Restaurant And Hospitality News – June 13, 2016
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In news this week, unprepared hospitality companies could lose millions due to inefficient lost item handling; Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out its On-The-Go ordering app nationwide; and Club Carlson ties rewards to TSA Precheck program to entice guests.
Technology underutilization Could Cost Hospitality Companies Up To $139 Million
According to a recent AAA survey, “more than one-third of Americans (35 percent) are planning to take a family vacation of 50 miles or more away from home involving two or more immediate family members in the next 12 months.” Chargerback, Inc., the developers of the nation’s leading lost and found software solutions, projected that over the Memorial Day Weekend at America’s airlines, hotels and amusement parks alone, 1,171,275 items with an average total value of $139,164,559 are expected to be lost. Of these, 19.5% will be electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, keys with electronic fobs, and cameras, with an estimated total value of $68,425,253.
Since the instance of lost items increases with each successive holiday, the issue of how companies handle lost items is crucial to its business. The influx of lost items creates an operational pull and force attention toward lost and found processes, and especially the technology they use to operate their lost and found departments. Companies unprepared operationally or lacking the proper technology can find themselves overwhelmed and at risk for loss of business.
According to an independent study commissioned by Chargerback and conducted by Wakefield research, 53 percent of travelers would switch brands to a competitor for their next trip if their lost item report was not handled effectively.
Dunkin’ Donuts Mobile Ordering And Payment App Goes Nationwide
Dunkin’ Donuts rolled out a new “On-the-Go Ordering” app nationwide that allows loyalty members to order and pay ahead and skip the lines for pickup of their items. The program was beta tested beginning last November, in Maine, Boston and the New York metropolitan area. The new app also is seen as a challenge to rival Starbucks, which rolled out its own mobile ordering and pay-ahead program last year across its 7,500 company-owned U.S. locations. As other competitors jump on the order and pay-ahead bandwagon – including Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A – it means that QSRs need to be savvy about the role their tech plays with potential and existing customers.
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc.’s chairman and CEO Nigel Travis called the rollout of the On-The-Go ordering “one of the most game-changing initiatives in company history, during the recent earnings report in April. He asserted, “Not only is it a way to drive membership to our loyalty program, but it is a clear demonstration of our commitment to enhancing convenience for our guests through technology-based initiatives,” Travis said.
Dunkin’ Donuts also plans to test curbside delivery in locations without drive-thrus, which includes approximately half of its U.S. locations, and it has been testing delivery in partnership with DoorDash. Ultimately, Travis explained, the company would like to link delivery and the On-The-Go app, which is “a step that we believe can be very powerful in providing our guests even greater ease of use and access to the Dunkin’ Donuts brand.”
TSA Precheck Is Redemption Option Of New Club Carlson Rewards Program
As hoteliers compete to attract guests, rewards programs become a valuable part of the process. Savvy travelers are constantly looking for new ways to save money and reap unique rewards. Now, Club Carlson has become the first hotel rewards program to offer TSA PreCheck as a redemption offer to its loyalty members. Beginning July 1, 2016 Club Carlson members can use their rewards points to receive an authorization code that can be used towards the $85 application fee for the TSA PreCheck status. The TSA PreCheck program provides expedited security screenings to travelers at airports in the U.S. for a five year period.
“It is exciting to be the first hotel rewards program to offer TSA PreCheck as a redemption option. As one of the most rewarding hotel loyalty programs, we pride ourselves on offering new and unique ways to redeem points,” said Alissa Montbriand, vice president, Global Integrated Marketing Communications, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. “This enhancement is also timely as summer travel ramps up and security lines at airports increase.”
The TSA PreCheck program means that passengers do not need to remove shoes, laptops, belts, light jackets, or their 3-1-1- liquids at the security checkpoint, making their screening process easier and less stressful. “Partnerships of this nature allow more travelers to experience the benefits of TSA Precheck while reducing checkpoint wait times,” said John Sammon, Chief Marketing Officer TSA.