“From the very first day, the workload was significantly lightened.”

Guest article Unisono Hospitality Management: How the operating model of individual hotels can be optimised with the help of Unisono Hospitality Management and how the on-site team can be relieved – an interview with the hotel director of the Hotel Caspar in Muri.

Mr. Bachofner, you have been the director of the Hotel Caspar in Muri since the 1st of July, 2023. When you took up this position, what were your greatest challenges?

The Hotel Caspar is a unique and lovingly designed combination of 50 rooms, two different F&B concepts and – with the “Caspar Wolf Saal” as the centrepiece – an infrastructure for events and banquets. My team and I are still working to tailor the individual components to the respective target groups and to win over the heterogeneous clientele.

The very first challenge I had to face, however, was that we simply couldn’t find reception staff. In times of need, people from other departments have stepped in – some with no real background knowledge. But it was mainly our service team that picked up the slack. In my search for a solution, I came across UNISONO Hospitality Management. They make it possible to outsource all the services that do not need to be done on site. Naturally, I was interested because of my emergency situation and the potential relief on the staff front.

What was the next thing you did when you discovered UNISONO?

I’m generally a sceptical person and I’m not a fan of delegation of responsibility. When I first met UNISONO, I understandably questioned everything to see if an internal solution wouldn’t be better. But in the end, the answers and the approach convinced me. In particular, there were three arguments that tipped the balance: It is not an off-the-shelf solution. It starts with an operational analysis, so that we can work together to tailor the processes and structures to the company’s needs. Then the customer is looked after professionally on behalf of Hotel Caspar and never notices that a service company is acting in between. The UNISONO team responsible for our hotel was personally on site and knows the business and its specifics and can provide information about them. This is an important point for me, because the contact with the guest has to be right, and in my opinion this cannot be done by a machine or an impersonal call centre. Thirdly, UNISONO works directly with our systems (PMS, etc.). We didn’t have to buy any extra software or invest in a new system.

And what is your front office looking like now – empty?

Our reception is not a traditional reception, it is designed as an extension of the bar. The idea is that it is integrated into the guest area. Since we switched to UNISONO, every member of staff can work the reception desk. This is very modern and in keeping with the spirit of the times. Most modern hotel concepts no longer have a dedicated contact point in the form of a reception desk. So it is always open and staffed when someone is working – at Caspar from 7am to 10pm. The few remaining tasks not covered by UNISONO are shared between service and administration staff. This means there is no unproductive idle time.

The Hotel Caspar in Muri has opted for a modern hotel concept without a traditional reception. The partnership with Unisono makes it possible!

How has the collaboration affected your business?

From day one, the relief was huge. Especially for the service staff, who had to take on more of the reception work – in addition to their core duties and often without the necessary specialist knowledge – which led to errors and created additional administrative work. We are also much more efficient in terms of administration, as we no longer have to deal with the countless phone calls and emails that used to take us away from our operational work. Because the collaboration with UNISONO in regard to their reservations services was so smooth and professional, we quickly decided to add the ‘Distribution’ and ‘Remote Reception’ modules. This has allowed us to eliminate frequent inadvertent errors and has also greatly reduced our administrative workload.

Have you not completely given up control?

UNISONO acts on behalf of Hotel Caspar and we have defined the processes and procedures together in advance. My staff and I work closely with them and act as a team. Changes to procedures are only made in consultation with me or a decision-maker I have designated. So no, quite the contrary, I have more control than before whilst working with the same systems and the same reporting. And because only hotel professionals work at UNISONO, we also get valuable, specialised and up-to-date input. With their vast experience and diverse customer base, they have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that benefits our hotel as well. It’s a win-win situation that is also very much a partnership. In addition, we retain important expertise and I am no longer dependent on fluctuations in the team.

Have you received any feedback from guests?

Yes, we have, and so far it has been positive. As the UNISONO team can concentrate on the customer without distractions, the quality of service has increased. We have also had guests who have brought a small gift to the reception desk because they were extremely satisfied with the exchange on the phone and wanted to thank the person they had spoken to. Furthermore, the communication between UNISONO and our team is always positive and very close. They are like an extension of the Hotel Caspar.

Are you planning any further steps?

I’m in the middle of a customer journey analysis. We are also reviewing our digital system landscape. There is still room for improvement, especially during the time when people are not working. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., we have now set up 24/7 1st level support from UNISONO. If a customer or guest has a problem during the night, they can reach a competent member of staff at any time who can provide information on all matters. Because UNISONO works on our systems, lost or damaged keycards can also be recreated – we have already given some guests back access to their rooms in this way. This approach has enabled us to minimise the number of on-site visits and the associated costs.

Doesn’t outsourcing involve additional costs?

From my point of view, one of the big advantages is that there was no need to adapt the system. So when I look at the savings in terms of staff and increased guest satisfaction as a result of outsourcing, the business case is absolutely there. My staff are happier, more balanced, more focused and therefore more efficient because we have reduced stress levels massively. We are completely focused on the well-being of our guests on site. As a result, we generate more revenue in all areas.

What would you recommend to your colleagues in the industry?

Every hotel is individual and therefore needs an individual approach. Whether all the modules, or the UNISONO model in general, make sense for every business is something that everyone has to find out for themselves. For us at Team Caspar, the UNISONO offering as a whole makes sense and takes the pressure off me, my staff and the business as a whole. We can focus on the essentials: putting the guest and their needs first. That’s what makes us happy and our service so successful.