INNESS is a beautiful countryside retreat situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley that encourages guests to get back to nature, but still enjoy all of the comforts and amenities of a luxury resort.
Traditionally, guests would show their gratitude for outstanding service with cash. But as cash-carrying declined, so did tips.
“You see it at hotels everywhere,” said INNESS hotel manager Carlos Gonzzatti. “People carry less cash today and new solutions are needed to make sure staff members are still able to receive tips. It’s the reason our team at INNESS became interested in Canary’s Digital Tipping product.”
"Our employees definitely appreciate [digital tipping]. They know that most people aren’t carrying cash, and, if they receive a $5, $10 or $20 digital tip, they probably wouldn’t have received it at all otherwise.”
Creating Digital Tipping Flows That Keep Tips Flowing to Staff Members
Before investing in a centralized Digital Tipping solution, staff members at the luxury property used personal mobile payment services like Venmo and Cash App to try to recoup some of the tips they had lost due to the digital revolution. However, there are a variety of issues with this approach, including the fact that a guest would need to have the same app as the staff member already downloaded on their phone.
Canary provided an easy-to-implement alternative that would enable employees to receive and track their tips using a combination of QR codes scattered around the property and a mobile-friendly, web-based solution.
Shortly after deploying Digital Tipping at the property, drivers that shuttled guests around the resort, housekeepers that ensured rooms were in perfect order, and front desk agents who provided excellent customer service, noticed significant improvement in the amount of tips they received.
“We have QR codes next to the minibar in the rooms and on business cards that are available in the jeeps and vans used around the property,” said Gonzzatti. “We also have them in the lobby so it’s very easy for guests to leave tips at pretty much any time they interact with staff members.”
Reaping the Rewards of Canary Digital Tipping
“I really like how Canary helps us ensure our employees are being rewarded for their hard work,” said Gonzzatti. “And our employees definitely appreciate it too. They know that most people aren’t carrying cash, and, if they receive a $5, $10 or $20 digital tip, they probably wouldn’t have received it at all otherwise.”
He continued, ”And this is especially true at our property. At a resort like INNESS, everything is paid for in advance except the restaurant, which is billed to the room and closed out at the end of the stay. This means there’s not a lot of points throughout our guest journey where cash would even come into play. Digital Tipping makes it easy for our guests to show their appreciation and they certainly do so frequently.”
_optimized.avif)
_optimized.avif)
