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Cornell Hospitality Research Summit Honors VOC Systems with Exemplary Practice Award

ITHACA, NY – VOC Systems, an Atlanta- based pioneer in mid-experience customer insight solutions won the coveted Exemplary Practice Award for Innovation in Service at Cornell’s 2014 Hospitality Research Summit (CHRS).The purpose of the competition was to recognize and reward outstanding examples of exemplary and/or innovative practice in a business organization. The awards committee received over 100 nominations, from which two emerged as winners: VOC Systems and The Lemon Tree Hotel Company.
“This was a remarkably competitive field, and it came down to five finalists,” said CHRS co-chair Rohit Verma, Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor in Asian Hospitality Management. “In addition to Lemon Tree and VOC Systems, the finalists included a ‘big data’ application by Duetto, a massive brand expansion by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and corporate overhaul intended to align all aspects of operations by Which Wich. All five of these demonstrate the innovation themes of CHRS, which include the new science of data, organizations, people, and technology.”
Looking at the VOC Systems effort, Verma noted the critical importance of giving customers a voice that management can hear. “As a professor of service operations management, I see the challenge of maintaining a direct connection between guests and management.” The hotel operators who nominated VOC Systems explained that the technology and process gives the guest an easy choice during the stay to share experiences with the GM and senior management regarding problems, successes or improvement ideas across all business functions. Key advantages of the method include pre-checkout service recoveries, early detection of recurring flaws, powerful employee training and recognition using guests’ own words (both printed and audio), and the positive influence gained in both post visit surveys and social media postings. The VOC Systems practice combined all four of the CHRS summit tracks: people, technology, data and organizations.

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