Client Story: Tribal Casino Resort
Revolutionizing the Guest Experience: Director of Hotel Operations shares insights into overcoming the challenge of guests smoking in rooms.
Segment:
Casino Hotel
Location:
Southern California
Total Rooms:
200
Challenges
- Not aware of smoking incidents until after guests have left, leading to difficulties collecting smoking fees and increased chargeback disputes.
- Inconsistent reports of smoking, relying on Housekeeping’s discovery after check-out or occasional reports from neighboring guests or security staff.
- Extended room turnover times, as ozone machines process the room, leaving the evening shift to clean rooms. Severe cases may put rooms out of order for deep cleaning for up to 48 hours.
- Lost chargebacks persisted, despite having signed registration cards as proof of advising guests about the non-smoking policy, and photographic evidence.
Solutions
- FreshAir Monitoring precisely identifies the time and location of smoking incidents.
- FreshAir devices monitor each room for smoking around the clock, promptly detecting and discreetly alerting hotel staff to smoking activities.
- FreshAir Smoking Detection increases operational revenue through the collection of cleaning fees, coupled with reduced costs from deterred smoking.
- The FreshAir Smoking Detection system offers scientific evidence of smoking, enabling properties to confidently collect cleaning fees and successfully dispute chargebacks.
Results
- Tribal Casino successfully addresses smoking incidents in the moment, reducing conflicts.
- Tribal Casino consistently wins disputes, guests are less likely to fight a smoking charge when they learn about the use of FreshAir.
- FreshAir implementation led to increased revenue by capturing smoking fees with evidence, as well as savings on cleaning costs.
- Ease of use and monitoring, along with helpful training guides, facilitated a smooth rollout. The court document for disputes is invaluable to our accounting department.
“We have been very pleased with the ROI since we implemented FreshAir. We have seen a reduction in the cleaning process and increased revenue on capturing smoking fees on rooms that otherwise, we would not have been able to know had evidence of smoking.”
In-Depth Review
The Director of Hotel Operations at a prominent tribal casino hotel in Southern California encountered considerable negative impacts from guests smoking in rooms. Smoking incidents not only adversely affected the guest experience but also led to practical problems such as collecting cleaning fees and winning chargeback disputes.
“We faced significant challenges with guest smoking violations, including a lack of awareness about the incidents until after check-out and the subsequent loss of chargeback disputes for smoking fees.” she explained.
The property often relied on post check-out discoveries of smoking evidence from housekeeping and security staff. Occasionally, neighboring guests reported smoking. Both scenarios led to delayed responses, prolonged room turnover times, and, in severe cases, rooms being out of order for extended periods due to deep cleaning.
“Rooms took longer to turnover for the next guest as the morning shift would be focused on allowing the ozone machine to process the room, leaving the evening shift to clean the room as a last-sell room. If the case was severe enough, we would need to put the room out of order for 24-48 hours to deep clean,” the Director of Hotel Operations elaborated.
The tribal casino turned to FreshAir Sensor to tackle smoking in their guest rooms. The impact has been transformative.
“We have been very pleased with the ROI since we implemented FreshAir,” the Director of Operations shared. “We’ve seen a reduction in the cleaning process and increased revenue from capturing smoking fees on rooms that otherwise, we would not have been able to know had evidence of smoking.”
The FreshAir Smoking Detection system is a proactive technology solution that maximizes revenue by detecting smoking, whether tobacco or marijuana, around the clock. It sends discreet alerts to the casino hotel’s staff immediately upon detection.
With FreshAir Smoking Alerts providing scientific proof of smoking incidents, staff not only catch guests smoking, but also win chargebacks and experience fewer disputes as guests realize they cannot evade detection.
This property’s satisfaction with FreshAir goes beyond its tangible benefits. They wholeheartedly recommend the company to their colleagues, emphasizing the intuitive interface, helpful training guides, and the crucial court documents and case studies backing up FreshAir’s scientific proof.
“I have recommended FreshAir Sensor to quite a few of my colleagues at other properties. I have stressed that the ease of use and monitoring has made it easy to roll out, the training guides are very helpful, and the court document provided to our accounting department to use for disputes is a godsend.”
Expressing gratitude for FreshAir’s Client Experience team, the Director of Hotel Operations acknowledges the ongoing support, saying, “I truly appreciate the product and the staff. Josh and Eric have been a dream to work with, and the support team that has worked with my line-levels have been on point.”
They highlight the rarity of finding a product that not only meets expectations but also maintains a high level of customer support post-launch. “Typically after the launch of a new product and initial follow-up, you feel neglected, and customer support is lacking. I have never felt that way with FreshAir. We appreciate the check-ins on the property, the constant monitoring; it feels like a true partnership.”
This tribal casino hotel’s experience with FreshAir showcases the power of innovative, proactive solutions in overcoming persistent challenges in hospitality.
Their story reflects a paradigm shift in managing smoking-related issues, with FreshAir not only providing practical solutions but also fostering a genuine sense of partnership and support.
As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, stories like this one serve as a testament to the transformative impact technology can have on guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.