offices were pushing us to change to a more comprehensive application. Some of our other spa locations were already using Book4Time, and they sang its praises.” But there was resistance. “People at every level of the spa organization needed to understand how this change improved our operations. Getting people on board meant demonstrating that the change would be beneficial.”
He adds, “Change is always difficult. The truth is, moving to new software can be one of the hardest things for any organization.”
Fortunately, Book4ime made the switch as easy as possible. Watfa says, “The best part of the process was that Book4Time staff were with us every step of the process. They were more than willing to provide time and resources to help us generate staff buy-in and understanding. They provided patient and effective training, answered our questions, and listened to our feedback. By the time we went live with the new software, everything was ready to run smoothly.”
“Change is always difficult. The truth is, moving to new software can be one of the hardest things for any organization. The best part of the process was that Book4Time staff were with us every step of the process.”
Charbel Watfa
Spa Manager
Operational Improvements with Book4Time
Once the software was installed, Watfa says, “There were a couple of areas where we saw big improvements with Book4Time.” Previously, Four Seasons Beirut had not offered online booking. Watfa knew that adding this function would be a major benefit, but there were other improvements he didn’t expect.
“We didn’t anticipate the powerful benefit of using automated customer contact emails. Unlike previous spa software, Book4Time now automatically generates reminder emails to customers prior to appointments. Following the sessions, customers also received emails thanking them for visiting our establishment. We did not realize in advance the number of customers that would use the second email as a way to provide feedback on their spa experience. As anyone in hospitality knows, unsolicited positive or constructive feedback is worth its weight in gold.”
Watfa gives the example of a customer who used the thank-you email to compliment a receptionist that the person felt had gone above and beyond to make them feel at home. “When we shared this feedback with our receptionist, she became motivated to provide such personal attention to every guest. Under our old software application, that customer’s experience would have gone unshared.”
Watfa also lists Book4Time’s reporting dashboard and “the vast variety of possible reports” as “perhaps the most powerful function of Book4Time.”
He explains, “Previously, I had to use Excel to create the kind of analysis tools that any manager needs to understand their operation. Book4Time provided all these tools and more. Suddenly, I had complete control over inventory flow and product operations. Combined with the above-mentioned customer interaction improvements, I was finally able to practice revenue optimization by focusing on people and products.”
Additionally, he says, the fact that Book4Time also provides reporting tools for people outside of managerial roles alleviates the difficulty of attempting to communicate statistical information to staff. “For the first time, everyone in the organization was able to access easy-to-understand reports that connected what they do every day to the organization’s success. That became a wonderful instrument for leadership development.”
The Future is Focusing on What Matters
“I guess we just didn’t know what possibilities existed out there,” says Watfa of life before Book4Time. “By switching to Book4time, we found a software partner that helped us to elevate our spa to new heights”
He explains, “Our staff feels more connected to the customer experience, and they better understand their role in our organization. Best of all, our customers benefit from our revived commitment to providing the best possible services by forging relationships with those we serve.
“Staff satisfaction matters because our staff is the main difference between our spa and every other provider. Happy customers matter because they become repeat customers who talk about their experience. Revenue enhancement matters because it keeps employees working and shareholders happy. In a world that can be frantic, it’s nice to bring some simplicity to our lives, so we can bring that to our guests’ lives.”
“By switching to Book4time, we found a software partner that helped us to elevate our spa to new heights.”
Charbel Watfa
Spa Manager
