PostcardInnontheBeachTowelTrackerdrasticallyreducestowelloss,simplifiestowelservice,andincreasesguesttouchpointsatretroboutiquehotelonFlorida’sGulfCoast.

PostcardInnontheBeachisa196roomboutiquehotellocatedinSt.PeteBeach,Florida.Ithasbeendescribedas“surfer-cool”(Travel+LeisureMagazine)and“seasidechic”(USAToday),witha“distincthipstersensibility”(CNNTravel)anda“casual,comeasyouarevibe”(CondeNasteTraveller).PostcardInn’samenitiesincludealargeoutdoorpoolandcourtyard,abeachfrontbarandgrill,indoorandoutdoormeetingandeventspace,andapowdersandbeachontheGulfofMexico.

ThePoolTowelSituationBeforeTowelTracker,poolattendantssignedouttowelstoguests.PostcardInn’sFrontOfficerManagerToddCasperexplained,“Wehadalogsheetwhereallofthetowelswereloggedout.Whenthetowelswerereturned,theywereallloggedbackin.Itwasverymuchapaperprocess,anditwaslaborintensive.Frontdeskemployeeswerealsoinvolvedincheckingouttowelswhenitwasslower.Thiswasn’tveryefficient,andwewerealwaysrunningoutoftowelsbecausemanypeoplethink,‘Hey,thesearegreattowels,theywouldlookniceinmybathroom,andatmypoolathome.’Soweweregoingthroughalotoftowelsthatweren’tgettingreturned.”

TheSolutionInautumn2018,aTowelTrackerwasinstalledonPostcardInn’spooldeck,whichsitsadjacenttothebeachandwaterfront.Itsbeach-themedwrapcomplementsthehotel’soveralldécor,andeasy-to-readsignsexplainexactlyhowtotakeandreturntowels,aswellasthefeeforunreturnedtowels.Caspercommented,“Sincewe’vehadTowelTracker,ourtowelthefthasdroppeddrastically.Wehaven’thadtoplaceanorderforreplacementtowels,becausethey’regettingreturned.”

AdditionalBenefits

•OnlyregisteredguestscanaccesspooltowelsPostcardInn’sbeachfrontbarandgrillisapopularhangoutforlocalresidentsandotherpeoplewhowalkinoffthebeach.BeforeTowelTracker,someofthesenon-guestsfoundawaytocheckoutandtakehomepooltowels.Casperexplained,“Theywouldstayhereonceandkeepakeycardaftertheycheckedout.Thentheywouldcomebackeveryweekend,showtheirkeycard,andtheywereabletogettowels.”WithTowelTracker,onlyregisteredguestscanaccesscleantowels.WhentheyscantheiractivekeycardsonTowelTracker’sRFIDreader,thetowelcabinetunlocks,andtheycanthentakeasmanytowelsastheyneed.Inactivekeycardscannotdothis.Thus,Casperobserved,“Thisproblemhasbeenvirtuallyeliminated.”

•Increasesguesttouchpoints“AnunexpectedbenefitofTowelTrackeristheopportunityitgivesyoutointeractwithguests,”statedCasper.“They’rejustkindofintriguedbyit.Theywillfrequentlystopyouandsay,‘Hey,howdoesthiswork?Isthismagic?’Ilovebeingabletotalktothemandexplainaboutthechipandhowitactuallyworks.It’skindofaconversationpiecewithguests.”

AdditionalBenefits(continued)

•ReducedandredirectedlaborhoursAccordingtoCasper,“TowelTrackerreduceslabor,becauseyoudon’thavetohavesomebodyoutatthepoolcheckingouttowels.WithTowelTracker,it’slikethere’salwayssomebodyhandingouttowels24/7.Ifthepool’sopen,TowelTracker’sopen,andthatmakesstaffingaloteasier.”Headded,“Itgivesouremployeesmoreofanopportunitytowalkaroundthepool,straightenupthechairs,cleanuptrash,andinteractwiththeguests—sotheycanactuallybemoreofapoolattendantinsteadofatowelattendant.”

•Simplifiespooltowelmanagement

BeforeTowelTracker,guestscheckedouttowelsbythepoolonbusydaysandatthefrontdeskonslowerdays.Asaresult,Casperstated,“Wehadtowelsgoingallovertheplace,tothefrontdesk,downtothepool,andbackandforthtohousekeeping.”Headded,“Whenapoolattendantwasn’tonduty,we’dputsignagebythepooltocometothefrontdesk.Butwiththedesignofourhotel,thepool’sononesideandthelobbyisonthefront.Sothey’dhavetogofromonesideofthehoteltotheothertogettowels.”

SinceTowelTrackerwasinstalled,towelsarealwaysconvenientlyavailableonthepooldeck,andoveralltowelmanagementhasbecomefarsimpler.“YougetatextalertwhenevertheTowelTrackereitherneedsmoretowelsorifthereturnbinisfull,”explainedCasper.“Anemployeewheelsthereturnbinrightintohousekeeping.Inhousekeeping,theywashthetowelsandhavethenextreturnbinorcleantowelrackreadytobringbacktotheTowelTracker.It’sanice,smoothprocess.”

•TurnkeytowelsolutionCaspercommented,“Iwassurprisedbyhoweasytheprocesswas,usingTowelTracker.Itjustreallymadethingssomucheasier.Onceyougetthatprocessdown,it’sverysimple,it’sjustanotherdayandonelessthingyouhavetoworryabout.Thedepartmentalmostmanagesitself.”

•Pooldeckstayscleaner“BeforeTowelTracker,wewouldseealotoftowelslyingaroundtheproperty,”statedCasper.“You’dhavebeachtowelsleftintheroomsandyou’dhavethemleftonthechairs,wherenow,veryrarelydoyouseethat.ThevastmajorityoftheguestswillreturnthemtotheTowelTrackerbecausetheydon’twanttopaythefee.”

SummaryAtPostcardInnontheBeach,TowelTrackerhasdrasticallyreducedtowelloss,preventsnon-guestsfromtakingpooltowels,ensurestowelsareavailable24/7rightbythepool,reducesandredirectslaborhours,increasesstaffinteractionwithguests,simplifiesoverallpooltowelmanagement,andreducestowelclutteraroundthepooldeck.FrontOfficeManagerToddCasperenthusiasticallystated,“Theguestsreallyloveit,andthestafflovesit.Everybodyjustlovesit.”

“Sincewe’vehadTowelTracker,ourtowelthefthasdroppeddrastically.Wehaven’thadtoplaceanorderforreplacementtowels,becausethey’regettingreturned.”ToddCasperFrontOfficeManagerPostcardInnontheBeach