What do you get when you mix together the iPad with forward-thinking businesses and a vibrant developer community? You get some amazing applications of the iPad. There is a lot of talk out there about the usefulness of the iPad for business. We all know it’s a great device for email and Internet and games, but how is it actually being used in real business scenarios? Here is one way it is being used at the Hyatt Hotel. How can you apply this to your business?
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
- Founded in 1957
- 445 hotels in 45 countries
- More than 80,000 associates
- Eight brands including Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, and Andaz
The Hyatt Hotels & Resorts have always aimed to make guests feel welcome and provide them with great amenities. The iPad is having quite a dramatic effect on their business as they use it to extend a great customer experience and a great executive experience as well. For the executives, the iPad is becoming a part of their daily lives. They use it for meetings, notes, reading, and email.
“I don’t carry my diary anymore,” adds Harmit Singh, Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer. “I don’t carry a calculator. I used to subscribe to all the journals: the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times. That’s all disappeared. It’s all on iPad.”
An Executive Experience
Moving from the hands of the executives, the iPad is being tested with other employees as well. They are testing it out by enhancing everything from registration to in-room services. In fact, when guests walk into Hyatt’s boutique-style Andaz hotels, they are greeted by hotel staff with iPads who can swipe their credit card, capture their signature, and check them into the hotel.
The IT Staff at Hyatt is also developing iPad-accessible apps that allow guests to order room service, view amenities, review charges, and check out. The goal here is to allow guests to interact with the hotel right on their own iPad’s from anywhere they are.
Mobile Guest Services
Because of the portability, large screen and long battery life of the iPad, it is suited very well for the 24/7 hotel industry. Hospitality is a round-the-clock business and they need a device which can stand up to that. If each of the staff at the Hotel have an iPad, they can perform services for the guests no matter where they are. This means the guests no longer have to find the services. The services come to the guests.
For the concierge staff it makes perfect sense. They are able to show guests how to get to restaurants, places of interest, theaters or even the capabilities of the hotel. If guests want to see what the spa or gym or golf course looks like, the concierge can show them right on the iPad.
For the sales staff, the iPad is definitely having an impact. Instead of carrying around bulky portfolios, they can show potential clients crisp and clear digital images with portable brochures right on the iPad. They can also show videos for a more rich media experience. Something you just can’t get with a glossy brochure.
Security
When it comes to the IT staff, security is a huge concern. Supporting the iPad for them has been a very straightforward process requiring no formal user training (and that’s a great thing for tight budgets). They are able to use the same infrastructure and messaging platform Hyatt already had established for the iPhone.
“We use Lotus Traveler as the core platform to integrate with our messaging collaboration system, Lotus Notes — and users have full access to our VPN infrastructure,” says Prusnick. “Through the Exchange ActiveSync technology enabled within iPad, we’re able to get instant synchronization of mail, contacts, and calendars without any IT involvement.”
Once the iPad’s are configured for their environment they use apps such as Keynote, Documents To Go, and Dropbox. These are great business apps that keeps everyone connected and productive. More apps are being explored and they are also doing some in-house development of custom apps that will allow them to deliver an even better customer experience.
Business Impact
Your business can use the iPad for more than just email or Internet. Even without custom development it is possible to provide a better customer experience that you would otherwise. For business use, you don’t need to invest in the top of the line iPad as the $499 one will work just fine. Offering up a better customer experience means those customers not only return but they tell others about it.
No matter what business you are in, how can you use the iPad to provide a better customer experience? Could your staff use it to provide better services? Could you use it to be more productive?
Hat tip to Apple for this great business profile.
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